SOME Pharisees and Herodians [were sent to Jesus] to ensnare Him in His speech. They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are a truthful man and that You are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?" Knowing their hypocrisy He said to them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at." They brought one to Him and He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They replied to Him, "Caesar’s." So Jesus said to them, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." They were utterly amazed at Him.

The Israelites in Jesus’ time paid various forms of taxes. There was the temple tax for the upkeep of the Jerusalem Temple which every Jewish male had to pay annually once he reached a certain age. The subject of discussion in the Gospel is the poll tax which the Israelites had to pay to the Roman emperor. This tax for many of the Jews was controversial on two counts:

* It was "treason." Paying the tax meant that they supported the political claims of Rome over the land of Israel.

* It was idolatry. Making the transaction meant using a Roman coin engraved with the likeness of the pagan Roman emperor who was described with the inscription: "Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine Augustus."

Jesus’ response is meant to shock and shame the Pharisees and the Herodians who planned to ensnare Him in His speech. While these people seem to project a "patriotic" and "nationalistic" sentiment by their line of questioning, they are, in fact, persons who compromise with Rome in exchange for privileges and prerogatives.

Our Gospel story is many times employed to define and delineate the Christian religious duty to God, and the political responsibility to one’s nation, as if these two things were equal, yet negating each other. Jesus says, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God." God is the ultimate, the absolute end. We must be good citizens of the king – so said Thomas More, the saintly Lord Chancellor of England – but we must, above all, be God’s servants. Our allegiance to the state should yield to the claim of God.

SOURCE: "365 Days with the Lord," ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.