29th Sunday, Year A (Mission Sunday): Reflection by Fr. Julian Ekeh

Theme: JESUS IN THE MIDDLE OF POLITICS AND RELIGION

(Matthew 22:15–21)

In the Gospel reading of today, the Pharisees went and took counsel on how to entangle Jesus in his talk. Those they sent to Jesus asked Him questions, but they were deceptive questions packaged with flattery.

BEWARE OF FLATTEREY

Sugarcoated words should be taken with carefulness. The Pharisees came to Jesus calling Him teacher, calling Him the true one, who fears no man when speaking the mind of God. There are empty flatteries in all works of life intended to ruin, deceive, and destroy. We have to beware of these persons. We have to take the same stand with Jesus and see beyond the words being expressed to feel the heart and intentions of those who express them.

Flattery has done a lot of harm to our politics. It has done us no good in religion. It is indeed pharisaic. The same flatterers who came to Jesus calling him good will also go to Caesar and call him good. They have one thing in the mouth and another in their heart. But if Jesus or Caesar is good and they mean it when they say it, it would have been something positive. But they say what they don’t mean.

Flatterers and sycophants are the problems we have in the politics of today. They are the problems we are facing in our religion, too.

They campaign for an unqualified candidate for money, position, and fame. They disqualify the qualified for fear of putting an end to their corrupt practices or because of immediate gratification.

They see the evil of the incumbent government and praise it. They canonize bad leaders. They encourage oppression, and they promote recklessness. They downplay immorality. They excuse away the embezzlement and manipulations of the system. They tell you that you are doing well even when you know how bad you are. Think before you act in their sight.

In religion, these Pharisees, after taking counsels, make you feel that they love the church, they love your ministry, and they love God. They may do that through donations. They may do it by poverty alleviation with ulterior motive. They raise you high to fall from there. Hence, they put the Church and her ministries in tight corners such as scandals of money, sex, or conscience imprisonment. They present the dilemmas.

GIVE TO CAESAR…GIVE TO GOD

After their flattery, they opened their package of rehearsed question: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Even though Jesus realized that this was a malicious question, He used it as an opportunity to teach, correct an impression, and bring about a marriage of politics and religion. He did not say yes or no but replied after looking at the coin with Caesar’s inscription: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Some have erroneously interpreted this to be living life of double standard, being worldly in the bad sense and also religious, being good in the Church and bad outside (enye ndi ebee, enye ndi ebee).

It is rather being human and being holy. It is living in the city of God even while still in the city of men.

Jesus is saying give it to Caesar if it is his right. Give it to Caesar if he deserves, give it to Caesar if he worked for it, and give it to Caesar if he is working with it. Give him respect. Respect the laws he make if they are human laws flowing from divine and positive laws. Respect and give it to him if he cares for your health with it, your safety, good roads, and other amenities. Render him the honour if he has merited it by respecting the rule of law and the different rights given to humans by God. Give him the honour if he understands that he is a servant; a minster at the service of the public. Give it to him if he pays salaries and gratuities with it.

Why won’t you, why won’t I, why won’t we render to the leaders of Africa, Nigeria, and our various states the honour due to them if they are doing well?

May we never forget that Caesar has nothing that God has not given to him. All authority flows from God. God is the supreme in heaven and earth. In a world that wants to keep God aside, that wants to operate without God, let us make God the all in all, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. May He continue to be honoured in all we do.

And may God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

Dear Lord and Father, You have shown us the important position You occupy in our lives as political and religious beings. We pray that our politics may not lead us away from You. We pray that our politicking may provide us with the necessary conditions we need to live happily and worship you in Spirit and truth. May we live mature and balanced social, political, religious, and spiritual life, though Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (29th Sunday, ordinary time, Yr.A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh