Home > Reading > Daily Reading – December 4, 2021

22:15  Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ”Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, ”Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, ”Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

– Matthew 22:15-22


Who wants to talk about taxes during Advent, as we try to focus our minds, hearts and lives on the coming of the Incarnate Son of God into the world? It’s hard enough to stave off the pressure of work, family and secular holiday activities without having taxes appearing in our Advent devotions! So, what might this reading say to us about our Advent journey to the Christ-mass?

In the Gospel of Matthew, we see that the religious establishment have been threatened by the teachings of Jesus and His apparent authority, and rightly so. Jesus has challenged their position and their power. He is perceived as one who has the very authority of God, speaking and acting with that authority. Now, Jesus has been challenged by Pharisees, priests, scribes and soon Sadducees. They have enlisted the Herodians in their fight, who have authority from the Roman emperor. The proverbial deck seems stacked heavily against Jesus. If they can now get Him to speak against Caesar, He will have incriminated Himself, entangling Himself in such a way that He may now be arrested and silenced, which has been the plan all along. As often happens, Jesus turns the question back on His interrogators, giving no easy answer to their question, while suggesting a powerful truth.

If the question is not, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” but rather, “What is there in this world which doesn’t belong to God?” — the religious leaders are challenged to wrestle with a deeper, more profound issue — the sovereignty of God over all human principalities and powers! “When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.”

For those of us who are observing Advent, in preparation for Christmas, we are aware there are those who challenge the divinity of the Christ child, question Jesus as God’s only begotten Son or claim that the virgin birth is a myth. We are not deterred or disheartened by those who question and challenge the Holy Scriptures. We cling to the faith of the apostles, the Church Doctor/Fathers, like John of Damascus (commemorated today) and our own spiritual parents in the faith! We hold fast to the beautiful great, glad tidings which were sung by angels and even now, ring from earth and heaven, proclaiming the Good News of the Word made flesh.

Prayer: Holy God, give us courage and good cheer as we observe Advent and Christmas, despite challenge and questions from those who don’t believe. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Advent Action: Learn something about St. John of Damascus, c. 760, Church Doctor/Father.

Devotion written by the Rev. Dr.  David Wendel

Watch a video recording of the devotional daily: facebook.com/thenalc

This daily prayer and Bible reading guide, Devoted to Prayer (based on Acts 2:42), was conceived and prepared by the Rev. Andrew S. Ames Fuller, director of communications for the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). After a challenging year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been provided with a unique opportunity to revitalize the ancient practice of daily prayer and Scripture reading in our homes. While the Reading the Word of God three-year lectionary provided a much-needed and refreshing calendar for our congregations to engage in Scripture reading, this calendar includes a missing component of daily devotion: prayer. This guide is to provide the average layperson and pastor with the simple tools for sorting through the busyness of their lives and reclaiming an act of daily discipleship with their Lord. The daily readings follow the Lutheran Book of Worship two-year daily lectionary, which reflect the church calendar closely. The commemorations are adapted from Philip H. Pfatteicher’s New Book of Festivals and Commemorations, a proposed common calendar of the saints that builds from the Lutheran Book of Worship, but includes saints from many of those churches in ecumenical conversation with the NALC. The introductory portion is adapted from Christ Church (Plano)’s Pray Daily. Our hope is that this calendar and guide will provide new life for congregations learning and re-learning to pray in the midst of a difficult and changing world.

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