29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

 

October 18, 2020

 Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6

Psalm 96 “Give the Lord glory and honor.”

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonica 1: 1-5b

Gospel reading according to Matthew 22: 15-21

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Homily:

The Pharisees, the separated ones, who distance themselves to the rest of the people of Israel so that they may always maintain purity in mind and body; but when it comes to Jesus their true color appeared.  They were jealous of the popularity of Jesus in his wisdom, truthfulness, without any malice, and goodness; while the Pharisees were showy, hypocrites and untrue to what they were saying and doing.  So Jesus silenced the Pharisees and they left.  “The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech” (Matthew 22: 15). But the Pharisees, after leaving the place gathered together and made some plan on how to capture Jesus in his own words and speeches.  (Hindi sila mapakali hangga′t hindi sila nakakaganti.)  They will not stop until they get even.  The same with us, too, we do not stop thinking, planning, plotting ways and means on how we get even to the person who hurt us.  Only when we get even we can relax our mind and heart for we satisfied our anger and hatred.

The Pharisees cannot face Jesus, they have no courage to confront and question him, and so their recourse was to send their disciples (students) to trap Jesus in his speech (word).  “They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, ‵Teacher, we know that you are truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  And you are not concerned with any one′s opinion, for you do not regard a person′s status.  Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not′?” (Matthew 22: 16-17).  Like their masters, the disciples of the Pharisees were also flowery in their speech but empty words.  They described first Jesus′ manner of living, teaching, open-minded with any one′s opinion and disregarded a person′s status.  As if they were saying to Jesus that he is free, independent and without fear. After this manner of introduction they revealed their intention, they began asking Jesus about taxation.

The question posted by the disciples of the Pharisees with the Herodians (soldiers of King Herod) was about taxation, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”  They would like to hear from the mouth of Jesus his opinion on this query and if he misses the point, there are the Herodians to capture and arrest him and bring him to prison. 

In Jerusalem and even the whole Palestine, there are different kinds of taxes collected from the people.  One of these taxes is the Temple tax collected by the priests for the maintenance and needs of the temple and of the priests themselves.  All Jews are required to pay the levy.  The other tax is the Roman census tax collected by the procurator and sent it to Rome.  This paying of tax only showed the power and subjugation of the conquered nation under the Roman Empire.  The taxes collected are used for protection money and services of the Roman soldiers in Palestine and in Jerusalem in particular.

“Taxation was as much a part of the world of the New Testament as it is in our world today. Various kinds of taxes were imposed, by differing authorities, and for an array of purposes. Religious taxes supported the temple and the central Jewish institutions.  Imperial taxes went to support the Roman government, and local taxes were levied by Jewish rulers and paid for the infrastructure of Judean commerce.  The total tax burden was perhaps as high as 60 percent of all production, but this burden was not primarily imposed by the Romans.  As in any age, the combination of these many taxes resulted in popular dissatisfaction” (https://byustudies.byu.edu/charts/2-6-taxes-judea).

Today, our government imposed new TRAIN 1&2 as another extra taxes to many other taxes, for example, sin tax, property tax, etc., are added and collected from the poor, unemployed, under-employed, marginalized and deprived (Filipino) citizens.  It is alright to collect taxes by the government from its citizens and even Jesus did not deny this responsibility of the citizens of its obligation to one′s country, but the government must use them wisely, total services rendered and or for the social welfare and benefits of its citizenry.  Nevertheless, if the government officials are corrupt and the funds are used for their own selves and interest; it is not right and just to the many hungry, unemployed and poor (Filipino) people this corrupt system of government. They (the corrupt government officials) deserve harsh punishment.

Jesus knew the bad intention of those sent by the Pharisees.  They wanted to test him and capture him according to his word, speech and/or opinion.  “Knowing their malice, Jesus said, ‵Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?  Show me the coins that pays census tax.′ Then they handed him the Roman coin” (Matthew 22: 18-19).  He asked them honestly the purpose of their coming to him.  But they did not give their response.  So, Jesus asked them the coins that pay census tax, and they handed him the Roman coin.

“One of its simplest expressions was in the form of the very coinage that Jesus uses to flip this story on his questioners. The minting of coins was an archaic period Greek invention that gradually spread throughout the ancient world. Like so many Greek inventions, the Romans employed it to their own ends and expanded it significantly. Roman mines, carefully controlled by the state, produced a vast quantity of raw metal that was then minted into coinage. The minting of coins was one of the fundamental acts of the government and of specific rulers -- it was a way to express power, ideology, and propaganda. Minted coins circulated widely throughout the empire and were used to pay the military and facilitated a broad array of economic transactions” In addition, “While Rome occasionally accepted taxes in kind, and even required them from Egypt, Africa, and Sicily in the form of corn, coins were typically demanded for the payment of taxes. This required people of simpler means to convert portions of their wealth into coins, sometimes at a steep cost. This use of coins made the collection of vast wealth into central locations much easier. In addition to their functional uses, coins also had a strong ideological use. A single coinage system across the whole Empire was a fundamental statement of unity, and in the case of conquered regions, a statement of subjugation” (https://www.elca.org/JLE/Articles/605).

In return, he returned the question to and interrogated the disciples of the Pharisees.  “He said to them, ‵Whose image is this and whose inscription?′  They replied, ‵Caesar′s.′  At that he said to them, ‵Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God′.” (Matthew 22: 20-21).  Jesus did not allow to commit mistakes and misled his listeners even his own disciples who were present during the interrogation of the students of Pharisees; and in the end, he even brought also enlightenment to the disciples of the Pharisees about their obligations to the Roman Empire (government) and to God.  As the psalmist said: “Give the Lord glory and honor.” (Psalm 96).