10212020 – Matthew 22. 15-22
Remember the Roadrunner and the Coyote? Meep, meep…and he was gone just like grease lightning…leaving old Wiley E. in his dust…
That poor old coyote tried dynamite, TNT explosives and charges, dropping boulders from on high, everything he could think of…
He even tried his hand at painting murals on the side of mountain walls, one time…that too, did not work.
Poor old coyote, he was relentless…
But it seemed like “no matter what he did,” he was subject to failure.
Just like the Jewish elite…in our Gospel text for this evening…“they too,” were relentless in their attacks…And very much like “the old coyote,” they too, were foiled and failed again…and again.
“This Jesus character” made for some strange bed-fellows. Both groups wanted to see him disappear and soon…and were opposed to everything he stood for…and said.
The Herodians were “politically motivated” leaning heavily toward their Roman sugar-daddies.
Whereas the Pharisees were supposed to be “religiously oriented”…although, as we know, they were MORE looking out for themselves…and for their own personal needs…wants and desires.
But FOR the DOWNFALL of Jesus of Nazareth, they were willing to “join forces”…which brings us very nicely to our Gospel text for this evening.
Together they came up with a fool-proof-plan…and a win/win situation for themselves…
So, together they schemed, plotted, concocted, planned, organized, and were ready to carry out their arranged trap from which there was no possible escape. It was fool-proof!
But the Rabbi from Galilee WOULD NOT take their bait. He was NOT about to fall for their trap, their decoy, their snare, nor be entangled or enmeshed in their temptation. Simply put, he WOULD NOT bite.
The Rabbi was determined to OUTWIT them…one way or another…
When it came to ROMAN LAW the Jews had learned what was legal, just, allowable, permitted, and conforming, the hard way. They had to or die.
But also, as every good Jew was AWARE, EVERYTHING belongs to God.
Somehow, someway, Jesus was able to “save face” in the eyes of the Romans and in the eyes of his fellow Jews…
His quick-wittedness and obvious wisdom satisfied both the “Roman Governmental Regulations” without compromising THE DEVOTION that is due to God…blessed be he.
He walked a very “precocious road”…and he walked it all alone.
Jesus knew that the Herodians would “sell out their own grandmothers”
to the Romans if the need should arise…
And as for the Pharisees, as long as “their pockets were being lined,” they did not care what happened sans appearances…sake. They always had to maintain their appearances!
Both groups wanted to look good, which was THE REASON “they came together – to take down Jesus.”
They thought they could “publicly shame and humiliate him…they could embarrass him before all his followers.
They were CERTAIN this time, they HAD HIM…right where they wanted him.
The problem was – they were wrong. Again!
Jesus had them PEGGED correctly, both groups were hypocrites. They were “syrupy sweet” at handing out compliments, but totally insincere in their heart of hearts.
Nothing was heartfelt, nothing about them was genuine, everything was about pretense and deceit. Both groups of men were dishonest to the core.
Try as they might, they were bound for certain failure. So many had tried before them. The Pharisees, the Scribes, the high priests, the Sadducees, the Herodians, the Temple elite and all of them ended in defeat and with a complete lack of success.
Psalm 50, verses 10-12 was echoing in the air…What are the things that belong to God?
Is the answer not EVERYTHING?
Yahweh says, “for every animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were humgry, I would not tell you, for the world and EVERYTHING in it is mine.” Everything belongs to God.
He and he alone, is Lord of ALL.
So, in the end, just like Old Wiley E. Coyote, they slinked off into the night, with their tails between their legs…
Hoping for another match up…
On some other day…
Another attempt at cornering “the-ever- elusive-rabbi. But it was not meant to be so, FOR TODAY.
And the people standing there were simply AMAZED. Jesus had clearly won again, while the elite of the kingdom walked sadly away…meep, meep!