Gospel Mt 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.”
Homily
It is a fact of life that when good people abandon an aspect of human endeavor forces inimical to humanity take their places and because there is no longer any influence for good, those fields of human endeavor which have been left behind are corrupted and become instruments of human corruption. This division of life into two camps militates against God’s purpose for the world which is harmony.
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Jesus however refuses to allow himself to be drawn into that type of battle. He will not be drawn or pushed into any camp. When he is asked therefore; “is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” he first takes a coin and asks; “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” Those who are attempting to trap him reply, “Caesar’s.” Jesus’ response is then very clear; “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
For many persons at the time of Jesus, especially the Pharisees, God and Caesar could not occupy the same space. The many plots of the zealots to drive out the occupying romans is proof of that way of thinking. Jesus’ answer seems to suggest however that God and Caesar must co-exist in the same space. In our time, unlike Jesus, many of us see Christians as having an obligation to stay far from the enjoyment of worldly things and live uncorrupted lives. This trend of thought has been around for a long time and the history of the church is replete with examples of this. This trend of thought has produced heresies which have been condemned by the Church. The church, while recognizing that there are vocations which call for a withdrawal from the world, has always insisted that our task as Christians is to evangelize the world; that we are Christ-bearers to this world and that while not being off the world, i.e. living by the values which the world holds dear, we must be in the world to evangelize the world. This is how the saints lived. They went into the world and lived amongst those bearing the image of “Caesar” but they did so because it was their intention to change the image of “Caesar” into the image of Jesus. This could never be done if they had all withdrawn from the world. The change of the image of Caesar so prevalent in the world of our times will only be changed into the image of Christ if we go into the world and live truly Christian lives. May God, Father, Son and Spirit help us in this enterprise.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, you died to gather all who were scattered and in so doing restore the Harmony which is the Father’s primordial gift and ongoing desire for humanity. So often however we divide the world into different camps in the name of spirituality. Help us to understand Father that you did not condemn Caesar, on the contrary You acknowledged his legitimacy. Give us the wisdom to recognize that legitimacy and to do our best to change the image of Caesar into the image of your Son Jesus who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. May Mary our mother accompany us. Amen
