Paying taxes to the emperor

SOME Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. 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. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 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.

REFLECTION TO GOD WHAT BELONGS TO GOD. Jesus’ enemies employ a strategy to put him down, sending the Pharisees and Herodians to ask him a question meant to trap him in speech and thus find an excuse to condemn him to death. Jesus has been a nuisance to them, unsettling them by questioning their traditional values and threatening their power over the people.

It looks like a no-win situation for Jesus. If he says it is lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar, he becomes an enemy of the Jewish people. If he says no, he is advocating rebellion against the Roman occupation. Jesus cleverly replies that one must give to Caesar what is due to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

We, Christians, behave differently from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of Israel. We do not have a problem with Jesus; we want to follow him. But does he not disturb us? We should be upset, too, because he tells us, “Repay to God what belongs to God.” We may not be much different from Jesus’ enemies who are perceived as hypocrites. What do we give God? True worship or just the motions? How do we prepare for and participate at the liturgy? Do we have the poor, who are dear to God, in our hearts such that we are rich in what matters to God?

Let us be true Christians. Let us improve the quality of our participation in the liturgy and our practice of charity.