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Mt. 22:15-21
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.
Jesus sometimes speaks in ways that seem unclear. Today his words strike me that way and it is because the question posed to Jesus by the Pharisees was disingenuous. They weren’t really looking for an answer. They were looking to trip Jesus up, embarrass him in front of his followers, or even better get him in trouble with the authorities when they asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” You can imagine them raising eyebrows at each other, maybe smirking and surreptitiously bumping elbows as they waited.
Jesus surprised them with his answer. He told them to give to Caesar what was due to Caesar and then cautioned them to give to God what belonged to God. They wanted a simple answer, but instead, they were left with words that surely left them shaking their heads.
As we hear these words from Jesus about giving to Caesar his just due and giving to God what belongs to God what do they mean in our lives? It’s not an easy question to answer as sometimes our Caesars, the laws of the land, might seem contrary to what God asks of us.
We live in a world in turmoil. We see and hear of unspeakable violence. We read statistics about the high maternal mortality rate in our country and the deaths of children by guns. We witness groups of people denigrated due to their sexual orientation, religious tradition or the color of their skin at home and across the world. We hear talk of war and wonder what lies ahead.
The laws of the land are clear for anyone willing to read them. The laws of God, and the teachings of God through prophets and through Jesus are also clear. How easy it would be to make 2 lists – one for the things for God and another for the things that pertain to the law or the governing powers. God stuff in one list, things of the state, the law, in another.
However, it is impossible to completely separate the sacred from the secular. What we know in our hearts about loving our neighbors gets in the way of power and the law at times. We are called to feed the hungry, yet we are offered plans that take food from children to balance a budget. We are called to offer shelter to those who need it, yet we cannot find the means even though we spend billions of dollars on political campaigns. We are called to embrace the stranger, yet we have borders to consider.
It is a tension we hold – a tension that requires prayer and discernment. We are citizens of a nation and children of God, an intersection that nudges us to examine our lives daily.
Peace,
Anne
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