The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."
—Matthew 22:21
The intersection of faith and politics (or faith and government) has been a complicated and divisive issue for Christians since the time of the Apostles. In a sense, even the stories of the early martyrs are examples of this. After all, because they refused to take part in the cult of the emperor (a common aspect of life in the Roman Empire, where the emperor was honored as a god and as the perfect embodiment of the state), early Christians were actually seen as “atheists” and as enemies of the state.
This tension continued through the centuries as Christians tried to live out their faith within the context of their society. This tension is also found in the lives of saintly kings and queens whom we now honor as saints. Here, we can think of the example of holy royals of ages past like Saint Henry II (d. 1024) and his wife, Saint Cunegunda (d. 1040), of the Holy Roman Empire, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (d. 1231), Saint Louis IX of France (d. 1270), Saint Casimir of Poland (d. 1484), to name but a few. More recent examples would include the queen Blessed Maria Christina of Naples and Sicily (d. 1849) and the emperor Blessed Charles of Austria (d. 1922). We have to acknowledge, however, that the simple fact that their names can be organized into a list demonstrates that these were, first of all, exceptional individuals even in their own time and place and, second, their lives and stories stand far removed from the realities of today.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus himself is being confronted with the question of the relationship of faith and politics. By asking him if it is lawful to pay taxes to the Roman empire, he is being presented with a question that would have been impossible to answer. After all, if Jesus says that we should honor Caesar and pay the census tax, he could be accused of cooperating with the Roman Empire and violating Jewish faith and tradition which maintains that all belongs to God, and we owe allegiance to God alone (cf. Leviticus 25:23). On the other hand, if he says that the people should refuse to pay their taxes, he’s making himself an enemy of the Roman Empire. As Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, has noted in a commentary on this text, “In the gospel, Jesus’ interlocutors are not asking a sincere question; they are intent on undoing him. Nonetheless, the text can be an aid for contemporary Christians who genuinely seek to discern how they will relate to a government that takes actions or enacts laws that they oppose on moral grounds” (from Abiding Word, Year A).
“The Tribute Money” by Peter Paul Rubens (1610-1615)
In my own reflections on this passage and the questions it raises, I find myself returning to a point that I have often made in retreats and workshops I’ve given over the years: Faith, by its very nature, is always political, but it can never be partisan.
Given our country’s history of the separation of church and state—not to mention the current political climate—there might be some who are puzzled or even offended by this statement, but I think it holds true. Our individual commitments and collective beliefs must impact our personal and collective politics. We don’t live out our faith in a vacuum. And so, as people of faith—most especially as followers of Jesus—our participation in the world of politics must be motivated by and be an expression of our commitment to the common good and our belief in the innate dignity of every person as a child of God (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1905-1917). Pope Francis has summarized what’s at stake in an Angelus Address he offered in 2017:
Christians are called to commit themselves concretely in the human and social spheres without comparing “God” and “Caesar”; comparing God and Caesar would be a fundamentalist approach. Christians are called to commit themselves concretely in earthly realities, but illuminating them with the light that comes from God. The primary entrustment to God and hope in him do not imply an escape from reality, but rather the diligent rendering to God that which belongs to him. This is why a believer looks to the future reality, that of God, so as to live earthly life to the fullest, and to meet its challenges with courage.
To live with this sort of awareness and intentionality requires a spirit of discernment, as well as a willingness to set aside our partisan ideas and preferences for the sake of the Gospel and the Reign of God.
In the end, this Sunday’s Gospel invites us to ask ourselves some hard questions about how effectively we are applying the values of our faith tradition to our social obligations, especially in promoting peace and justice for all people. Ultimately, Jesus’ response to the question posed by the scribes and Pharisees becomes an invitation for each of us today: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s by fulfilling your obligations as a citizen by living with integrity, as a person formed by faith; give honor to God by allowing your faith to guide you in each of life’s moments.
Almighty ever-living God,
grant that we may always conform our will to yours
and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
-Collect for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
