Gospel: Matthew
22:15-21
The
Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent
their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that
you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the
truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a
person's status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the
census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why
are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census
tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose
image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's." At
that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to
God what belongs to God."
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Reflection:
Can we think
of anything that we have given back to God? Perhaps we will pause and think
about what we have given back God for all the blessings that He has been giving
us all these years. After pausing maybe we still cannot think of anything that
we have given God and the reason for this is maybe we have not given back God
yet.
Every
blessing that we have comes from God although we may think that what we have
now came from our own hard work. But the truth is every blessing that we have
God has generously given us including our very life now.
In our
gospel for today Jesus tells us give to Caesar what belongs to him and give to
God what belongs to God (Matthew 22:21). In modern language this means that we
give what belongs to the government by way of paying the right taxes and other
duties that the government has a rightful claim.
What then
can we give God? We give God something special that comes from our hearts. Where
is God then so that we could give back to Him? God is not hard to find, we simply
have to look around us and we will see God. For God is with the poor, the
hungry, the sick, the abandoned and anybody who needs our help, God is with
them. Let us give generously to them so that we could give back to God.
In the
gospel of Matthew somebody asked the king: Lord when did we see you hungry and
give you food; thirsty and give you drink, or a stranger and welcome you or
naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to see you?
The king answered, truly I say to you: whenever you did this to one of the
least you did it to me (Matthew 25:37-40).
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