Reflection on the Sunday Readings for 10/19/08 by Dawn

You can find all the readings for this Sunday at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/101908.shtml

...[Jesus] said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
(Matthew 22:21)

What an appropriate time to hear a reading about taxes! It is definitely a hot topic - from politicians purporting various tax plans, to the government settling on a tax "bail out" plan. Everyone's been hearing about taxes. But what is Jesus saying in this passage? The Pharisees have been plotting on how they could trap Jesus. They wanted Jesus either to say it wasn't lawful to pay the tax, which would upset the Romans, or for him to say the Torah said it was lawful to pay taxes, which would upset the nationalists who hated the Romans. Instead, Jesus turns the tables around. Pointing out that it is Caesar's head on the coin, Jesus tells them to give to "Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." How straight forward, an answer the Pharisees would never have expected him to give.

In today's world what exactly, though, is the dividing line between what is Caesar's and what is God's? Well, I guess the things that belong to Caesar have his image on them - things like taxes. But what is it that I'm supposed to give to God? In next week's Gospel someone asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is, and Jesus answers: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). If that is how we are supposed to love God, it seems to me that everything I do should be offered to God. From what I do in life, to how I spend my free time, to where I spend my money. This doesn't mean that I need to spend every waking moment in church, on my knees, but it does mean that I need to examine what I do with my life and live in a way that reflects that commandment. Hmmm... I suppose that if I look at it that way, living a life that reflects loving God with my heart, soul and mind will have God's image on it. I would be giving to Ceaser that which has his image and to God that which has His image on it.

How and what are you giving to God?


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