Things to Caesar And Persons To God! (Homily 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. A)

Things To Caesar and Persons To God!

(Homily 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr .A)

          The first reading from Deutero-Isaiah presents a remarkable story of the Persian King Cyrus, who did not know God, but all the same God used him to achieve his divine purpose, thus revealing that God is Supreme over all, all the rulers of the earth are subject to him. Cyrus was a pagan king but however was appointed by God (first reading). And the episode of the first reading introduces a sort of Jewish teaching about the state, and the teaching culminates in the declaration of Jesus on the tribute to Caesar (Gospel). And the faith account of the community of Thessalonica is a manifestation of a community that has placed God in the first position, they have given to God what is God's through their faith, charity and hope. (Second reading).

          The first reading (Is.45:1, 4-6) tells us that God used Cyrus, a pagan King of Persia, in order to realize his designs, the promise of liberation of the people of Israel. The word of God to Cyrus: “It is for the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen one, that I have called you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me” (Is.45:4). The chosen people were slaves in Babylon, and Cyrus won victory over Babylonians, and with his political astuteness he made the exiled Israelites to come back to their own country. The King did this not with the intension to liberate them, rather he did it because he wanted to dominate them better by sending them to their own land. But the overwhelming point here is that, Cyrus unknowingly became an instrument for the realization of God's project on Israel: Their liberation from slavery {Child of God I make a faith utterance against those intending and those already working against your liberation and success, all those seeking for ways of dominating you, the dominations of the evil influence and presence in your life, all the Cyrus in your life, may God remote control them to begin to work for your favor and success, even unknowingly}. Extrapolating from the above fact, we see two emergent considerations:

►God can use anyone to realize his divine plans, believers and non-believers alike. However, he will use us more if we are docile and disposed to the manifestations of His grace.

►We should not always consider whatever that happens in our world purely from the point of view of human criterion and logic, sometimes behind the scenes of the happenings, negative or positive there is God at work- for our favor and good. For God can make something good out of evil.

          In the Gospel (Mt. 22:15-21) Mathew presents the episode of the tension between Jesus and the two opposing groups: Pharisees and Romans over the issue of tribute to Caesar as a plot to entrap Jesus. Latently, Mathew sets out to present the episode as part of the conflicts of Jesus and his opponents. And the fulcrum of this encounter is condensed in the words: “Give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, and to God the things that are God's”. Doubtlessly, this pronouncement has been subjected to a number of interpretations in the course of the history of Christianity. However, all the three evangelists collocated the episode within the context of the happenings in the last days of Jesus in Jerusalem.

          In the context of today's Gospel, we see an unusual occurrence of two opposing groups (Pharisees and Romans) coming together for a purpose, that is, to lay a snare for Jesus. In fact, with their initial eulogies they pretended to be on the side of Jesus. They wanted to get Jesus by incensing him, by using eulogies, “Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in all honesty, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because human rank means nothing to you” (v.16). Afterwards, they threw him the question “give us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (v.17). But Jesus “knowing their wickedness” (v.18), reacts immediately with a counterattack: “You hypocrites, who do you tempt me” (v.18). And he asks for a coin, saying “whose image is here?” (v.20), they couldn't but reply “of Caesar”. And he told them “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar…”

          The hot button phrase of today's Gospel: “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God” (Mt.22:21), was reported not only by Mathew, but by the three synoptic. And in the account of the three synoptic we see the contending question to Jesus: “Is it lawful or not, to pay tribute to Caesar?” (v.15), this was indeed a hot button question because:

►If Jesus had responded that it was lawful, he would have become a friend of the Romans, and attracted the anger of the Jews.

►If he responded that it is not lawful, he would have fallen into the hands of the Romans.

►If he did not respond it would have been a big disappointment after that their initial eulogy.

          But with his well calculated response Jesus silenced them all, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar”. That is to say, if you accept the services of Caesar, pay also the tribute. This goes a long way to educate the Christians that they have their prescribed rights and duties before the State. Then, Jesus added “And to God what belongs to God”, this invariably reveals that before the duties one owes to the State comes the duties before God, who is the Supreme and Absolute Being. The State / Government cannot appropriate to herself absolute values. Be that as it may, if the State promulgates laws that are contrary to the laws of God, a Christian has to respond courageously like the apostles: “obedience to God comes before obedience to men” (At. 5:29).

          Symbolically, as the image of the emperor on the coin demonstrates that the coin belongs to him, so also, man as an image of God, with God's imprint, belongs to God. For Genesis 1: 26-27 reminds us that man is a “creation imago Dei”, made in the image and likeness of God. As such, if the coin is giving to Caesar because it bears his image, man bears the image of God and thus, belongs to God. Therefore, to Caesar things, to God Persons. Jesus recognized the value and autonomy of political powers in the spheres of their competence, however, he reminds Caesar (political powers) that he also has “to give God what belongs to God”, to recognize the universal sovereignty of God, therefore, respecting God's law on man and the human conscience.

          In the second reading (1Th. 1:1-5b), we read from the earliest written document of the New Testament, which was authored by Paul around 50 AD during his stay at Corinth. It happened that Paul founded the church in Thessalonica not too long from the moment he wrote this epistle. He writes with preoccupation over his new converts that he left, not only, he even sent Timothy to go and see how they are faring in the faith. And as God would have it, Timothy brought an encouraging report, and that triggered the warm tone of the opening of this epistle, thus, he began with thanksgiving. They tried to put God at the proper position in their lives, they put God first, “they did give to God what belongs to God”. He compliments them for their commitment in the faith, industriousness in charity and for their constant hope in the Lord. Can this be said of our own Christian communities and parishes too?

          In all, the story of Cyrus in the first reading confirms the fact that all authority comes from God and belongs to Him too (cf. Romans 13:1), all the same, giving to Caesar and to God does not mean compromising our faith in God with the things of this world. There is a pressing need to put God at the proper position in our lives and society, for today we are in a society that on and on tends to relegate God to the background, a society where relative opinions that drag the human dignity to the mud are made laws, we cannot but talk about the latent and manifest legalization of abortion, violence on human life, the presages of injustice and the reification of the human person.  Above all, we cannot but reaffirm the belongingness of man to God.

Oratio: Heavenly Father, all power and authority in heaven and on earth belongs to and comes from you, give us the grace to understand that it is in your Son we have life, and may the light of the Holy Spirit enlighten our minds and our darkened world to acknowledge and place You at the first position in our lives, thus God above all else. Amen!

(Fada Vitus M. C. Unegbu)