October 18, 2020
29th Sunday Ordinary
In the “Empire Strikes Back” Princess Leia tries to warn Luke Skywalker: “Luke! Don’t it’s a trap. It’s a trap!” Jesus does not need a warning he know he is being set up. It is a trap. The pharisees are plotting. They send their disciples with Herodians to ensnare Jesus. They flatter Jesus then ask him: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” If Jesus says: “yes” he offends the Pharisees who are devoted Jews and resent Roman domination of their land. If Jesus says: “no” Jesus offends the Herodians who are lackies of the Roman puppet Herod Antipas and are considered collaborators.
Knowing their malice, Jesus replies: “Show me the coin that pays the tax.” They hand him a Roman coin, a denarius. He asks: “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They reply: “Caesar’s.” The image is Tiberius Caesar. The inscription reads: “Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine Augustus.” The plotters are now compromised. A faithful Jew would not carry a coin with the image of one who claims to be a god. Jesus answers their question by not answering their question. “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
Jesus tells them to give the coin back to Caesar. They should not be carrying the coin to begin with. But “repaying” God is not a matter of money! The things of God are what Jesus wants to talk about. St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians about what they are giving to God: “your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today is World Mission Sunday. We are mindful of those who leave their homes and go into the world far away to give witness to Christ by continuing his ministry and we are conscious of our commissioning at baptism to go into the world close to home to live the Gospel of Life. We must ask ourselves what our return to God is, what do we repay to God for all God has given to us? We offer ourselves.
Previous:
28th Sunday Ordinary
Next:
30th Sunday Ordinary
