Gospel: Give Caesar What is Caesar's

Today is the Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Year A readings will continue with the Gospel According to St Matthew.

Then the Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap him in what he said.

And they sent their disciples to him, together with some Herodians, to say, "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 is nothing to you. Give 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 are you putting me to the test? Show me the money you pay the tax with." They handed him a denarius, and he said, "Whose portrait is this? Whose title?"

They replied, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Very well, pay Caesar's what belongs to Caesar - and God what belongs to God."

The Gospel reading today describes an attempt of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap Jesus with his words by attempting him to answer a tricky question for him to be charged with rebellion. But Jesus knows the malice and he answered them with so much cleverness.

Today, this scenario has changed. Everyone now accepts the fact that taxation is rather a civic duty and a legal obligation, than an act that contradicts the will of God. All of us pay the taxes due to the State in anticipation that it will return to us through roads, social services and pensions. Nobody questions it anymore, except if it becomes burdersome to the population that leads to its repeal once demanded by the electorate and politics is on the line.

But what is striking in this reading is this: Are we giving what belongs to God? A lot of us do not mind giving to the church because we give it to God, to help in propagating the good news for those people who needs to hear it. Some church collections even require tithing, and these sum are given by the faithful for God's glory. Are we spending it the right way?

Jesus once said that whatever we do to the least of our brethren, we do it to him. And it is clear in this passage that what we give to God should be spent mostly to minister to the poor, and those who are in need. As Catholics, we have ministry to feed the hungry, we have prison ministry to take care of those who are incarcerated, we pray for the souls in purgatory, we maintain churches as places of worship and so much more.

God separated the authorities in this world to give its proper place in our society. Let the government do its own, and let the church do its thing. The secular and spiritual are not contradictory, but rather it goes hand in hand in ministering the flock. And in the middle of this strange union is financial stewardship and civic duty. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is due to him.

Amen.

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The Gospel is sponsored by Bear Brand.