Sunday, October 19, 2008 Fr. Pat Grile

This is one of those gospels that you could really delve into a little bit more in depth, and if we had a couple hours maybe we could do that. So if you really want to give to God what belongs to God, more than just an hour today—are you ready?

But you know many times we in America take this gospel text and we use it to justify the separation of church and state. Well you can’t read that into this gospel text. That has nothing to do with it because Jesus is going on a much deeper level.

First of all you realize that the Pharisees and Herodians we trying to trap Jesus. The Herodians were a particular group at that time that actually favored compliance with the Roman authorities and governor. Rome was an occupying government in Jerusalem at that time and they had to have a tax that was paid, they levied a tax. The Herodians were in favor of it. Let’s get along with them, and of course the Pharisees were not. So they know if they proposed this question to Jesus.

Look how they do it. They try to butter Him up at first, right? “Oh we know You are a truthful man, we know that You don’t pay attention to what people’s status, and You’re always truthful and honest. Oh, by the way” and then they try to put the zinger in there. But they can’t catch Jesus. Because what does He do? Very cleverly He says, “Well show me the coin that pays the tax.” He turns it right back on them. For even one of them to be carrying one of the coins was forbidden. So He caught them right away. They knew that they weren’t going to catch Jesus trying to slip up.

Because if He said, “Pay the tax” then He would be against the Jewish religion. If He said, “Don’t pay the tax”, they could report Him to the Roman authorities for subversion.

So Jesus walks right through it though. The very idea that one of them had a coin to show Him and had to produce it, they were shamed. Jesus captures them in that.

So we go further though. One way maybe I think to understand it, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar”. I had the thought, put your own name in there. Give to Grile what belongs to Grile, and then to God what belongs to God. What really belongs to Pat Grile? What belongs to God? Did I make the sun rise this morning? Do I have any control over nature? Do I have any control over most things? Probably not. But what happens? We like to think that we’re in charge of so many things and all we have to do is realize what’s going on in our nation and in the world today with regard to the economy and so many things. Probably most of us here this morning feel very powerless. We have so little control over all of these things that are happening outside of our own hands.

So how are we going to give to Caesar? How are we going to give to give to the government? How are we going to give to anybody, other than ourselves, what belongs to them or what belongs to God?

You see if we really figure out what belongs to God, there’s the priority that Jesus is trying to get at. Everything belongs to God. Period. There’s the starting point. There’s the bottom line as well. When everything else in between will be given its due place, priority, whatever you want to call it.

Where I said, “Repay to Grile what belongs to Grile” put your own name in there. Just think. In the course of this day, okay we’ll spend an hour here in worship this morning of our God. In a sense we are giving to God. Okay God, we owe You glory and praise and honor and thanks. But what will you and I do the rest this day. How much time will we spend in front of a TV set? How much time will we spend cutting the lawn? Washing the car? Doing dishes? Doing laundry? How much time will we spend shopping? How much time will we spend eating? How much time will we spend helping anybody else? How much time will we spend gossiping? Or being impatient or unkind or uncharitable?

Put it into some kind of a perspective like that. Are we really giving to God what belongs to God?

In a sense I am preaching to the choir this morning because you are here. Okay you are giving God at least an hour of your time this morning. But what about the rest of the week? When do we pray? Only when we’re in times of trouble or hardship? Or do we get up every morning and say, “Thank you God for the great gift of life today. Thank you God for my families, relatives and friends.” Do you pray before every meal and after every meal? Do you pray when you get in the car, pray for a safe journey? Do you think of all the people in your life you promised to pray for? In the course of a day, on Wednesday morning are you thinking of somebody that’s in the hospital or only because maybe somebody called you and said, “Oh, so-and-so is sick. Somebody has died.” Is not our whole life, every day, every breath that you and I take, not call you back to God.

I can be very selfish with my time and sometimes I realize I am. I don’t answer phone calls right away, or I don’t get to the hospital, or I don’t do this or do that, and what I’m doing, I’m thinking of Pat rather than of what God asks of Pat.

So put your own names in there and go through the whole thing again and that’s kind of what it is. And how to decide this? It isn’t easy is it?

I came up with a few parables on this or different ways of reflecting upon it, about repaying to Caesar. As Jesus was teaching someone approached Jesus with two bumper stickers. One for Barak Obama, one for John McCain. “Teacher we know that You are a truthful man and that You teach the way of God. Tell us, who should we vote for?” And Jesus replied, “Vote for those who would lead you to God’s reign, support those who will establish the Father’s kingdom of justice and mercy.”

Another came up to Jesus and handed him two bills and asked, “Lord money is tight, which do I pay first, my house payment or my contribution to St. Al’s?” And Jesus said, “Give thanks to God for what you have received. Pay to our debtors what is rightly owed them.”

A teenager came up next to Jesus and said, “Jesus my confirmation class meets tonight, the same time as football practice for this weekends big game. Should I come to the class or do I meet my obligations to my teammates and coaches?” And Jesus blessed him saying, “Give to God the time He has given you, give to your team the time the game warrants.”

Same thing in the gospel right? Jesus isn’t going to tell you and me which choice to make but he’s going to give you and me the values, the principles, the faith, the trust to inform our consciences and our hearts and then to make our choices and be responsible for the choices that we make.

So today, what will you and I do with the time, the energy, the talents, the gifts, everything that God entrusts to you and to me? Will we give everything that belongs to God or just a portion of it? How much will you and I keep for me, myself and I?

Tough choices. Hard decisions to make. But as Paul reminds us in the second reading, we have the power and the Holy Spirit to guide us and to lead us. Ask the Lord to journey with you and me this day and throughout this week and everyday let’s ask the Lord to help us to choose what belongs to God and choose what we give to others.