I ran across a video clip this last week that was just too good not to share with you. It features a Christian comedian named, Dennis Swanberg telling a story about a guy named Bengy. I went to seminary with both Dennis and Bengy back in the dark ages. As you listen to this clip you’ll quickly discover two things about Dennis: first, he speaks with just a hint of a Texas drawl and, second, he’s really funny.
Dennis Swanberg – Bengy and the Zipper
When I finally stopped laughing after watching that clip a few days ago, I made two immediate observations.
–The first was this: this guy is really gifted. God has given him an incredible gift for humor and story-telling.
–My second observation was this: What sets Dennis apart from so many other equally gifted comedians, these days, is that he’s outrageously funny without being filthy. He never uses foul language. He doesn’t go after the cheap laugh by appealing to our basest instincts. Yet, his stories are still gut-busting funny.
Which leads me to this point—the value of the gifts that we have in life is ultimately determined by the way that we choose to use those gifts.
–A great gift wasted is ultimately of very little value. You may, for instance, be gifted with a beautiful voice but if you never sing, what value is it?
–A great gift misused can actually do great harm. You may be a gifted communicator but if you use this good gift to spread gossip and lies and filth, this good gift can cause real hurt to a lot of people.
–On the other hand, even a very small gift used well can be a tremendous blessing. For instance, the gift of a hug when a hug was exactly what was needed can totally transform someone’s day.
So, the point, here, is that gifts in and of themselves rarely have intrinsic value. The value of a gift is ultimately discovered in the way that gift is used. And since today is the fourth of July, I’d like us to think for a few moments about the gift of freedom that is ours and how we can use it best.
And I want to begin with three statements from Jesus that can serve as the foundation for our considerations.
The first is from John 8:32 where Jesus says, “…the truth will set you free.” The point, here, is that real freedom is only possible when we build our lives on the truth. Misinformation is terribly constraining. When we embrace as true something that, in fact, is untrue we encumber and restrict our lives. Truth, on the other hand, is incredibly liberating. When we build our lives on the truth, we are truly set free.
Our second statement is found in John 14:6, where Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” In other words, if you want to walk in the way that leads to life you have to walk in the truth. And Jesus is the truth.
So, when you put those two statements together, what Jesus is telling us is that He is the truth that can set us free FROM all of those ways that only bring hardship, struggle, frustration, pain and loss into our lives…(anyone ever walk down one of those ways?)…and…He’s also telling us that He is the truth that can set us free TO experience life at its very best.
And the third statement, building off of the other two, is found in Matthew 16:25, where Jesus says, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” So, what Jesus is telling us there is that everyone is free to try to hold on to whatever they want in their quest for a full and satisfying life. But if we’re trying to hold on to that full, happy, satisfying life by holding on to everything other than him…money, sex, friends, career, good times, or anything else…we’re destined to be disappointed because the only way to hold on to life at its best is to hold on to Jesus more tightly than we hold on to anything else.
So, with those three statements building our foundation…namely, that Jesus is the truth that sets us free to experience life at its very best…I want us to look at an experience in Jesus life, that builds on that foundation.
Here’s the set up to the situation. Some of Jesus’ most vocal critics, the Pharisees, were trying to lay a trap for
Him by drawing him into a discussion about taxes. The story is found in MARK 12 where, beginning in verse 13, we read:
13Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” (Mark 12:13-15a)
Let me clarify the trap the Pharisees were setting:
The Jews considered the Romans who collected the taxes to be an occupying force. Consequently, the Jews detested being forced to pay taxes that subsidized the Roman presence. They also detested any Jew who advocated Jewish support of the Romans.
At the same time, however, the Romans took the payment of taxes very seriously. They did not look kindly upon any Jew who encouraged other Jews to withhold their taxes.
So, it appears that the Pharisees had set a brilliant trap for Jesus. If He said, Pay the taxes, he would anger the Jews. If He said, Don’t pay the taxes, he would anger the Romans.
But Jesus was not easily trapped. The story continues:
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied. 17Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s…” (Mark 12:15b-17a)
So, Jesus’ says, Come on, guys. Did you really think you could trick me that easily? You drive on Caesar’s roads. You drink water from Caesar’s canals. You benefit greatly from what Caesar provides. So give him the taxes that are rightfully his. Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.”
It was a great answer and I’m sure that the Pharisees were frustrated that their little trap had failed. But it was what Jesus said next that just rattled them to their very core.
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” (12:17b)
In other words, “You’ve been so focused on trying to avoid paying your taxes that you’ve lost sight of something much more important. Yes, give Caesar what rightfully belongs to Caesar…but more importantly give God what rightfully belongs to God.
Now, figuring out what belongs to Caesar is pretty easy because he puts his mark, his name or his image on everything he makes. The Great Caesar Highway. The Emperor’s Amphitheater. The King’s Aqueduct. And, of course, all the money. We know what belongs to Caesar the minute we see it because he always puts something of himself into everything he creates. But how are we supposed to figure out what belongs to God?
Well, as it turns out, God does the very same thing. Everything that God created reflects some aspect of His character, His power, His grandeur, or His glory.
That’s the point of Psalm 19:1 which says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” You can see something of God in the things that He creates.
That’s the point of Romans 1:20 which says, “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen…” Once again, you can see something of God in the things that He creates.
Everything that God creates reflects something of its Creator. And, folks, the crowning achievement of God’s creation was humanity. You and me. And God not only created us, He created us, as Genesis 1:27 says, “…in His own image.”
We are the product of God’s ingenuity and craftsmanship. Everything about us was God’s idea and everything we are and have traces its origin to God.
–Whatever abilities we possess are a gift from God.
–Whatever resources we have are a gift from God.
–Every moment of every day is a gift from God.
All that we have and all that we are flows to us from the hands of God.
Now, with that in mind, listen again to Jesus’ response to the Pharisees, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Give God what rightfully belongs to God.”
“Pastor Tom, are you suggesting that I owe my life to God?” I am.
“Pastor Tom, are you suggesting that I give my life to God?” I am.
I’m also agreeing with Jesus in saying that it’s only in the giving of our lives to God that we are finally set free to discover what God intended life to be, all along. Folks, there’s no loss for us in this transaction. It’s all gain.
–We give Him our weakness. He gives us His strength.
–We give Him our sin. He gives us His forgiveness.
–We give Him our failures. He gives us His grace.
–We give Him our sorrows. He gives us His joy.
–We give Him our weakness. He gives us His strength.
Bottom Line: Each of us is free to do whatever we want to do here but the truth is when we give Him our lives, He pours His life into us.
So, the question is, “Why would God do all that for us?”
And the answer is, “Because He not only created us, He loves us. And this table and these Lord’s Supper elements remind us of just how far that love goes.
The Petaluma Valley Baptist Church Prayer Team is a ministry dedicated to intercessory prayer. A group of Prayer Team members are available to pray for requests that come either through the mail, e-mail, via the telephone. or this web site. Please submit a brief description of your request and we will bring it before the throne of grace. Submit Prayer Request
