Give to God what Belongs to God

In today’s Gospel, some people come to Jesus with a question intended to trap him: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”

They are not really looking for an answer. They want to put Jesus in a difficult situation. If he says yes, some people will accuse him of supporting the Roman government. If he says no, the authorities may accuse him of rebellion.

But Jesus sees through their intentions. He asks them to show him the coin used to pay the tax. Then he asks, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They answer, “Caesar’s.” Jesus responds, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Jesus is teaching us something important: We have responsibilities in this world, but our ultimate allegiance belongs to God.

First, we must be responsible citizens.

As Christians, we cannot use our faith as an excuse to neglect our responsibilities. We must obey just laws, pay our taxes honestly, respect others, care for our communities, and contribute to the common good.

Sometimes, people want the benefits of society without accepting their responsibilities. We want good roads, hospitals, schools, and public services, but we may be unwilling to contribute our fair share. We want honest leaders, but are we honest in our own dealings? We complain about corruption in government, but do we sometimes practise dishonesty in our workplaces, businesses, or personal lives?

The Christian faith calls us to live with integrity. We cannot demand honesty from others while excusing dishonesty in ourselves.