“Alas for the soul which has not Christ for its Lord dwelling in it, for when it is deserted and filled with the stench of passions it becomes a den of vice.” – St. Macarius
Matthew 22:15-21: Then the Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap him in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them by surprise, and they left him alone and went away.
Christ the Lord Jesus is master of every situation. He recognizes hypocrisy and exposes it with the floodlight of truth. He steadfastly faces his enemies courageously, knowing well what they seek – to discredit him in the eyes of the people – but taking their challenge and beating them at their own game. In encounters like this, the Gospel reveals the power of Christ’s personality, the immense force of his intelligence, and the piercing lucidity of his wisdom. Such is the Son of God made man, such is this man who has called us by name and invited us to follow him.
Nevertheless, St Matthew continues to highlight Jesus’ refusal to humiliate his enemies utterly (which they deserved) or violate their freedom by forcing their allegiance; he keeps on inviting them to believe in him. Bearing with the hypocritical Pharisees yet again, he puts up with their underhanded ruse and gives a response that stirs even their hardened hearts to admiration. His language is no longer soft (he calls them hypocrites), because time is running short, but he still hasn’t given up on them. Again we see that the Lord of the universe is truly the Good Shepherd, no matter how stubborn the sheep.
Christ the Teacher The lesson Jesus taught his enemies twenty centuries ago still abides today: Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God. Every Christian holds dual citizenship, each with its own benefits and duties: our birth makes us citizens of an earthly nation; our baptism makes us citizens of a heavenly Kingdom. Christ commands us to live out both with justice and responsibility. The protection and public services rendered us by the political community rightly demand a response of obedience, gratitude, and active collaboration. A Christian should be the most engaged and dependable of citizens – unless of course “Caesar” tries to claim rights that belong only to God.
A less obvious lesson also emerges from this encounter. The opposition against Jesus is increasing. The Pharisees join forces with the Herodians; the former disapproved of paying taxes to Rome and still pursued political independence for Israel, while the latter were loyal to the Empire. That two such disparate parties come together against Jesus shows the magnitude of his threat to the sinful status quo. This pattern of growing opposition is repeated wherever Christian holiness thrives; the lives of the saints and the history of the Church reproduce it again and again, like an ever-expanding crystal. It embodies the last and greatest of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:10). If Christ was a sign of contradiction in a self-centered world, authentic Christians will be too.
Christ the Friend The coin belongs to Caesar, but what exactly belongs to God? Do we owe any taxes to the heavenly IRS? All that we are and all that we possess has come to us from God. Just as the Roman coin bears the image of the Emperor who made it, so the human soul bears the “image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26) of God who calls each of us into existence so as to live in personal communion with him. “Coming from God, going toward God, man lives a fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 44). Freely living by our bond with God means living as he created us to live, and he has shown us how to do that by sending us his Son, the model of every Christian life, the Friend of every human soul. Ignoring God, making our decisions, and living out our relationships as if he were far away and uninterested is a kind of spiritual thievery, like stealing the Emperor’s coins. Will we be so ungrateful?
Christ in My Life I am glad to be your follower, Lord. You are the fount of wisdom and life, the source of every good thing. You have called me by name. You hold me in existence. You give me work to do in your Kingdom, the work of love, self-giving, and self-sacrifice. Teach me your wisdom, Lord; teach me your love…
How easily I lose patience! You continue to converse with your enemies, you continue to teach your apostles, you continue to heal the sick and suffering crowds – your heart is an inexhaustible fountain of goodness. Come with your grace to make my heart like that. With the patience of your heart, bear with my stubborn heart, and teach me to love my brothers and sisters as you have loved me…
This world offers me so many opportunities for doing good. Nothing is perfect here, not the Church, not the political community, not my local community, not my family. Why am I so blind to the needs around me? Why is my sphere of interest so reduced? Remind me of my mission in life, Lord. I am not the Savior of the world, but I am your disciple; show me what more I can do to build your Kingdom…
PS: This is just one of 303 units of Fr. John’s powerful work The Better Part. To learn more about The Better Part or to purchase in print, Kindle or iPhone editions, click here. Also, please help us get these resources to people who do not have the funds or ability to acquire them by clicking here.
About Fr. John Bartunek, LC
Fr. John Bartunek, LC, S.Th.D, received his BA in History from Stanford University in 1990. He comes from an evangelical Christian background and became a member of the Catholic Church in 1991. After college he worked as a high school history teacher, drama director, and baseball coach. He then spent a year as a professional actor in Chicago before entering the religious Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1993. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 2003 and earned his doctorate in moral theology in 2010. He provided spiritual support on the set of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” while researching the 2005 Catholic best seller “Inside the Passion”–the only authorized, behind-the-scene explanation of the film. Fr. John has contributed news commentary regarding religious issues on NBC, CNN, Fox, and the BBC. He also served as the English-language press liaison for the Vatican’s 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist. His most widely known book is called: “The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer”. He has also published four other titles: “Seeking First the Kingdom”, “Answers: Catholic Advice for Your Spiritual Questions”, “Meditations for Mothers”, and “A Guide to Christian Meditation”. Fr. John currently splits his time between Rome and Rhode Island, where he teaches theology as an adjunct professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum and at Mater Ecclesia College. He is also continuing his writing apostolate with online retreats at www.RCSpirituality.org and questions and answers on the spiritual life at www.RCSpiritualDirection.com. FATHER JOHN’S BOOKS include: “The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer”, “Inside the Passion”–The Only Authorized Insiders View of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, “Meditations for Mothers”, and “A Guide to Christian Meditation”.
