He says to us, “Give to God the things that are God’s.” The gift that Jesus is asking of us is ourselves, and our supreme task in life is to make our lives fit to offer to him and with him for others. Jesus is calling us to a different way of living. As we face the future, we have to put our trust in God. God alone will prove trustworthy in good times and in bad, in boom and in bust. God alone has made us, saved us, and promised to be with us. The only source of abiding trust and faithfulness is our trust in God. It is not political and it should never be used to justify a label. As we examine national policies, we cannot ignore the child within his mother’s womb, the family without access to healthcare, or adopt a tax program that ignores the needs of the poorest among us.ĭoing that might be okay with Caesar, but it is not okay with God.Īdopting a worldview and showing concern for the least among us is not partisan. Anyone who knows the teaching of Jesus understands that Jesus’ ministry was among the most marginalized of people. We must also be people concerned about the least among us. Ignoring that might be okay with Caesar but it is not okay with God.
When people are persecuted, or hunted down or even murdered because they are of a different belief system, or of a different race, or of a different nationality, that is our concern, our collective concern. We must recognize that we belong to each other, within and outside of our geographic borders. It is not sufficient for us only to be concerned about our country and “our people”, because God has created all people and has given to each person a basic human dignity. When we read this passage in this way, it is a reminder of our responsibility to exercise our rights to express the values that flow from our belief in God.Īs followers of Jesus, we must approach things with a worldview. It is He who has given you and I all that we are and all that we have.įrom that rock bed of thought, the separation of church and state does not apply to God, because God cannot be separated from creation or from all of humanity. to a different question? What belongs to God? That’s an easy one. On its face, it has been used to justify the doctrine of the separation of church and state. The answer given by Jesus is pregnant with meaning for you and for me.
In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees were convinced they could trip up Jesus. Trickery abounds and its most sad when it’s used to delude ourselves.
We use labels to define us as well as to segregate others. We hide behind slogans so that what we really believe can be covered up. We go through all sorts of gyrations to twist a piece of logic. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.” They brought one to him and he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to him, “Caesar’s.” So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to him to ensnare him in his speech. ( A commentary on Mark 12: 13-17) Daily Reflection –
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