Matthew 22:15-21 Give to Caesar What is Caesar's (Gospel for Oct. 16, 2005)

(Gospel passage at the end of this article)

Observation:

There are two groups of people involved here and we should know their background:

- Pharisees – very strict followers of the Jewish law, and generally opposed Roman law, and therefore the paying of taxes to Caesar.

- Herodians – Jews of influence and high standing who were favorable toward Greek customs and were pro-Roman.

The Herodians, however, joined forces with the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus, and conspired to trap him.

Interpretation:

The taxes were imposed by the Romans on its entire territory, and since Israel was a province, it was subjected to onerous taxes which were hated by the Jews. Jesus’ dilemma is that if he answers that one should pay taxes to Caesar, then he would be perceived as anti-poor and pro-Roman. If he answers in the negative, then he could be arrested for being a subversive. It was a trap.

Jesus deftly answers the question – he avoids the trap, and drives home a message.

He asks for the Roman coin that pays the taxes, which is handed to him by his interrogators. By doing this, Jesus demonstrates that he does not use the coin but the Pharisees and Herodians do. The use of the coin for their business transaction suggests that they recognize the authority of the imperial system, which they take advantage because of the healthy business climate it promotes. (An advantage of Roman rule during biblical times is the regulation of commercial laws and transport systems which is good for business).

Thus Jesus was saying: if you so readily acknowledge Caesar’s sovereignty when it is to your advantage, then you should also pay up when Caesar demands his taxes. Importantly, if you also recognize the authority of God, then you should also “pay up” what is due to God, which they have not done. In other words, they should worry less about what is due Caesar and pay more attention to giving God his due.[1]

Jesus was not advocating for a separation of Church and State, as is often the interpretation, or rather the misinterpretation, of this passage. Rather, he wanted to focus on what is primary, doing the works that is due to God.

Generalization:

I would generalize this meaning for our life today thus: Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). Make God the ultimate goal, and all else as enabling you to reach that goal.

Go and seek a successful career, but not as an end in itself, but as a means to bring others closer to Jesus. Go and seek further studies abroad, but not as an end in itself, but to be a more effective disciple. Go and seek a life partner and raise a wonderful family, but not as an end in itself, but also to witness to others what it means to be a sacrament of God’s love.

Application:

- What are my goals in life?
- How do these goals relate to helping build God’s Kingdom?


Matthew 22:15-21
15 † Then the Pharisees † went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.
16 They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, † saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status.
17 † Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”
18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
19 † Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin.
20 He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”
21 They replied, “Caesar’s.” † At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

[1] John P. Meier. Matthew (Manila: St. Paul’s Publication, 1980) p. 252.

Matthew 22:1-14 The Wedding Feast (Gospel for Oct 9, 2005)

(See end of this article for copy of the gospel passage).

Observation:

In reading this gospel, I’m sure many questions came to mind:

- Is it possible that people will really refuse the invitation of a king? I’m sure if you were invited in Malacanang Palace, you will make sure you attend (no matter what your political bias is).

- Why did some of the people kill the servants who were merely inviting them?

- When the king sent his army to destroy the city in order to retaliate the death of the servants, didn’t that take at least several days? And yet, the invitation to the banquets continued, as if the destruction took only an hour or two.

- And why was the person inappropriately dressed sent out and killed? He did not gate-crash the party, he was just invited off the streets when no one else would come, and could not be expected to come in wedding attire.

- And why did the parable end with “many are called, but few are chosen?” In the first part of the parable, all the guests were let in. And in the latter part, only one was thrown out.

These questions are all valid, and cannot be answered logically. It can only mean that this parable is not meant to mirror a real life situation from which we can extract the meaning. This parable is meant to be interpreted allegorically, or symbolically. (An allegory is a work where the character and events symbolize certain things, in order to reach the deeper meaning).

Interpretation:

The gospel of Matthew was written between 80-90 AD, way after the death and Resurrection of Jesus. The early Christian church has formed and gone through some trials and discernment of directions. Matthew was incorporating and justifying some of these directions in the parable. Thus, the allegorical (or symbolic) interpretations in this parable are:

- The wedding feast is the Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus. The early church saw herself as the bride, and Jesus as the bridegroom, hence the wedding feast.

- The invitation is sent to all, but initially to the people of Israel, who rejected the invitation, and thus the mission expanded to non-Jews and pagans.

- The servants who repeatedly invited people to attend the feast refer to the prophets, and later Jesus himself, who were persecuted and killed.

- The invitation to the Kingdom is open to all, “both the bad and the good” as stated in verse 14. Your background and previous life does not matter to enter God’s Kingdom.

- The wedding garments symbolize Christian life – it should be a life of faith and good works. Being a Christian involves responsibilities.

As for the line, “many are called, few are chosen,” a linguistic analysis of this line actually indicates that the more accurate translation is “not all those called are chosen,” which serves as an additional reminder of the responsibilities of Christian life.

Thus in summary, the interpretation is: Just as distinguished guests, who refused to attend a royal banquet, were replaced by people found at random, one of whom was afterwards excluded for lack of appropriate attire, so also the Jews, having refused the Gospel, will be replaced in the banquet of the Kingdom of God by the pagans, some of whom will be afterwards excluded for lack of good deeds.[1]

Generalization:

Today, the meaning of this parable to us is this:

Our being part of God’s family is not something we earned because we were good; in fact, many of us were bad. It is a gift, and this gift is undeserved.
Further, in God’s family, there is no distinction between those who grew with the “proper training and environment” and the recent convert with a sinful past. God loves both the good and the bad. In fact, if Jesus had a bias, his bias was towards the poor and the sinner.

But, our membership has responsibilities: our faith in Jesus must be accompanied by good works, lest we become like the guest without the proper wedding attire.

Application:

- What have we done to grow in God’s family?
- What do we resolve to do to continue this growth?
- What can we do to bring others to God’s family?


Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

1 † Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,
2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast † for his son.
3 † He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.
4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.
6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
7 † The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, † and the hall was filled with guests.
11 † But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
12 He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence.
13 † Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

[1] Nil Guillemette, SJ. Parables for Today (Makati: St. Paul’s Publications, 1987) p 102.