"Quan"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on I Thessalonians 1:1-11 and Matthew 22:15-22.

Perhaps some of you remember the movie Jerry McGuire. Jerry McGuire, played by the actor Tom Cruise, was a sports agent working for SMI or Sports Management International. After suffering a nervous breakdown as a result of stress and a guilty conscience, he writes a Mission Statement about perceived dishonesty in the sports management business and how he believes that it should be operated. His colleagues are touched by his honesty and greet him with an applause. However, their support is only short-termed when the company’s management fires him for his actions. After leaving, Jerry is able to keep only one of his clients, Rod Tidwell - a football player whose pride and arrogance have gotten in the way of reaching his full potential. In the end, Jerry McGuire helps his client sign a really big deal and also finds true love with his faithful accountant.
One of the reasons Jerry Maguire remains such a popular movie is because of several of its memorable quotes such as: “Show me the money,” and “You complete me,” and “Help me help you,” and “You had me at hello”. But perhaps the greatest, and less familiar quote was spoken by Rod Tidwell to Jerry in which he said; “Other football players may have the coin, but they won’t have the ‘Quan.’” Jerry asked Rod what “quan” meant and he said; “it means ‘love, respect, community, and money’”.
Certainly, we could apply this to our Gospel Lesson this morning; “Render to Caesar the coin, but render to God the quan.”
Once again, the trap has been set and, this time, the Herodians and Pharisees are anxiously awaiting. No doubt, Jesus found himself between a rock and a hard place. You see, their question, “Is paying taxes to Caesar lawful,” was a trap. If Jesus would have said “no,” then the Roman authorities would have arrested him, but if he would have said “yes,” then the common people would rejected him. It was a clever and clearly thought-out question on the part of the Herodians and Pharisees who, although despised one another, equally they despised Jesus and wanted to put an end to his movement.
Now, keep in mind, the Pharisees were devout Jews. They knew and observed every letter of God’s law. However, the Pharisees in their legalism had lost touch with true spirituality. Their obsession with the law and their interpretation of the law caused them to become out of touch with the people’s greatest spiritual needs, as well as their own.
The Herodians, on the other hand, were Jews who supported the local puppet ruler, Herod Antipas. Little is really known about the Herodians as a group, except that Herod and his family were unpopular with the people, and so one can only assume that the Herodians were also unpopular as well. Certainly, they were unpopular among the Pharisees. They were seen as Roman collaborators. And while these two groups differed on quite a few issues, such as whether or not Jews should pay taxes to the occupying power, they were apparently threatened by this radical rabbi from Nazareth.
The three disputes of Jesus’ recorded in the 22nd chapter of Matthew’s gospel culminates to the greatest commandment, which is loving God with one’s whole self and loving our neighbors as ourselves. You see, humans, not coins, bear God’s true image, and no decree or law of Caesar’s can absolve Jesus’ followers from his mandate to love God and see God in one another.
No doubt, we are faced with balancing the demands of Caesar with the commands of God. Daily we are faced with balancing our allegiance to our nation and it government and our world, with our allegiance to God and God’s kingdom. Taken out of context, this passage has been used to justify a “two-kingdom” theology, which divides life into two separate realms, the secular and the religious, or, worse, to justify unswerving obedience to secular authority.
However, we are not to disconnect ourselves from the world - from the secular. Instead, the gospel encourages us to we envision the impact we can have on the world by living and being the gospel in these areas.
And certainly, this is what Paul was referring to in our First Reading from his letter to the church in Thessalonica. Paul summoned this community of faith to persevere and to grow in “quan” to grow “in the work of faith, the labor of love and endurance in hope.” What better way is there to repay to God what is truly God’s? This world belongs to God, we all are children of God, so we are not to turn our backs on it. That is not what Jesus is teaching here. Instead, we are live a prioritized life - offering our coins to whom our coins belong, and offering quan to whom quan belongs - namely to God, to one another and to our world.
Each and every person is made in the image of God. Each one of us belongs to God - is a child of God. And God - if we allow it - belongs to us. Not as a fixed possession that we can box up and use as we see fit and when we see fit but rather, as a partner - a friend - a lover - a companion - who fits us perfectly - one who challenges us to change our ways when we are going astray and who loves us and seeks us out when we have wandered away - one who encourages us when we are down and lifts us up when we fall, - one who works with us - not against us - one who forgives us - and who expects and hopes and prays that we will offer to God and to our world “quan”.
God is here in our church. Christ is in our midst. In our hearts - if we allow him and in the persons next to us - if we will see him. May we see God where God is to be found and give to God what is due to God - not merely coins, but quan - our love and respect, our self and our gifts. That’s what God wants and that’s what God’s kingdom needs.