Homily from the Parish Priest for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings for Year A: Isaiah 45:1-6; I Thessalonians 1:1-5; Matthew 22:15-21
A photo of our prime minister appeared in most of the newspapers on the same day last week. It was a wonderful piece of photo journalism as it captured the mood of anguish and anxiety so well. It looked as though he had an insuperable amount of worry. You may have seen it and know the photo I mean. If not I’m sure it will be served up again. You didn’t need to read anything – it was clear what the message was. Images often convey much more than words. It’s true, isn’t it, that in any culture, images of people – just human faces perhaps – often ‘say it all’ about a time, a culture, and its power, authority, and what it stands for. In the more recent past one only need to conjure up the face of Stalin or Lenin, of Gandhi, or of the young Nelson Mandela, to be transported to a time, a culture, a struggle, a belief system, an ideology.
The face of Caesar plays a crucial part in this Gospel episode we hear today. Here on the ‘denarius’ – in fact this coin not any-old denarius a coin specifically used for paying taxes to the Roman ruling authority, that is to the figure who represented all it stood for, to Caesar himself. And it’s Caesar’s image Jesus draws our attention to because it says so many different things to different people at this time. For many Caesar represents oppression, slavery, inhumanity, abuse of power, all that can be negative about a ruling authority. But for others it’s different of course: for the Romans themselves the face on the coin represents true authority, stability, all that is good, and in fact also all that is of God. For the Romans Caesar is not just any old earthly ruler – no, in point of fact the Emperor is divine. So as one looked at the face on the coin one would automatically be drawn to the letters ‘DIVI’ – ‘Divi’ – drawing immediate attention to the divinity of Caesar. When some would look on the face of Caesar they would indeed be looking on the face of God Himself.
But again – and maybe for most in this crowd scene it’s different again – mixed emotions perhaps – for these Herodians interrogating Jesus, trying to trap him, Caesar was not a god but they did pay lip service to him and his authority, and maybe more than just in gestures – they were caught in between dissent and a certain recognition of their lot, even of the advantages: and perhaps, despite their intention to trap Jesus, despite their hypocrisy, they do need direction from Jesus too, a clear answer to that question as to what their attitude to earthly authority should be
And indeed once more – as so often in the Gospel – Jesus – as through parable, as through teaching, but here through image – the image of Caesar’s face on this coin of contention – gives them – gives us – an answer. In two clear points: “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”. Caesar is not God – yes, the answer they were looking for – and potentially indictable except that Jesus did not actually say that Caesar was not God
But in the context of the coin bearing Caesar’s image, and the inscription around it declaring his divinity, we can ourselves assume it. No – Caesar – and not just Caesar, but no man or woman, is God. God is God and, as he tells us through the Prophet Isaiah in our first reading ‘” am the Lord, unrivalled; there is no other God besides me… apart from me, all is nothing”.
And a second point perhaps all the more telling, perhaps surprising for the inquisitors as it seems to contradict the first, and all the more challenging for us. Yes, still “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s” – give him your allegiance yes, give him your respect, not as God but as a human being with authority invested in him. And so it is as though Jesus is in fact standing back from denouncing Caesar’s authority whilst at the same time being clear that he is not God
This Gospel is inviting us to look more carefully at those human faces in our own lives – the ones that matter to us, affect our day-to-day existence, whether they’re family, friends, work colleagues, politicians. Are there people of whom we willingly make idols, and so allow them to control us? And also if we are to follow up this self-examination with that second point perhaps more telling point of Jesus’: are there others whom we’d prefer to write out of the picture, whom we dismiss or undervalue, or even whole groups of people, or representations of authority in general, be it because we disagree with their opinions and political leanings or way of life – and indeed perhaps there are some people in our lives whom it would seem, rather like Caesar, we quite understandably resent or even despise because they treat us badly and tax us unjustly?
Of course we’re right to object, to argue, to represent, to bring to justice. This might seem all the more important right now when the pandemic is having the knock-on effect of increased levels of poverty in our city and country. We must hold local and national government to account on their policies. That’s the role of good citizens and also of the Churches. But this must also be done respectfully on both sides. We do so – and perhaps more and more we’re realising this at this time of trial – not with the arrogance which says we have all the answers or are invested with a special knowledge of the answer to everything but in humility, recognizing the Church is not perfect. As Christians we are called to respect, to dialogue, to foster a civilization based on the desire for a just society where everyone is taken seriously and treated with respect and dignity. No man or woman is in fact a god – but that every human being, even Caesar, deserves his due as made in God’s image, be they successful and divested with authority on this earth or on the bottom rung of society, those who ae becoming increasingly destitute, losing jobs, losing homes, seeming to be forgotten and consigned to the gutter of our city and society as a whole.
Fr Dominic Robinson SJ