Saturday, 17 October 2026
Sunday, October 18, 2026 - God and Caesar
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa45:1, 4-6; 1 Thes 1:1-5b; Mt 22:15-21
There
are times when we wish that certain incidents narrated by the evangelists, in
which Jesus speaks, would have been omitted. The Gospel text of today is one
such incident. This is because, if taken out of context, the saying of Jesus to
the Pharisees and Herodians “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”, can be used to justify the
clear division that some are wont to make between the sacred and the secular
and to divide these into two autonomous realms. Others may interpret the saying
as a call to unswerving loyalty and obedience to “secular” authority.
The
first reading, however, makes clear that loyalty and obedience are always to
the Lord though it may seem, at first glance, that it is a human being who is
responsible for the salvation of people. Thus, though it was through the
Persian king Cyrus that the Jews in Babylon were given their freedom, he was
but an instrument in the hands of the Lord. It was God who guided him to disarm
other kings and to open the gates of freedom by “grasping his hand”. The whole
world must be made to see that it was the Lord and the Lord alone who brought
liberation.
This
is why, in his response to the Pharisees, Jesus goes beyond the question asked
by the Pharisees and adds that what is God’s must be given to God. This does
not mean a separation of religion and politics, but rather that the kingdom of
God embraces every aspect of human life. Ultimate loyalty is always to God and
the kingdom rather than to narrow and parochial political interests.
The
question of the Pharisees is not a general question. That they intended to trap
him through his answer is clear when one realizes that the tax referred to was
the “census”. This was the Roman head-tax which had been instituted when Judea
became a Roman Province. Payment of the tax was a burning issue and the tax
could be paid only in Roman coinage. A “Yes” answer on the part of Jesus would
alienate the nationalists who were against paying the tax. A “No” answer would
probably lead to the arrest of Jesus by the Romans. Ironically the Pharisees,
who considered the image and inscription on the coin idolatrous, have a coin
and that too in the sacred precincts of the Temple. In principle, that
Pharisees resented and rejected the payment of the tax but would not go so far
as to physically oppose it. Though Jesus’ answer is an indirect “Yes” .he makes
clear by the addition “and to God the things that are God’s” that God always
has first place. While material things may be given to the Caesars of this
world, the human person belongs only to God. If one rendered to the state its
restricted due, all the more was one to render to God his unrestricted due,
namely, the totality of one’s being and substance, one’s whole existence, was to
be rendered to God. Loyalty to Caesar must always be set in the larger context
and thus be relativized by the full submission of the self to God. The bottom
line for the disciple of Jesus is to “render to God the things that are God’s”
Since the human person bears the image of God he/she cannot be given to Caesar,
but only to God.
The
Psalmist reiterates this theme in his invitation to all peoples to give glory
and honour only to God, since he alone is God. He is the one who made the
heavens and is king of all peoples. The Lord alone must be worshipped and no
one else. The worship offered to the Lord is one offered in holiness. His
governance is a governance of equity.
When
we are aware that we are made in God’s image and that everyone we encounter is
made in God’s image we may feel less inclined to separate ourselves from each
other. Yet it is equally important that we retain our identity as children of
God whether we are functioning as members of our household, our workplace, our
neighbourhood, or our city or nation.
As
committed Christians we are also obliged to look into the faces of our
neighbours and see God, especially when we are tempted to see those neighbours
as aliens. The Holy Spirit can work with us and through us when we do not
separate ourselves from that image, as he did in the life of Paul and the
Christians of Thessalonica. We then render to God our very selves in obedience
and service, which will in time touch all we have and own.
Friday, 16 October 2026
Saturday, October 17, 2026 - Will you depend on God today? How will you show this dependence?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 1:15-23; Lk 12:8-12
The
sin against the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel reading of
today does not refer to a particular sin or action. It is not an impulsive,
momentary rejection of Jesus, such as Peter’s denial of Jesus in the courtyard,
but a persistent, obdurate rejection of God’s saving grace through the work of
the Holy Spirit. It is, in other words dependence only on self and not on God.
