29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); 10-18-2020

Is 45:1,4-6.  Ps 96.  1 Thes 1:5b.  Mt 22:15-21

Deacon Jim McFadden

            We’ve just heard one of the famous passages of the entire Gospel:  “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God” (Mt 22:21).  It’s teasingly straightforward, so straightforward that it can’t be made simpler, and yet its meaning is not so obvious.

            Before we unpack what the Gospel quote may mean, let’s look at the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, which tells us that God is one, there is no other; there are no other gods other than the Lord.  Nothing is above God—not even the powerful Cyrus, the emperor of the Persians, who played an important role in the unfolding of Salvation History.  Cyrus, an unbeliever, would play a part in allowing the Israelites to return home from their Babylonian captivity.  There is God and there are his creatures, including emperors.  But, only God can claim our absolute allegiance in which we surrender our whole heart and soul because he is the ground of our being and our destiny.  He is the center of our lives and everything else, including our national allegiance, is secondary and relative to him and his purposes.  If and when there is a conflict between these allegiances, we give God our ultimate due.  To do less would be to embrace idolatry.

            With this backdrop, let’s now look turn to the Gospel passage about the legitimacy of the tribute paid to Caesar which contains the famous one-liner.  Jesus was being goaded by the Pharisees in order to ensnare him.  In fact, depending how he responded, he could have been accused of being either for or against Rome.

            In the past Jesus was very comfortable in avoiding questions designed to trap him, but in this case he takes advantage of the malicious question in order to teach an important lesson  regarding the relationship between God and emperor, or Church and state.  This was a relevant and urgent as it is today.  He tells the Pharisees: “Show me the coin used for the tax.”  They present him a denarius and he asks, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”  Most likely the image was of Tiberius Caesar, who fancied himself as divine.  Jesus concludes: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (cf. vv 19-21).  On one hand,  Jesus is declaring that paying tax is not an act of idolatry but a legal obligation to the earthly authority despite his godly pretensions.  On the other—and this is where Jesus presents the core of his response—he recalls the primacy of God; so, he asks them to render to Him that which is His due as the Lord of the life and history of mankind, including that of Caesar. 

            The reference to Caesar’s image engraved on the coin acknowledges that they have duties towards the State.  But, at a deeper, spiritual level it makes them think about the other image that is imprinted on every man and woman: the image of God and it is to Him alone that each one of us owes her or his existence.  Caesar doesn’t give us our being, but God alone does.  That’s why God is due our absolute allegiance and not the state.

            An anonymous writer of the Early Church put this beautifully: “The image  of God is not impressed on gold, but on the human race.  Caesar’s coin is gold, God’s coin is humanity…Therefore give your riches to Caesar but keep for God the unique innocence of our conscience, where God is contemplated…Caesars, in fact, asked that his image be on every coin, but God chose man, whom he created to reflect his glory” (Anonymous, Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 42).

            O.K., we give to Caesar his little denarius, which is his prerogative, but that is not what really matters.  But, here’s the key: in the ultimate scheme of things, everything belongs to God!  Since God is the Creator of all, everything belongs to God including Caesar!  This leads us to a question we can ask ourselves: to whom do you belong?  Yes, we have all sorts of allegiances and commitments: to our family and friends,  to our political affiliation, to our work, and to the State.  Make no mistake: these are all important.  But first and foremost, Jesus is reminding us that we belong to God.  This is the fundamental belonging that our soul guides us.  It is the Lord, not the State, that has given you everything you are and everything you have.  That being the case, day by day, we can and must live our  life in accordance with this fundamental belonging and heartfelt gratitude to our heavenly Father, who has created each one of us as his unique creation, unrepeatable, but always in according to the image of his beloved Son, Jesus.  We stand in awe before this incredible mystery!

            So, people of God, to whom do you belong?  Whose image is on your face: Caesar or God’s?  If it’s God, then give God his due:  namely, give him everything you are and everything you have.  In so doing embrace the Mission of Jesus, which He has given to this Church: to speak of God to all nations, to remember that he alone is due our allegiance because he, not Caesar, is our absolute sovereign. Because we belong to God, we give to God what rightfully belongs to him: OUR VERY LIFE!  Amen.