Skip to main content

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time

By

Who is God and what do we owe him?  The answer to both questions is “everything.”  This question has its origins in the 1st Commandment, “I am the Lord your God… there is no other.”  But what does that mean to us on a practical level?  In short, it is God whom we thank for everything we have, and because of this it is only God to whom we owe our allegiance.

The Word for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time:
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Psalm 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Mathew 22:15-21

We open with a reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, in this case “Deutero” or Second Isaiah.  The Exile is coming to an end.  The Babylonian Empire has fallen to the Persians and now the Persian king, Cyrus, whom we know as Cyrus the Great, has been, according to Isaiah, anointed by God.  Wait, Cyrus?  A pagan?  A foreign king?  Yes.  How could this be?  Simple – God can choose whomever he wishes.  The hand God chose to free Israel from her Exile was in fact the hand of Cyrus, the king of the Persian Empire, who through the defeat of the Babylonians has now set Israel free and wants to send them home.  To Israel, this is not only redemption but an opportunity to show everyone God’s power and God’s mercy.  To show all nations that it is God whom we thank, God whom we honor, and God in who we owe everything.  Our Psalm echoes this song of praise.

Our second reading begins our study of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, which we will be reading from through the rest of this season.  This week’s passage starts with the initial greeting.  In this passage Paul greets them in the peace of Christ and give thanks to God for all of them, reminding them that it was not on their word alone that lead them to Christ but the power of the Holy Spirt.

Our Gospel from Matthew picks up, again where we left off last week.  The Pharisees, whom after having been confronted by a series of parables from Jesus (who chastised them severely), go off and plot their revenge.  They send their disciples back to confront Jesus with a question about paying the Imperial tax.  The question is a trap.  If he says pay the tax, he gives the Sanhedrin evidence he’s siding with the Romans.  If he says don’t pay the tax, he gives the Romans evidence for inciting rebellion.  But Jesus knows this is a trap and finds a way around it.  He asks for a coin and then asks them to identify who’s image is on that coin.  It is, obviously, Caesar’s image, whereupon Jesus says, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

This story, shared in all three Synoptic Gospels, marks a profound break from Hebrew tradition – separating fealty to God from that of the temporal authority.  Jewish tradition puts its focus on the Jewish state, in other words, the state of Israel ruled by the Israelites.  Jesus, on the other hand, sees fighting against the Roman occupation (and the Herodian dynasty) as counterproductive.  Instead we should focus on our relationship with God and let everything else flow from that.  I would argue that it is here where Jesus himself originates the concept of a separation between church and state.  Empires come and go, but God remains.

Final Thoughts:
This has to be one of my favorite stories from all the Gospels because it is here that Jesus defiantly teaches us where our loyalties should reside.  Not to the Temple.  Not to the Romans.  Only to God – only to love.

In that one short sentence Jesus embodies the Spirit found in Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World from the Second Vatican Council, which recognizes that the Church does not live outside of the world, but rather is a part of the world and lives in the world.  Our faith cannot be lived in some spiritual ideal but must be found and lived in the world as it is.  The world for Jesus is one where the Roman Empire rules the land, just as other empires have ruled before and will rule after it.  Should we let that stand in the way of our relationship with God?  Jewish tradition has strong ties to the land – Land tradition dictates was given to them by God.  Yet here Jesus is advocating for something revolutionary – a faith no longer rooted in the land but one where the Kingdom of God is wherever two or more are gathered in his name.  That place could be anywhere and could include everyone.  The Kingdom of God is not a place, but a state of mind independent of whoever is in charge of the land.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ascension of the Lord - Cycle C

By
Following the traditional calendar, the Solemnity of the Ascension falls on a Thursday, 40 days after the Resurrection, and 10 days before Pentecost.  But since the Ascension is such an important moment for us as Church, many dioceses, including our own, have moved this celebration to this coming Sunday (in place of the 7th Sunday of Easter). The Word for the Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23 Luke 24:46-53 Our first reading is from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles.  While it might be more appropriate that this reading should follow our Gospel reading for today (as it naturally follows after Luke’s Gospel), the book-end effect of these two readings remains intact, reminding us how this was a pivotal moment for the Church.  Like most sequels, our reading opens with a recap of where we left off at the end of Luke’s Gospel with the Ascension of Jesus.  Also like most sequels, this “recap” of t...
Post a Comment
Read more

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle C

By
“Thank you.”  It’s a phrase we hear and use every day.  It’s an accepted and expected courtesy for a variety of interactions.  In fact, when we don’t hear it when we expect to, we feel slighted and unappreciated.  Here’s a question:  Does God feel slighted and unappreciated when we don’t give him thanks for his great gifts?  Let’s see what this week’s readings might say on the subject… The Word for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2 Kings 5:14-17 Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Luke 17:11-19 Our first reading comes from 2nd book of Kings.  Naaman, a Syrian military commander, seeks to thank Elisha for curing him of his leprosy (an act that King Joram of Israel isn’t likely to appreciate).  Not only does Naaman wish to give thanks to Elisha, but also to his God.  This is nothing short of a complete conversion for Naaman, who not only sees the glory of God but recognizes the importance of the land in this covenant relationship.  In f...
Post a Comment
Read more

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle C

By
Persistence.  The Oxford Dictionary defines this as “firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.”  Persistence is an important part of our faith tradition, as our readings this week teach us: The Word for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Exodus 17:8-13 Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 Luke 18:1-8 Our first reading is a story from the book of Exodus.  Here Moses and the Israelites, not long after their flight from Egypt, are pushing forward into Southern Canaan where they are experiencing resistance from the nation of Amalek (named for the grandson of Esau, Abraham’s other son – though this may just be a literary device).  As they engage in battle, Moses holds out his hands (as he would in a prayer position) and the battle goes in favor of Israel, but as Moses grows tired and lowers his hands, the tide of battle shifts.  With the help of Aaron and Hur, Moses is able to keep his arms up so that Israel wi...
Post a Comment
Read more