Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Since Matthew’s gospel then had political overtones, perhaps he will have some reflection for us in these days of political interest. At first glance, today’s gospel says nothing even remotely touching the baptism of children.  Infants, of course, compel a homilist to say what he has to say… briefly.

Some disciples of the Pharisees ask Jesus a question: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”  Jesus himself was not impressed nor influenced by the position people held, by their power or their possessions.  Jesus was clever, even politically astute, and asked to be shown a coin.

We know, and marvel at, the answer Jesus gave.  “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.”  Jesus didn’t need script writers; he was very good on his feet.  Now, there are different ways you can hear this.  One way is: the state has authority and so has God.  Give each its due.

The question is: what is due to each?  And what happens when Caesar exercises power that belongs to God?  And how do you know when God might be working through Caesar?  So there are problems when you try to find clear-cut divisions between Caesar’s realm and God’s.

But there was also a deeper level.  Jesus was holding the coin when he said, “Repay to Caesar” and we could see Tiberius’s image on it.  In paying it back, we were giving Caesar’s image back to Caesar.  Paying the tax brought roads and security, a society of law and order, the purpose of good government.

But then he looked directly at us when he told us to repay to God what is God’s – and we think of Genesis and creation: “God created us in God’s image; in the divine image God created us; male and female God created them.”  In a nutshell, we are God’s coins, God’s currency, God’s due.

And that is what God wants a return on: the divine image that is in you, in me; our hearts, our minds, our wills, our love, our bodies, given as a stewardship gift.  All of us carry God’s image to the places we live and work, study and play.  We have been imprinted with God’s spirit, who dwells in us.

I like to tell parents and grandparents at baptisms that they are the first teachers of their children.  From them, their children will learn courage and respect and love.  Parents will show them how to make the sign of the cross.  Godparents will be the witnesses to the baby’s upbringing.  They are the custodians of the faith.

We are proud to call ourselves a community of faith, a community of hope, a community of love.  Today, I am sure, many of us will bring Maddox and Gabriel and Isabelle a variety of gifts.  But there is one gift no one of us should forget to bring.  In giving these children to Christ, we should give ourselves afresh to Christ.

Paul A. Magnano

Pastor