Fr. Witt’s Homily Reflection, 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, October 19, 2014 We have just heard the story of the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus into saying something that would get him in trouble with the authorities in the temple or with the people with whom he was so popular. To that end they enlisted the help of the Herodians. The who????? The Herodians were Jews that were supporters of Herod Antipas, the relative of Herod the Great. The Herodian line was kept in power by collaborating with the Romans. The crux of the story is that no matter which way Jesus responded to their query “ is it lawful to pay the census tax?” he was either going to offend the Romans or he was going to offend the independently minded Jews, who felt that it was a form of idolatry to use the roman coin with the image of Caesar forged into it. Jesus answered in an interesting way. He asked for the coin with which the tax was to be paid. Interestingly enough, the Pharisees produced for him such a coin. Immediately proving to the pleasure of all that despite their claims of idolatry they themselves carried the coins to which they objected. Then he asked them whose image is on the coin? They replied Caesar’s. Since having your image on something signifies some kind of ownership, he said repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Point made. He however added “and to God what is God’s”. Have you looked in a mirror lately? Who do you see? For good or bad, it is usually some kind of reflection of us. However as much as we think that it is just us, the creation story in the book of Genesis reminds us that what we see is also a reflection of God, by whom we are created and in whose image and likeness we are created. We, you and I, are God’s and this great theological statement made today in Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that we are meant to be with him. We are, because of His love created to be His. That is an invitation, but it is more than that. It is a promise.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:33:39 +0000
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