Sunday Reflections
29th Sunday year A
Even Caesar belongs to God
1. ✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 22:15-21
The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’
2. Today’s reading focus on the place of God and civil authority in the life of believers. The first reading (Is 45,1,4-6) established in a clear manner that every authority comes from God. It is God who picks human beings and entrusts them with power over others. It speaks of a pagan king Cyrus whom God picked and empowered even when he never knew God.
3. In the gospel, the pharisees and the Herodians banded together to destroy Jesus by pitching him against the authority of Caesar on tax matter. They knew that not paying tax was punishable by death under the Roman Force of Occupation. They set trap for Jesus by wanting him to deny the payment of tax. Jesus used the opportunity to teach them that God and Caesar are not in opposition because Caesar is a handwork of God. “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
4. This saying has come to be interpreted in different ways by different interest groups. The politicians use this text to argue that the Church and State have no common ground. Civil matters should concern the State and politicians while the Church should be concerned with religious matters. They forget that Caesar sees himself as son of God. If he is son of God, he cannot be outside the authority of God. Things get even worse when some people in power claim that being son of God, they are entitled to what belongs to God. This is the bane of African politics today.
5. Some christians interprete the text of giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar as justifying their compromising attitudes in life and the worship of other gods. They claim that they can worship God, giving him his dues and still be in alliance with other gods who demand their allegiance in the traditional religion. This is a confusion because God cannot share his glory with other gods. Today’s responsorial psalms says that all glory and honour should be given to God.
6. Know that God and Caesar cannot compete for your allegiance; what creature can compete with his creator? When civil authority or exigences of traditional religion comes in conflict with your worship of God, the priority goes to God. Justifying double dealings in the name of giving to Caesar what belongs to him is a clear sign of lack of faith. Do not allow any strange teaching to lead you astray.
© Vitalis Anaehobi
22/10/23
