The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’
This Sunday’s readings focus on the role of secular authorities, who, as the first reading tells us, can be used for God’s purposes even if they do not believe in him. Chapter 22 of Matthew, from which this passage comes, contains debates between Jesus and his opponents. In this case the Pharisees and the supporters of the descendants of Herod the Great (a highly unlikely combination) unite to try to trap Jesus. The word “trap” is right because if Jesus answers yes, then he would alienate Jewish nationalists while if he says no, then he could be charged with sedition.
Notice how they flatter Jesus, hypocritically calling him an honest man. They certainly are not being honest, although, ironically, without realizing it, they are speaking the truth. Their ploy is bound to fail because, of course, Jesus cannot be moved by flattery. The tax they are referring to was on farming produce and personal property. Many Jews fiercely resented this tax and found it religiously objectionable. Taxation was a touchy subject in Palestine at this time. Opposition to it had been a factor in an earlier revolt and would also play a role in a later one.
Needless to say, Jesus understands the trap when he asks if they have the coin used to pay the tax. For one thing, their possession of such a coin – one that contains the emperor’s picture and a blasphemous inscription – shows how insincere they really are. To make matters worse, they have brought such an idolatrous image into the precincts of the temple. So, instead of trapping Jesus, the Pharisees and the Herodians have ended up trapped by him. The verb usually translated as “render” or “give back” tended to be used only in cases of paying debts. Jesus’ point is simple: the Jewish leaders have failed to give God what he is owed.
Jesus does not say that one should overturn the state nor does he say that one should always be submissive to it. His response shows a certain reservation about loyalty to government but no such reservation about God. Obedience to God and the state can coexist but, even when this is the case, the former is clearly a greater obligation than the latter. Ultimately, God is sovereign over the state as he is over all things. In the end, no one can serve two masters as Jesus clearly tells us elsewhere. What really matters is obeying God and living according to his precepts. Genesis tells us that human beings were created in God’s image. We can deduce from this that if a coin with Caesar’s image on it belongs to Caesar then all human beings, imprinted with God’s image, belong to God. They are truly his and we will be judged on how well we respect and love our brothers and sisters.
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