Things To Caesar and Persons To God!

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

          Human history itself has been characterized by conflicts, oppositions and clashes. And one of the clashes is that between religion and the state, which is no longer new. Drawing the issue further, the history of Christianity especially in the West, was largely a history of conflicts. In the first few centuries of its existence, the Christian religion was strongly persecuted by the state. Even though, the persecutions gave birth to the martyrs and Christianity later became the religion of the state, however, the traces of that tension still linger today. Our readings today talk about these oppositions and tensions: Cyrus a pagan king as opposed to the Israelites, God chosen people and the tension between Caesar and God etc. 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). This episode in 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 and to God (Gospel). In the second reading, 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.

          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. Isaiah envisaged God’s work in a pagan king, an unbeliever led by God and called by name and appointed by God. 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. Although, some scholars have it that the King did this not with the intention 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.               

          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 to us or 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. God can make something good out of evil. More so, it serves as a reminder to all of us, that the mission of the Church is to bring to all unbelievers the Good News that it is God that guides their destiny, and through faith in Christ and baptism they too will be anointed by the Spirit and called by a new name. The Good News is that God knows us even when we do not know Him.

         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 trap 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. The fake tributes to Jesus by two groups of enemies that suddenly became friends, mention of his honesty, his fearlessness, his disregard for the status of those he encountered, all this flattery coming from people who normally were hostile to Christ merely exposes the hypocrisy of their praise. They wanted to get Jesus by incensing him with 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, why 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…” If Jesus were to answer, “Pay the tax,” he would have been accused of collaboration with the Roman oppressors, and would have incurred the scorn of the ordinary Jews, who pay tax. If he had advocated for non-payment of tax, he could have been arrested for sedition by the Roman authorities. So Jesus played his cards well. “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”, these words left them confounded and they quietly went away. However, it could be said that the response of Jesus left the matter in suspense, for it neither touch on the right of the Romans to rule the Israelites, nor did it enumerate concretely the things of Caesar and those of God.

          However, 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).

          The saying of Jesus above has been interpreted in so many ways, some use it to justify the claim that religious leaders should not interfere in secular domains like politics and economics etc. But this could not possibly be the meaning. As a matter of fact, the whole teachings of Jesus reiterates the fact that the whole of creation belong to God, “his is the earth and the fullness thereof”. As such, there is no question of separate domains, for everything belongs to God. More than that, the saying is rather about maintaining priorities. The question was a trap because for the Pharisees paying taxes to Caesar is important, but for Jesus it is of a relative importance, little wonder he responded in such a wise manner. What belongs to God therefore, must be considered from a wider sense to mean what we can not compromise where and when it is concerned, for instance we can talk about: family, the sacrality of human life, justice etc. Jesus in this passage is pointing out that priorities have gone wrong, little wonder, his response took them by surprise and at the same time, very satisfying, for they left him alone and went away. Many a times, we fall into the same misplacement of priorities like the Pharisees, for we lay too much stress on things that are important but secondary, for instance: wealth, prestige and popularity.

          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 “creatio 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 responded to their question with a double edged answer. First, he substituted the verb “to pay” with the verb “to restitute”, restitute, therefore to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Here, restitute is a strong imperative, that has to do not only with money, but the whole life. The question we cannot but ask is this: who is Caesar? Caesar is not God, and Jesus removed from Caesar any divine pretense. Restitute to God what is God’s: to God belongs man, made little less than the angels (Ps. 8) and at the same time on our hands we carry the inscription: “Yahweh’s” (Is. 44:5). No doubt, 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 that, he even sent Timothy to go and see how they were 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. 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. In all this, we cannot but reaffirm the belongingness of man to God. 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. As we celebrate World Mission Sunday today, may the Lord give us the grace always to respond to his invitation like Isaiah: “Here am I, send me” (Is. 6:8). May the Lord help us to participate in the Mission either by going or by giving! Amen!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)