MATTHEW 22:21
Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells us: “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” It is, in a sense, a trick question. To be sure, the government has its area of responsibility, so do pay your taxes, stop at red lights, and don’t be a terrorist. But what belongs to God? God created the universe out of nothing; it is His. The government must conform itself to God’s laws.
In our lives, we can be tempted to compartmentalize, thinking that we give God His hour on Sunday, but the rest of the week is ours. We tend to think that we can volunteer for a parish group such as St. Vincent de Paul, and then spend the rest of our time the way we want. We should volunteer and we do have other things to do.
Yet, when we volunteer, we are not giving to God and the Church community like we give to Caesar. We are giving back to God what is already, truly His.
Reflection
- Do I isolate Church contributions, like volunteering, or see them as returning what’s already God’s?
- In using my talents, am I aware they belong to God, actively considering contributions beyond specific times or activities for His service?
- Am I restricting my devotion to God to certain times or activities, instead of recognizing everything as His?