Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Some Coin! Category: Religion and Philosophy
Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading for Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
First Published: Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Some Coin!
Reflection:
What is the trap the Pharisees and Herodians were laying for Jesus in Marks Gospel today? They ask him: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? If Jesus answers yes or no, he is caught.
If Jesus answers yes, he is advocating paying homage to Caesar. Remember, at this stage in Rome, Caesar has proclaimed himself divine. So, if Jesus says its OK to pay him homage, he has violated Hebrew Law (and ours) by acknowledging another divinity. He would be found guilty of blasphemy and, given the mood against him at this time, probably been condemned to death by stoning. He cant say Yes, pay the tax.
If Jesus answers no, he has just violated civil law. The Pharisees and Herodians would immediately rush to the Proconsul, Pilot, and denounce him as a Zealot, advocating the overthrowing of Roman rule. Given the political tensions of the region at that time (I wonder if there has ever been peace in that region of the world.), Jesus would almost certainly been arrested and at minimum imprisoned if not killed.
Jesus was caught. No way out of this question. Its like the modern version:Have you stopped beating your wife? There is no yes or no answer. So Jesus does not answer yes or no. He first asks for the coin of the realm, the denarius, and asks whose image and inscription is on it. Since it was a rhetorical question, he was looking at it and knew before it was handed to him what was there, their answer was forced. His response was brilliant. The graven image (Where have we heard those words before?) was Caesars and therefore it was good to give it back to the person responsible for it. If they pressed further now they would fall into their own trap. Scripture says they were amazed. That was probably an understatement.
Our question, the one that comes to us his modern disciples is the second half of his response: and to God what belongs to God. What is it we have that belongs to God? What would he want from us and to God what belongs to God? We are completely his, we are his creation and all that exists is his. So what could the Lord have meant?
If we take it in the spirit of the debate the Lord was having it is safe to say he was referring to the things God asks for in the form of our religious laws or commandments. That means that one of the things that are Gods is our praise and thanksgiving. We are called upon to be a people of prayer and a big part of prayer, according to the rules Christ left for us in the Lords Prayer, is our thanks and praise to Him, Our Father.
Once we have agreed that God would believe our praise was his, we move on to the practical implementation of that praise in our daily lives. If we are giving to God that which is his, we need to give to him our effort, our work, our accomplishments. Those fruits of the life he gave us must point to him for they are his. If we ourselves look at these fruits and determine that they are either not worthy of God or they would be an embarrassment to him, then perhaps we need to adjust our behavior to conform more closely to him.
It is a difficult trap for us these Pharisees ahd Herodians have laid today. This is our challenge for today. Pax
Some Coin! Category: Religion and Philosophy
Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading for Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
First Published: Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Some Coin!
Reflection:
What is the trap the Pharisees and Herodians were laying for Jesus in Marks Gospel today? They ask him: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? If Jesus answers yes or no, he is caught.
If Jesus answers yes, he is advocating paying homage to Caesar. Remember, at this stage in Rome, Caesar has proclaimed himself divine. So, if Jesus says its OK to pay him homage, he has violated Hebrew Law (and ours) by acknowledging another divinity. He would be found guilty of blasphemy and, given the mood against him at this time, probably been condemned to death by stoning. He cant say Yes, pay the tax.
If Jesus answers no, he has just violated civil law. The Pharisees and Herodians would immediately rush to the Proconsul, Pilot, and denounce him as a Zealot, advocating the overthrowing of Roman rule. Given the political tensions of the region at that time (I wonder if there has ever been peace in that region of the world.), Jesus would almost certainly been arrested and at minimum imprisoned if not killed.
Jesus was caught. No way out of this question. Its like the modern version:Have you stopped beating your wife? There is no yes or no answer. So Jesus does not answer yes or no. He first asks for the coin of the realm, the denarius, and asks whose image and inscription is on it. Since it was a rhetorical question, he was looking at it and knew before it was handed to him what was there, their answer was forced. His response was brilliant. The graven image (Where have we heard those words before?) was Caesars and therefore it was good to give it back to the person responsible for it. If they pressed further now they would fall into their own trap. Scripture says they were amazed. That was probably an understatement.
Our question, the one that comes to us his modern disciples is the second half of his response: and to God what belongs to God. What is it we have that belongs to God? What would he want from us and to God what belongs to God? We are completely his, we are his creation and all that exists is his. So what could the Lord have meant?
If we take it in the spirit of the debate the Lord was having it is safe to say he was referring to the things God asks for in the form of our religious laws or commandments. That means that one of the things that are Gods is our praise and thanksgiving. We are called upon to be a people of prayer and a big part of prayer, according to the rules Christ left for us in the Lords Prayer, is our thanks and praise to Him, Our Father.
Once we have agreed that God would believe our praise was his, we move on to the practical implementation of that praise in our daily lives. If we are giving to God that which is his, we need to give to him our effort, our work, our accomplishments. Those fruits of the life he gave us must point to him for they are his. If we ourselves look at these fruits and determine that they are either not worthy of God or they would be an embarrassment to him, then perhaps we need to adjust our behavior to conform more closely to him.
It is a difficult trap for us these Pharisees ahd Herodians have laid today. This is our challenge for today. Pax
posted by Deacon Jim | 3:09 AM
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