Today
the sin against the Holy Spirit is to no longer believe that the Holy Spirit
can transform me. It is to give up before one can begin. It is to give in to
despair and to lose hope. It is not to make a resolution for fear of breaking
that resolution. It is not to trust, not to hope and not to believe.
Thursday, 15 October 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026 - Are you still afraid of a God who is only Love? What will you do about your fear today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 1:11-14; Lk 12:1-7
The
text of today begins immediately after Jesus has spoken the woes against the
Pharisees and scribes. Though there is a large crowd, which has gathered, Jesus
speaks first to his disciples cautioning them against the yeast of the
Pharisees.
The
yeast of the Pharisees is identified as hypocrisy only in the Gospel of Luke.
To be a hypocrite (Greek hupokrisis) originally meant to wear a mask or to play
a role. The point that is being made is that at the judgment, everyone’s true
character will be revealed. There will be no masks, and everyone will be seen
as he or she is. Even the sparrow which is so insignificant when compared to
human beings is looked after by God therefore, there is no need to be afraid,
because a God who is and will always remain, Father, will judge us.
Though
Jesus constantly revealed God as unconditional love, many of us still relate to
him from fear. This is the reason why we wear masks before him and consequently
before others. We are afraid to be ourselves. If we begin to realise that our
God is a God who primarily wants to save, we can improve our relationship with
him and with others.
Wednesday, 14 October 2026
Thursday, October 15 2026 - Have you through your words or actions been a stumbling block in the way of others? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 1:1-10; Lk 11:47-54
The
text contains the second (11,47 – 51) and third (11,52) woe to the lawyers. The
second woe deals with the attitude of the lawyers to the prophets whom their
ancestors killed and the lawyers approve of that killing by building monuments
to the same prophets. In this way they are accomplices to the murders.
The
final woe condemns the lawyers because though they possessed knowledge, they
did not use it as it was meant to be used, nor did they allow others to use it.
They acted as stumbling blocks in others way.
The
woes that Jesus pronounces do not go down too well with the Pharisees, who
began to ask many questions in order to catch Jesus on the wrong foot.
We
too can become stumbling blocks in other’s way to God by the things that we say
and the things that we do. When we point out the negatives in others and in the
process forget all the positive qualities they possess we cause them to
stumble.
Tuesday, 13 October 2026
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 - How often have your external actions been a cause of scandal for others? What will you do about them today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 5:18-25; Lk 11:42-46
The
first of the four woes of the Gospel reading of today, continues the contrast
between the inner and outer, but also adds the contrast between the important
and insignificant. Jesus criticizes piety that observes external obedience
while neglecting justice and the love of God. In the second woe, Jesus
emphasizes that true piety does not seek praise from others, and in the third
Jesus returns to the contrast between the inner and outer. Since the inner
corruption of the Pharisees is not visible, others are defiled by their
influence. (Contact with a corpse rendered a person unclean (Lev. 21,1-4.11;
Num. 19,11-22). Graves had to be marked, therefore, so that persons would not
unwittingly defile themselves by contact with them). The Pharisees are like
graves that cannot be seen/are hidden and consequently result in corrupting
others.
The
fourth woe (11,46) is the first of the three addressed to lawyers. Here the woe
is in response to the lawyer’s allegation that in condemning the Pharisees,
Jesus is condemning them as well. Jesus responds by pronouncing a woe on them
for imposing legal restrictions on people but doing nothing to help them. The
law, which was meant to be a pointer and help, has been made into a burden and
an end in itself.
There
is the danger that when we read these woes, we might think that they apply to
Pharisees only. However, they could just as easily apply to anyone today who
like the Pharisees focuses on what is not essential and, in the process,
forgets what is really important. When a person makes physical attendance at
the sacraments more important than spiritual or internal attendance, he/she is
also as guilty. When anyone focuses too much on sin and not enough on love,
that person is also as guilty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)