Twenty-ninth Ordinary

Matthew 22: 15 – 17

The Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

I heard a little girl in the supermarket pleading with her mother. “Please, please, please buy me the pink lollies!” she wailed. And then she decided to set the trap. “Will you buy me the pink lollies, or do you hate me?” she sked.

Kids are good at setting their parents up with trick questions. “Can I go to the party, or do you want me to be the most unpopular person in the history of this town?” “Can I get my belly-button pierced, or do I have to be a dork my whole life?”

The Pharisees, showing their own spiritual immaturity, tried to do the same thing to Jesus. “Should you honour God or honour the emperor?” In childish fashion, they made sure to ask this when the emperor’s crawlers were part of the crowd.

Smart parents will follow Jesus’ lead and simply avoid getting trapped into choosing between false alternatives. The most loving thing to do is simply not play the game. Or better yet, turn the game around to show the unfairness of the questions. “I love you so much,” a dad might say, “that I wouldn’t dream of buying lollies that are bad for you”. Jesus invited his listeners to consider the deeper questions involved: What belongs to Caesar? What belongs to God? Now there are some worthwhile questions to wrestle with.