God's Word for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God

 Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, October 16, 2011

Gospel Matt 22:15-21

The Pharisees went off

and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."

Thus says the Lord, apart from me, all is nothing.

Give the Lord glory and power.

We know brothers that God loves you and that you have been chosen.

Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

Do you pick and choose?

The Romans ruled Palestine. They also taxed the people, something that all resented. Some resented violently. They were called the zealots. Galilee was a seat of discontent. The Pharisees and others had come to terms with Roman rule. They paid and in return were free to practice their religion. Now they ask Jesus whether it is right to pay taxes or not. If he says yes the people from Galilee come for the feast of Passover, will be disaffected. If he says no then he will be considered a rebel against Rome.

They thought they had him in a position from which any answer would be detrimental to him. But Jesus in asking for a coin reveals their hypocrisy. If they resented dealings with Rome why did they possess a Roman coin? Obviously they said one thing and did another. Jesus asks them whose image and inscription is on the coin. By telling them to give Caesar’s money back to Caesar Jesus is telling us that Caesar has a right to receive his own money. His legitimate authority comes from God and when he uses this correctly has a right to be obeyed. Are we justified in dodging taxes with the unproven statement that the Government will misuse the money anyway? Are we entitled to pass judgment?  We are called to obey Caesar in all lawful matters once he is invested lawfully with authority to rule. Each ruler has to answer for his misuse of legitimate authority

Render to God what belongs to God. What belongs to God? Everything belongs to God. Everything and everyone, including Caesar, belong to God. God is the one who must be obeyed under all circumstances. Am I entitled to break the Law of God because the Government has ordered it? As a policeman am I entitled to kill a terrorist in ‘an encounter’ because I am ordered to do so by my officers? Am I entitled to carry out an abortion or participate in one because of a superior’s orders or because I am working in a hospital that does these operations?  Does ‘carrying out orders’ justify me in breaking the Law of God and violating my conscience?

We must clearly recognize that Caesar does not have absolute rights but can only exercise authority within the Law of God. Beyond that his orders have no validity in the eyes either of God or of his children here on earth. We must give to God what is God’s – we must obey his Law under all circumstances. We must give back to Caesar what is his – to obey his legitimate Laws.

 Do you obey all Caesar’s legitimate laws and only those? Or do you dodge his legitimate laws when you can and keep his laws which violate God’s Law in order to save your skin?

Father give me the strength to obey your Law at all times and the Government’s laws which are legitimate.