The Heart of the Matter

1:53 Amen. How do you escape a trap? How do you slip out of a tight spot? In our reading today from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus steps right into a trap that's been laid for him by his opponents, the Pharisees. And they try to trap him by asking a question about a topic that was no less controversial then than it is today. Let's listen for what it is. A reading from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22.

3:09 This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. So, what's the controversial topic? Taxes. The Pharisees asked Jesus a question about taxes. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Now, this is no innocent question. Just think for a moment about the stakes that came with how Jesus should answer it. On the one hand, if Jesus says to them, No, you shouldn't pay taxes, then suddenly he's opened himself up to the accusation of sedition, rebellion. He'd be seen as somebody who's opposing Rome, and so that could seal his fate before its time. On the other hand, if he says, yeah, pay your taxes, nothing wrong with that, then he alienates those among his tribe who are more nationalist and they're thinking, no, you shouldn't be doing that. We're not going to kowtow to awful Rome. And so in that case, he'll lose credibility with a number of his followers. So what should Jesus do?

4:02 Either answer, either way that he responds to the question, it's going to get something wrong in the eyes of those who oppose him. It's going to offend someone. Not that Jesus ever seems to be too worried about offending people. But suffice it to say, the question is a volatile one. He has a trap right before him. He's in a tight spot. And how is he going to escape it? You and I also find ourselves in tight spots at times. Specifically, the tight spots that come from hard questions and hard conversations. They don't have to be traps that are set in malice, as in the case of Jesus with the Pharisees. But these spots can still be challenging, awkward, and unsettling. They can still be difficult. And they can happen anywhere, anytime. For instance, this time of year, many Americans will go hunting and find themselves at deer camp. Deep theological conversations happen out in the woods.

4:58 Or you're on the sidelines at the soccer game. or in a few weeks, perhaps the trickiest place of all, around the Thanksgiving table. And somebody pipes up and says, how can there really be a God if there's so much suffering in the world? And you think, past the sweet potatoes? These sorts of tight spots, these hard conversations are out there for us Christians in this world, all over the place. If we're going to be known as followers of Jesus, folks are going to ask, and they should ask. So we need to be ready. But we need to be ready, not just in what we're going to say, but in how we're going to approach these conversations. How we're going to handle those tight spots with wisdom, gentleness, and respect. And just a word for those who are listening, who might be one of those questioners. I'm grateful for you. Asking questions is how we can all dig down deeper to find the truth.

5:52 Believers and questioners alike, we all benefit from that quest. Please know, the reason we Christians take this stuff so seriously is that we care deeply about Jesus and his word, and we care deeply about you. We've got good news to share, and we want to share it in a way that is compelling and thoughtful. So again, this is where Jesus himself gives us some great guidance. He shows us not only what to say, but also how to handle those hard moments, what you might call his tactics. How do you navigate between minefields when you find yourself in hard conversations? How do you slip out of a tight spot? What do you say? How do you approach it? That's what I want to talk about today. As we follow our Lord Jesus' lead and observe his tactics, we see how he's able to answer hard conversations by going to the heart of the matter. And more important still, he shows himself again to be the one, the only one, who delivers us from the tightest of spots and frees us from the traps we all find ourselves in.

6:59 So let's look at our Lord Jesus and learn what's his process? What are his tactics, his maneuvers that he's able to work out of this trap? Step one is this. Recognize that you're in a tight spot. Recognize that you've got a trap right in front of you. It's apparent in this gospel reading. We're told that the Pharisees were scheming to figure out how to entangle Jesus in his talk. How are we going to trap Jesus? And they do it by trying to butter him up with a little bit of flattery. Teacher, they say, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you don't care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. They're really laying it on thick. But Jesus just says, why do you put me to the test? He simply calls a spade a spade. He's not even going to get in the arena with these guys when they ask this question. He refuses to engage on their terms.

