NB. I'm "isolating" b/c of COVID. . .so, I didn't celebrate a public Mass today. . .here's one from 2017.
29th Sunday OT
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
OLR, NOLA
What
belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God? Notice that Jesus doesn't
say, “Repay Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is yours.”
Or “Give to God what is ours.” Or “Give to God what is
theirs.” Caesar gets back what is his. God gets all that
belongs to Him. So, what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God?
Whether we know it or not, this is the question that lies under all
of our other questions about how we are participate in the affairs of
the world. These are daily questions, of course, but they tend to
cause us more problems around election time than any other. How can
we be both citizens of this world and heirs to the Kingdom? How we
think, feel, speak, and act as citizens of the world can determine
whether or not we inherit the Kingdom. With our eyes firmly focused
on the Kingdom, won't we eventually end up in conflict with Caesar
and his rule? Absolutely. And the history of the Church bears this
out. And continues to bear it out even now. What belongs to Caesar
and what belongs to God? For us, members of the Body, the Church, the
answer is easy but not uncomplicated: it ALL belongs to God! You,
me, mine, yours, theirs, ours. It
all belongs to God, including Caesar himself.
Is
this the point Jesus is making when he says that we owe Caesar what
is his and God what belongs to God? Why not just say, “It all
belongs to God”? Remember what Matthew tells us about the
Pharisees. They are plotting against Jesus, trying to entrap him with
a legal problem. When they ask their question, our Lord “knows
their malice,” and asks them in turn:
“Why
are you testing me, you hypocrites?” Jesus knows that they aren't
interested in a learned opinion on the Law. They aren't genuinely
intellectually curious about his response. They're trying to snare
him in an impossible political/religious position that they can then
use against him. Jesus' brilliant response to their fake question
explodes the trap. The coin has Caesar's face and inscription on it.
It's his. Give it back to him. Everything else goes to God. The
Romans can't fault his reply. The Pharisees can't either. But Jesus
knows that everything belongs to the Father. And so do we. So, what
do we – in 21st
c. America – do with this bit of teaching?
We
all know the standard answer here. We obey just laws. We pay our
taxes. We vote in elections. We support our communities. We serve in
the military. In other words, we participate in Caesar's state as
upstanding, patriotic citizens. There is no contradiction btw being
an exemplary citizen and a faithful Catholic. That's the standard
answer. And there's nothing wrong with it. However, what happens when
we come to understand that everything belongs to God? My life, your
life, everything we are and everything we possess first belongs to
God. You and I were and are gifted with everything we are and
everything we have. Gifted. Given. You might say, “But Father! I
worked all my life for my house! Nobody gave it to me!” God gave
you life. He gave you the time and talent you needed to work for that
house. He's giving you your life now to enjoy your house and your
family and friends. At best, we can say that the things we have are
borrowed from God, including our very lives. So, what happens when
this truth becomes a daily reality for us? What happens when you wake
up – alive and well – and note that you are alive and well? Do
you give God thanks and then go about your day noticing the abundance
of gifts you've been given? I hope so! Because Jesus says that we
have to give it all back. At some point, it all returns to the One
Who gave it to us in the first place.
The
moment it all returns, the moment our borrowed lives and borrowed
things go back to God is the moment we spend our short lives
preparing for. Jesus says to repay Caesar what is Caesar's. Repay.
Nothing more than what is owed. That's what counts as good civil
citizenship. But we are also heirs to the Kingdom. On loan to this
world for the salvation of the world. When we and all we have are
called back, we bring back with us more than we were given. Or, at
least, that's the goal. If we have used God's gifts to do His holy
work, then we bring back to Him all that we owe plus
substantial interest. His love in us has been perfected through our
sharing of His love with others. When the Christ the Just Judge looks
at you on the day of final judgment, will he see his face and
inscription stamped on your soul? Will he be able to lift you up to
the Father and say, “This one is mine returned to me in greater
love”? Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar while you live. But
remember, in the end, it
ALL belongs to God.
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