Thought for Today
Deuteronomy 14:22 Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed that is brought in yearly from the field.
2 Chronicles 24:9 A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.
Luke 20:22 “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" . . . 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?" They said, "The emperor's." 25 "Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."
Romans 13:7 Pay to all what is due them-- taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
Three guesses about what I am working on right now . . . and the first two don’t count. It is that time of year for most of us. April 15th looms darkly on our horizons. And, sometimes, that question asked by the scribes and chief priests comes into our minds paraphrased, “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes?” Or, maybe, “Isn’t is awful for us to pay taxes?”
I cannot imagine any sort of system by which humans could live together without some way of sharing the costs associated with our doing so. Our modern societies are complex, requiring some system of bureaucracies to provide common, shared facilities and conveniences. Utilities like water and sewerage, roads, bridges, etc. all require construction and maintenance. History suggests that it has always been so.
Our ancestors-in-the-faith understood the necessity of sharing the costs of the things they enjoyed in common. When the Promised Land was allocated to the respective tribes, the tribe of Levi did not get a proportional allocation of land. “Deuteronomy 18:1 “The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no allotment or inheritance within Israel. They may eat the sacrifices that are the Lord's portion,” “Ezekiel 44:30 The first of all the first fruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests.”
A tithe is defined as “The practice of giving one-tenth of one’s property or resources to support a religious institution as response to God for God’s blessings. It was done in Israel (Deut. 14:22ff) and at the time of Jesus (Matt. 23:23)” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms)
Whenever tithing is mentioned, I am reminded that the whole idea was to dedicate a portion of all our blessings to God; and, that portion was available to the priests for their sustenance. I am also reminded that the Israelites practiced theocracy. There was no separation of church and state. In essence, tithing and taxation were the same. Before I was ordained, I always thought how nice it would be for my church giving and my government taxation to be limited to a total of 10%.
Needless to say, although my goal of a total maximum 10% “off the top” being set aside for church and government has never been attained, my views have changed. Now, I realize that my debt to my Creator God for all that I am and all that I have in life cannot be limited to a mere 10% of my material wealth.
Taxation and church tithing aside, my debt to God demands that I give myself to God, all that I have and all that I am. What God wants, what I want and strive for, is for my life to be a reflection of Jesus’ summation of the Law, "Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
Our ancestors-in-the-faith spoke about tithing and first fruits being dedicated to God. Setting aside a percentage of one’s wealth to return to God is fine; 10% is a worthy goal. But, God wants you, all of you, the entire essence of your very being. Every aspect of your life, everything you own and are is a blessing to God. God wants to be in a special relationship with you.
Politicians talk about wanting everyone to pay their fair share of the tax burden. Most of us agree in principle and would only quibble about what constitutes our own fair share. There is no quibbling with God. God wants you . . . and me and every other child of God.
Stay safe, give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, trust God,
Pastor Ray