7:56 Why? Because he recognizes the trap that's been set for him. And notice that the problem with their question isn't just its content, but its structure. It's the way that it's framed. It's this kind of either-or question. Should you pay taxes to Caesar or not? There's just two options that are put right before him. Psychologists call this narrow framing Fitting, since that sounds like a tight spot Narrow framing is when an issue or question is put forth In an either-or sort of way So that you only see a little sliver of the issue at hand And the problem is if you and I give in to that Then we step into that tight spot And we accept whatever narrow frame is put before us So imagine, for instance, you're at a neighborhood block party And there's a bunch of folks from the community You know them a little bit, your acquaintances, and they know you well enough to know that you're a Christian, a follower of Jesus.

8:51 Well, somewhere along the line, one neighbor suddenly pipes up and says, Hey, you're a Christian. Why are you Christians always against LGBTQ people? What's the deal? Ooh, that's a tight spot. What do you say? If you accept the question and the way that it's framed, then you concede to unhelpful ground for conversation. So first, you simply have to recognize that this is a tight spot and not enter it naively. We'll go back to that conversation in a moment, but let's go back to the gospel reading in our Lord. So next, Jesus shows us step two, which is this. Return a question with a question. In this tete-a-tete with the Pharisees, He refuses to enter the narrow frame that they set, but instead returns the question with a question. He says, okay, bring me a denarius, and he asks them to show him the coin.

9:51 Whose likeness and inscription is this, he says. He volleys back to them the question that they ask. He goes right back to it. He's answering their question with a question. Now, why is this so strategic? Author Greg Kukul, in his book called Tactics, from which I've received a lot of inspiration for this sermon, He calls this the Columbo tactic. Now, if you're under 40, you probably don't know who Columbo is. He was a TV detective who seemed to be bumbling, like he couldn't argue his way out of a wet paper bag. But in fact, he was a coy and clever detective. Columbo would ask questions that seemed silly or just totally harmless. And yet he would be on the offensive in an inoffensive way. By asking simple questions like, Huh? Can you tell me more? This is the Columbo tactic, and this, in a sense, is what Jesus does here. Now, why is this beneficial? How does this tactic help?

10:47 For one thing, sometimes when you get thrown a hot potato right in your lap, asking another question can buy you some precious time to think, what am I supposed to say here? For another thing, everybody likes to be asked questions. If you're genuinely curious, people are happy to be asked. They want to share what they believe, and so it can establish trust to ask questions and it can also gain information. Maybe there's a question behind their question. And finally, in a non-threatening way, the Columbo tactic restores you to common ground in the conversation. You're not just back on your heels. You're able to slip out of the tight spot by asking your own question. So to return to our example from the neighborhood block party, you've suddenly had this hot potato thrown into your lap about Christians' attitudes toward LGBTQ people, what could be a natural next question for you to ask in response? Well, you might say, why do you think that? What makes you say that we Christians are against people, whether they be LGBTQ or anyone else? Then they might start telling you their own story, situations that they've experienced, attitudes that they've encountered from Christians along the way. That's some really valuable information as you're having that conversation. And not only that, now it's put you back on common ground where you're able to make a connection rather than pick a fight.

12:09 So how do you escape from a tight spot? Looking to Jesus, we've seen step one, recognize the spot you've got. Step two, return a question with a question. And then step three, as we see from our Savior, is this, reframe the issue. So Jesus asks this question, whose likeness and inscription is this on the coin? And they say, well, it's Caesar's. Then Jesus drops these famous words. Therefore, render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. With these words, Jesus doesn't just give an answer about taxes. Sure, he says, give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. His face is on the coin, fine. Pay him the coin that is his due. So the Lord does say that. But more importantly, with these words, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. Render to God the things that are God's, he says. What he means is this.

