29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

Mt 22:14-21

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To understand the context of today’s gospel we need to look into the taxation system in Palestine in the time of Jesus. It is said that half of the family income went to taxes. Some of the taxes people paid were the following:

1.      Men and women, from 12 years old to 65 years old were taxed 20% of their income.

2.      Commercial transaction was 1%. It was 2% when slaves were bought and sold.

3.      There was a salt tax. Salt used by fishermen to salt fish was taxed.

4.      Professional tax. A shoemaker had to pay 1 denarius a month. 1 denarius was the average daily wage.

5.      There was a road tax. You had to pay a tax to move merchandise from one place to another.

6.      Anyone could be forced to render service to the State for 5 years without pay.

7.      Subsidy to the armed forces. People were obliged to offer hospitality to soldiers. They had to pay a certain amount for the support of the troops.

8.      There was also religious taxes.

a.      The shekalim was used for the maintenance of the Temple.

b.      The tithe (1/10) was for the support of the priests serving at the Temple.

c.       First fruits was a tax to pay for the worship at the Temple.

It is, therefore, easy to see why the question of the Pharisees and the Herodians was a trap. Jesus would lose the support of the people if he were to declare that it was the duty of the Jews to pay taxes to the Romans. Of course, he would get into trouble with the Romans if he were to declare openly that taxes should not be paid to the government. He would be considered a leader of a rebellion.

There is something strange also about the alliance between the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Pharisees were nationalists and anti-Roman. The Herodians were Roman collaborators. It is strange that they would join forces. Perhaps, it is a case of “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”, that is, they look at Jesus as a common enemy and therefore, their working together was something of a marriage of convenience. To the Pharisees, Jesus by his teachings was a threat to the Jewish religion. To the Herodians, Jesus was a potential leader against the Romans. Remember that in the multiplication of the bread, the people wanted to make him king.

What was the meaning of Jesus’ response: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”? They paid to Caesar what belonged to Caesar by using the coins that the Roman government issued. But they have not paid to God what belongs to God because of their hypocrisy. They have not practiced honesty and justice as demanded by the Law of God.

Giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God is called justice. Justice is a virtue, a good habit, which makes us give to everyone, God and man, what they have a right to. And because virtue is a habit, it means that someone, who possesses this virtue, constantly gives to everyone what they have a right to, constantly and not once in a while.

How is this virtue practiced in daily life?

Parents work to send their children to school. This is not only a matter of love but a matter of justice. Children take their studies seriously. This is not only a matter of gratitude, but a matter of justice.

Government officials do not overprice the purchase of medicine. This is not only a matter of honesty. It is a matter of justice.

Government contractors do not build substandard roads. This is not only a matter of honesty. It is a matter of justice.

When vendors in the market sell you 3 kilos of meat, you really receive 3 kilos of meat. It is not only a matter of honesty. It is a matter of justice.

Employees do not take home coupon bond from the office for the school reports of their children. It is not only a matter of honesty. It is a matter of justice.

Employers remit the SSS contribution of their employees together with their own. It is not only a matter of honesty and charity. It is a matter of justice.

We go to Mass on Sundays not only because it is the third commandment but because God has a right to our worship.

When we receive blessings from God, we should thank him not only because it is a matter of gratitude but because it is a matter of justice. God has a right to receive thanks from us.

Obedience to God’s commandments is justice. God has a right to receive obedience from his creatures. But as Christians, our obedience to God’s commandments goes one step further. Because God is also our Father in heaven, our obedience to his commandments is above all, an act of love. In other words, for us Christians the practice of justice is the basic step. Justice must always be followed. But it does not stop there; it must be made perfect by love.

We do not have the right to be forgiven by God after so many sins he has forgiven. But he forgives us all the same. Because he loves us.

A daughter, who had been a black sheep of the family, went one step further. She got pregnant while in college. She was already 5 years in college and she had been either shifting courses or transferring from one college to another. Her mother suffered in silence. Hindi siya sinumbatan. Was it because of justice on the part of her mother? Certainly not! It was because of a mother’s love.

Today’s teaching: christians practice justice that is perfected by love.