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The Light of the World
Tuesday
On a certain occasion the Jews approached Christ and proposed a question, asking Him to
judge and give them guidance. Is it lawful for a Hebrew to pay tribute to the pagan emperor in
Rome? Had not the Roman emperor destroyed their national independence? Is he not of the
uncircumcised and an unbeliever? How, then, can a Jew pay tribute to him?
This question of paying tribute to Caesar raised two problems — the problem of the tribute
itself and the problem of the political subjection of the Jews. The Jews were violently opposed to
the rule of the Romans. For almost a hundred years they had borne the hard yoke imposed on
them by the Romans. Moreover, this question involved a touchy political issue with which the
Pharisees were particularly concerned. Jesus had won the hearts of the common people of the
nation, and the Pharisees, who had come to look upon themselves as the leaders of the nation,
saw their influence waning. Fearing that He would expose them before the people, they asked
themselves how they might get rid of Him. With this in view they held counsel to determine how
they might trap Him in His speech, and they hit upon this ingenious plan. They will confront
Him with a religious question that is closely bound up with a political issue. “Is it lawful to pay
tribute to Caesar?” If He says yes, He will offend the Jews; if He says no, He will be considered
a revolutionary and will become involved with the Roman authorities. Behold how the plots,
rivalries, and intrigues of men operate. See how men love money, play politics, and ruthlessly
plot the ruin of their adversaries. This is true not only of the Pharisees of old, nor only of pagans
and infidels, but at times even of Christians who take part in such plots and intrigues. Among
men there is no end of scheming, plotting, and intrigue.
“Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar?” Christ’s answer presents not the human but the divine
point of view. Christ understands the duplicity of His questioners and will not allow Himself
to become involved in their intrigue. With divine majesty and sovereign foresight He evades
their cleverly laid plot. “Show Me the coin of the tribute. . . . Whose image and inscription is
this?” When they tell Him that both belong to Caesar, He draws the fine distinction: “Render
therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Gospel).
He commands them to deal justly in all things both with the emperor and with God, with the
state and with the Church, in matters of politics and religion. Christ is far above the intrigues
of men. His interest is in God and His law, the law of justice and charity. How easily and simply
the problems and difficulties of men might be solved if there were no passion, no prejudice, no
selfishness! If men would only look to God and His commandments, to His laws and designs,
the world would be a better place to live in.
The liturgy explains what the Gospel announces, that the day of Christ is near at hand. She
sees in the Lord divine knowledge and divine wisdom which can distinguish in the problems
presented to Him. He is the divine Judge before whose wisdom all must be amazed. In the story
of the Gospel we recognize a figure of the Last Judgment, which Christ will hold at His coming.
“Render . . . to God the things that are God’s,” especially now during the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass. At the Offertory we render “to God the things that are God’s” and lay upon the paten
our very selves, with all that we are and all that we possess: our time, our talents, our will, our
heart, our freedom, our health, our works, our miseries, and all our needs. “Receive, O holy
Father, this spotless host.” Through this mysterious union with Him in the Sacrifice of the Mass
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