Inspired by Exodus 33:17-23, 1Thessalonians 1:4-10, Matthew 22:15-22
I think it safe to say that we are all in debt to some extent. The latest economic statistics show that adults in the U.S. carry approximately $19 Trillion worth of monetary debt – 70% of that from mortgages. The debt-to-income ratio in the 1st Quarter of 2026 was about 11% which is stable across the last 5 years. Folks in their 30s to late 50s carry the most debt and those less than 30 the least.
Being in debt has been an issue possibly since the beginning of human history. It was on John Wesley’s mind some 250 years ago as he considered the financial state of persons coming into ministry. In The United Methodist Book of Discipline there are 19 historic questions asked every year at Annual Conference of all persons who are becoming pastors or deacons. Of particular interest for today’s reflection is Question #18 which asks, “Are you in debt so as to embarrass you in your work?” Substantial monetary debt is a real concern as it produces anxiety and avoidance, dominates a person’s thinking, eats into feelings of self-worth and can negatively impact one’s ability to perform at one’s best.
You may be sitting there and thinking, “I have all my financial ducks-in-a-row, I don’t have to concern myself with indebtedness at all!” Is that so? Financial indebtedness is only one part of owing something to another. Afterall, none of us is truly an island – we all need the grace, kindness and generosity of others in order to make our way in the world. In large part, our entire society is built on people doing things for others out of the goodness of their hearts. Take a moment now or in the coming days and think about the many kindnesses, acts of love and generosity that you have received over your life. How do you feel to be the recipient of such acts of grace? Most importantly, what have you done in response to receiving these freely given gifts of love?
In addition to financial and personal indebtedness, we are all indebted to God for our lives and the way that God has gifted and called us. Our scripture passages call us to consider once again our debt to God and what our response should be to the God from whom all things come. From the beginning of the Bible, we read that we are indebted to God who created all that is and will ever be, and for breathing into each of us the breath of life. In our reading from Exodus, we hear again about the wonderfully deep relationship that Moses had with God. Moses was able to successfully advocate for the Israelites at times where God was fed up with them and their hard heartedness, because Moses realized that he and the Israelites were indebted to God for their lives and freedom. Moses convinces God to continue to be with God’s people on their journey to the Promised Land. In return for Moses’ faithfulness to God and God’s people, God allows Moses to see God’s back as God passes him.
In the middle of the first century CE, Paul, Silas and Timothy evangelized the Greek town of Thessalonica. Paul planted churches there and raised up leaders. Our reading today is from the oldest letter we have from Paul which speaks to the response of the Thessalonians to their indebtedness to God through Jesus. Paul writes of the coming of the Holy Spirit in their conversion and how they welcomed the gospel of Jesus – even in the face of significant persecution. Their response to their indebtedness to God was to evangelize, and that became a model for that whole region to emulate.
The Pharisees and Herodians are out to trap Jesus into committing treason against the Roman Emperor. They ask Jesus if it is right to pay the imperial tax that the Romans collected from the impoverished Jews? Jesus understands their game and asks for a Roman coin. Jesus asks his interlocutors a question in return about whose image and inscription is on the coin? When they answer “Caesar’s”, then Jesus tells them to pay their debt to the emperor as is required, but that they are also to pay in full their debt to God as is required by the Law.
Spiritual writer, Susan Pendleton Jones unpacks the interaction between Jesus, the Pharisees and the Herodians. She writes, “…The Pharisees and Herodians, as it turns out, were very strange bedfellows. The Herodians supported the continued rule of Palestine by those who descended from Herod, thus backing the Roman occupation. The Pharisees, on the other hand, as observant Jews, were offended at the thought of paying taxes to a foreign government. Yet in this case they join forces in questioning Jesus and approach him with ‘malice,’ hoping to entrap him…
The flattering manner in which they frame their question makes their hypocrisy even more apparent. ‘You hypocrites,’ Jesus responds, ‘why are you putting me to the test?’ He knows their motivation and frames his response accordingly…By asking the Pharisees and Herodians to provide the coin which is used to pay the taxes, he forces them to become personally involved in helping him circumvent the trap.
Jesus's question, ‘Whose image is this, and whose title?’ echoes Genesis 1:27. The coin bears the image and title Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus - idolatrous words and a painful reminder of oppression to a conquered people. Yet these are a people who know that they were created in the image of God, and though they live under subjugation, they continue to bear the image of God. The coin is a temporal thing that is given to Caesar in exchange for particular ‘blessings,’ but the true blessing of life, of breath, of body, of soul, mind and spirit are from God and should be offered back to God. You, who bear the image of God, belong first and foremost to God. Allegiance to God and to Caesar do not occupy two separate realms; Caesar's realm is a limited one within the all-encompassing reign of God….”
Earlier in this reflection I asked two rhetorical questions about how you are living in the “all-encompassing reign of God”, how you felt being the recipient of the many kindnesses, acts of love and generosity that have been given you over the course of your life, and how you responded to them. For me, I learned from an early age that when I received an act of kindness or generosity that I would remember that and seek to do likewise to the giver. Over time, I developed a habit of “paying it forward” – meaning that I can never fully repay God for the gift of my life, but that I can do all the good I can, by all the means I can, in all the ways I can, in all the places I can, at all the times I can, to all the people I can, as long as ever I can (to adapt the quote attributed to John Wesley). This is what we as United Methodists and Wesleyans are called to do with our lives and resources.
United Methodists take membership vows to support the Church and each other through “our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness, that in all things God may be glorified.” We take vows to give back to our local community and our world out of gratitude for all that God has done, is doing and will continue to do in our lives. Are you responding to your indebtedness to God with your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness?
The good news here is that both God and our Wesleyan faith expect growth, not instant maturity…God’s grace continues to shape us throughout our lives. We will sometimes choose fear over trust, accumulation over generosity, or self-interest over love. We grow when we realize our mistake, own it, ask and receive forgiveness and begin again. The Christian life is not spent striving for perfection, it is a life lived continually being formed by God’s unconditional grace. We grow in faith and our desire to pay forward when we receive what God and others freely give with gratitude.
When we have hearts and minds filled with gratitude, we find ourselves giving generously, doing no harm, doing good, and growing in loving relationship with God and our neighbors. We learn to trust God with everything and thank God for everything in our lives. We are all indebted, to God, to other people who have helped us out, and to the worldly powers under whom we live. We can never fully pay that debt – but we can do everything in our power to give generously and joyfully to people and causes that work for the common good. In this way we acknowledge our indebtedness to God and work to bring God’s kingdom to earth. May God continue to bless our lives and work, amen!