Sunday Gospel Warm-up

“Give to God what is God’s”

Mt 22:15-21

Pharisees pose to Jesus the question is it lawful to pay the Roman census tax. It’s a trap. If Jesus answer yes, the people get angry because the tax is oppressive and hated. If no, that sets him as a rebel against Rome. Instead, Jesus replies with this somewhat cryptic answer, “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” And what belongs to God, everything of course.

But maybe what God wants from us is what God freely gives to us – mercy, compassion, forgiveness, love, and a good dose of justice. The Pharisees did not have any of this in their souls when they posed this question.
As His disciples, it must be the very thing we seek.