The question put to Jesus in today’s Gospel was not a question he was expected to answer. In the minds of the Pharisees and Herodians, there was no correct answer. The Pharisees were opposed to the tax while the Herodians favored it. In their narrow political view of the world, either answer would trap Jesus and make him an enemy of one side or the other.
But Jesus elevates the question from one of simple politics to one of justice.
“Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.” The original Greek text could be paraphrased as “pay back to Caesar what you owe Caesar and to God what you owe God.”
We owe the government, through the taxes we pay, for certain duties and tasks it performs for the common good. But what do we owe God who has given us everything? And how to we repay this debt?
The answer Jesus gave changed the world. No longer was blind obedience to civil authority enough. From that moment on, we have been expected to render unto Caesar only up to the point that by doing so conflicts with our rendering unto God.
Under the banner of tolerance and fairness, the secular world grows ever more hostile towards Catholic beliefs. We may very well one day be faced with choosing between God and Caesar. Should it come to that, let us pray for the grace that will help us make the right choice.
Pax Vobiscum
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Illustration by Fr. Robert de Cramer
That pretty well sums up the very present question being asked in our society today.