Ooh...Jesus throws SHADE! Sermon on Mark 12:13-17

Rev. George Miller
March 15, 2020
Mark 12:13-17

The other day a song came on the radio by the great gospel singer Shirley Caesar called “No Charge.”

It’s a story about a mother and child.

One day while Mom’s cooking supper, her son comes in the kitchen with a list of all the things he’s done.

Mowing the lawn, $5
Making my bed, $1
Raking the yard, $2 etc.

The list comes out to $14.75.

Mom looks upon the child as a thousand thoughts flash through her mind, wipes her hands upon her apron, flips over the list and writes-

For the 9 months I carried you, and held you inside me- No Charge.

The nights I sat, doctored you and prayed for you- No Charge.

For the times and tears- No Charge.

When you add it all up, the full cost of my love is – No Charge.

For the dark nights and worries ahead.
For future advice and knowledge.
For the toys, clothes, and wiping your nose.

When you add it all up, the full cost of my love is- No Charge.

The cost of Real Love is- No Charge…

Today we have another uncomfortable scripture about a very sticky topic- money.

And not just money, but paying taxes and the big “G” word- Government.

It seems like no matter what, Jesus just can’t stop talking about things that make people feel uncomfortable-

He’s openly discussed bodily functions, told a man to give all his wealth away, and talked to the disciples about his own death.

Even now when he’s just minding his own business, folk come along trying to stir up some mess.

‘Cuase as we all know, stirring things up is what some folk just love to do.

But watch what Jesus does.

Some high and mighty religious leaders come up to Jesus trying to trap him.

“Jesus,” they say, thinking they’re all slick, “We know you’re cool and your theology’s on drip, but do you think it’s Ok for religious folk to pay taxes to the emperor?”

They think they have Jesus trapped. No matter what he says his ministry is done for.

If he tells the Jews not to pay their taxes, the Roman soldiers will arrest him immediately as an enemy of the state.

If he tells the Jews to pay their taxes, then he’ll be seen as a sell-out who supports a foreign government and will lose all his pastoral authority.

But Jesus is too smart for them. Jesus throws shade.

If you don’t know what shade is, it’s a way of saying something to someone that may sound nice, but really isn’t.

In New York, if we say something is “interesting…” it’s really not.

In the Baptist Church if someone says “I’ll pray for you…” that means “Child, you need help!”

And in the South, the shade runs deep as cordial people will say in the most honey-sounding of tones “Bless your heart…” which really, really means “Honey, you’re a hot mess.”

Jesus does his own kind of shade.

Here they are in the Temple, Jesus, the disciples, and these religious leaders.

Their whole question around taxes revolves around the fact that the coin they used, called a denarius, has an image of the emperor on it, and as we know, graven images were forbidden in the 2nd commandment.

So, when they ask this question about taxes, Jesus says “Oh, well I don’t have one of those denary-things. Can you find me one?”

Sure enough, right there in the Temple, one of the religious leaders who is trying to trick Jesus produces…a denarius, with graven image and all.

Jesus, who they tried to trick, becomes the trickster. “Interesting…Whose image is this on the coin?”

“The emperor’s,” they respond. It’s unclear if they realize what Jesus has just done.

“Bless you heart,” Jesus says “Then give to the emperor what is his. And to God give the things that are God’s.”

“And while you’re doing that, I’ll pray for you.”

Jesus is so aware and alert, so patient and present, that he is prepared for what anyone will say.

Like a really good teacher, Jesus knows that the best answer is an answer that one has worked for on their own.

But here is what I think is really cool about today’s reading- Jesus uses his words to bring it all back to God.

Jesus takes what could’ve been an emotionally, politically charged moment and brings it back to the source of all goodness.

He does it in the most brilliant and subtle of ways.

He looks upon the denarius with the image of the emperor and says give it back to the emperor.

Jesus says give to God the things that belong to God.

Guess what that is?

Guess who bears the image of God?

Guess who was created in God’s image? Who was formed by God’s hand? Who God’s breathed life into?

You. We. Us.

We are what belongs to God.

We are what matters to God.

We are the ones that have been doctored by God and cared for by God.

Let the emperor be the make-pretend ruler of the earth because God is Lord of All.

The emperor will die and fade away, but God will endure forever.

And unlike the emperor, when it comes to the Lord of Heaven, there is no charge.

There is no tax God asks of us.

There is no denarius for God’s steadfast love and deliverance.

There is no service charge for God’s grace and mercy.

There is no fee for God to hear and see

The cost of God’s Love, Real Love is-No Charge.

The dark nights and worries ahead- God will be there- No Charge.

The calm and comfort- No Charge.

The Wisdom and the Way Ahead- No Charge.

The Gifts of Heaven and The Kingdom of God- No Charge.

A God who says no matter who you are, and where you are on life’s journey- you are welcome here- No Charge.

A God who says “I love you.”- No Charge.

For that, we can say, amen.