13:04 You, your heart and soul, your very self, made in the image of God, you are the things that are God's property. So your relationship with your creator is the chief thing. That's what matters most. You can give Caesar your dues, but give God your devotion. Thus Jesus speaks to the Pharisees. And in doing so, he reframes the issue. We can do likewise. When we find ourselves in tight spots, we want not only to ask questions, we want to get back to the heart of the matter. Who God is and what he has done for us in his son Jesus to bring us back to himself. That's how we want to reframe things. Around our Lord, his identity, the gospel, what he's done for us, the things that matter most. So in the course of our imagined conversation with your neighbor who's put the hot potato in your lap, now you've asked some questions, you've gotten some more information and you say, listen, I'm open to a longer conversation about this and it's going to be a longer one, but you just need to know what's most important is that we have a God who loves all people, who desires that all people be saved and that Christ laid down his life, not just for some people, but for everyone, including you and me. Because this is the true heart of the matter. All of us, each and every one of us at times find ourselves in tight spots in life, and we can't get ourselves out of them by our own powers. You fall into a trap, and sometimes it's of your own making. But this is why Jesus came. Not just to escape the trap laid by the Pharisees in this particular moment recorded by Matthew. He came in order to free you and me from the ultimate trap, to pull us out of the tightest of spots, the trap made by our own sin. And far worse than any scheming of humans is the conniving of Satan, the devil, our ancient enemy. St. Augustine, a great teacher from the early church, says that Satan thought that he had Jesus in the ultimate trap when he had him on the cross. Now I've got him once and for all, Satan thought. But Augustine uses a delightful phrase. He says that the cross was the devil's

15:14 mousetrap. Just when Satan thought that he had Jesus right where he wanted him, it turned out that the trap went the other way. And now the devil himself was caught because Christ was sprung from the ultimate trap of death. He broke out of the grave and now, having escaped from that trap, he frees you and me. Not only from the tight spots that we might find ourselves in day to day, in hard talks, tricky interactions, and sticky wickets of all kinds. He frees you and me from the most fearsome traps of sin, death, and hell. Jesus, by his death and resurrection, has delivered you and me from them all. When we fail and when we fall, as we all do, he still lifts us up. You can be sure of that. It's why we can enter into our day-to-day life with boldness and confidence, prepared to have those hard conversations at deer camp, around the Thanksgiving table, or at the block party.

16:16 You know, this example that I've been using, it's inspired by a true story. Some years back, our neighborhood at the time was having a block party. My wife, Ann, was having a nice visit with one of our neighbors, who was herself a person from the LGBTQ community. Well, at one point, out of nowhere, the woman stops, puts a halt to the conversation, and she says to Ann, Hey, wait a second, why are you even talking to me? And Anne says, I'm sorry, I was just enjoying this cookie in our conversation. And the woman says, no, no, no, you're a Christian, right? Aren't you against people like me? Talk about a tight spot. But Anne doesn't look to pick a fight, but to make a connection. Instead, she says, why would you think I wouldn't want to talk to you? We're neighbors. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, right? And she smiled and took another bite of her cookie. Suddenly that conversation was brought back to the heart of the matter.

17:11 I'd love to tell you that in that moment our neighbor was totally convinced and transformed, but that didn't happen, and it rarely does. But it did open the door for a continued conversation. And in the course of those conversations, a relationship can grow, and you and I are able to point to the heart of the matter. That Jesus is the one, the only one, who's able to set us free now and eternally. Amen.

17:49 our mobile app and more go to LutheranHour.org If thou might suffer, God, to guide thee, and hope in him through all thy ways, he'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee, And barely through the evil days Who trust in God's unchanging love Built on the rock that God can move How he be still and wait his leisure Each is still open, keep the road Without content, without content To take whate'er my Father's pleasure To take whate'er my Father's pleasure and all discerning love hath sent.

19:24 Who doubted in those hearts, in those hearts are not. Him who chose, who chose for His own. Sing, pray, and keep His weights unswerving In all thy labor faithful being And trust His word, though undeserving Thou yet shalt find it true for thee God never yet o'erserved in need The soul that trusts in him indeed O Lord, open my lips And my mouth will declare your face And my mouth will declare your grace Make haste, O God, to deliver me Make haste to help me, O Lord.