Ordinary 29

The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b; Matthew 22:15-21

Want to get into a heated debate?

Bring up the issue of taxes.

Now as then.

Whether Democrat, Republican or Independent; Herodian, Pharisee or Zealot,

everyone has an opinion.

 

Is it lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Rome?

A simple enough question.

 

Yet regardless of how Jesus answers he will be trapped.

If he answers ‘no’, he will be accused of sedition against Rome.

If he answers ‘yes’, he will be a traitor to his people who are bound only to the Living God.

 

What is a prophet to do?

You turn the tables on your opponents.

 

“Show me the coin…”

One is produced. Tossed to Jesus.

Was the irony lost on everyone except Jesus?

 

No Jew should have had this coin on their person.

It is impressed with an image of the divine Tiberius Caesar.

Blasphemy. Idolatry. Treason. Right in your pocket.

 

The trap has closed.

But not on Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t condemn his opponents, rather he teaches them, as he does us.

 

We live in a very different socio-political situation than Cyrus the Great of Persia, Tiberius Caesar of Rome or the Jews. They lived in worlds where government and religion were intermingled; were in effect – one. A politico-religious aggie marble, if you will.

We are children of the Enlightenment; our worldview is secular.

We hold a tension; a separation between religion and government.

 

Are secular governments and religion in opposition to each other?

            Not necessarily.

Can they work with each other for the ‘common good’?

            They have and do.

But it should not be forgotten that the wisdom and spiritual insights of religious traditions are the conscience of the state. The separation between these two entities of society is essential.

 

For Christianity, that separation was closed by Emperor Constantine in 313 when our faith was decriminalized. And the altar was moved next to the throne. Not a healthy place for us. It was not until 1500 years later, in 1870 when the Papal States fell to Italian forces that the altar was forcefully pushed away from the throne. The Catholic Church had grown very comfortable with its place of honour and power.

 

In our politically charged times, religion and politics are again uncomfortably being comingled. The altar again being moved near the throne.

 

§  Christian Nationalism is looking to create an Evangelical Protestant Christian theocracy in the United States.

§  An essay in the NYTimes was entitled: Israel Must Choose a Secular Nation or Theocracy.

§  In 2009, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow referred to the 6th century Byzantine concept of ‘symphonia’ – ‘a sounding together’ between state and church.

§  A number of candidates running for office this year are Christian pastors.

 

What are your thoughts on these politico – religious developments?

 

Our answers ride on the toss of a coin imprinted with

“Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Noble and Great, High Priest".

["Tiberius Caesar, divi Augusti filius, Augustus – Pontifex Maximus”]

It should give us pause to reflect on the motto imprinted on our own currency: In God We Trust.

In light of all this, Jesus poses a question, Whose image and inscription are on the coin?

We could ask a similar question, Whose images and inscriptions appear on our currency?

 

Jesus’ response, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God,” suggests that a person can be loyal to both a religious tradition and to a secular power.

Contemporary elected officials have a claim on our respect, support and honest critiques. But God also has claims on us as well. Therein lies the moral dilemma for the citizen – believer. How do we respond when the claims of state and faith conflict?

 

§  What values and aspects of life belong to Caesar and what belongs to God?

 

§  No political party or candidate will totally reflect Catholic moral teaching.                              How do we discern in this grey area our choice of candidate?

 

§  In our choice of candidates and decisions on propositions, is the value of the ‘common good’ for society a priority for us?

 

Our political participation in society has to be more than the toss of a coin. In his encyclical on artificial intelligence and human dignity, Pope Leo wrote, “The Church is present in the world [and] actively participates in the processes by which society grows and is organized, and she offers her own contribution to the creation of a more just society." [Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, no. 19]

 

To continue reflecting on this issue of religion and government, I urge you to check out the website of the United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops under the section entitled Faithful Citizenship.           

 

Educate yourself on the issues.

Educate yourself on Church teaching.

Bring it to prayer. Ask for the Spirit’s insight and discernment.

The actively participate in the processes of our society.

 

Want to get into a heated debate? No.

Nothing worthwhile ever comes of it, only bad feelings.

Want to enter a place of reflection and discernment? Yes.

It can produce much good fruit for all of us.

 

 

 

18 October 2026

 

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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

www.usccb.org

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Faithful Citizenship