Oct 13, 2014
Readings:
Isaiah 45:1,4-6
Psalm 96:1,3-5, 7-10
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Matthew 22:15-21
The Lord is king over all the earth, as we sing in today's Psalm.
Governments rise and fall by His permission, with no authority but
that given from above (see John 19:11;
Romans 13:1).
In effect, God says to every ruler what he tells King Cyrus in
today's First Reading: "I have called you . . . though you knew me
not."
The Lord raised up Cyrus to restore the Israelites from exile, and
to rebuild Jerusalem (see Ezra 1:1-4). Throughout salvation history,
God has used foreign rulers for the sake of His chosen people.
Pharaoh's heart was hardened to reveal God's power (see
Romans 9:17). Invading armies were used to punish
Israel's sins (see
2 Maccabees 6:7-16).
The Roman occupation during Jesus' time was, in a similar way, a
judgment on Israel's unfaithfulness. Jesus' famous words in today's
Gospel: "Repay to Caesar" are a pointed reminder of this. And they
call us, too, to keep our allegiances straight.
The Lord alone is our king. His kingdom is not of this world (see
John 18:36) but it begins here in His
Church, which tells of His glory among all peoples. Citizens of
heaven (see
Philippians 3:20), we are called to be a light to the
world (see
Matthew 5:14) - working in faith, laboring in love, and
enduring in hope, as today's Epistle counsels.
We owe the government a concern for the common good, and obedience
to laws - unless they conflict with God's commandments as
interpreted by the Church (see Acts 5:29).
But we owe God everything. The coin bears Caesar's image. But we
bear God's own image (see
Genesis 1:27). We owe Him our very lives - all our
heart, mind, soul, and strength, offered as a living sacrifice of
love (see Romans 12:1-2).
We should pray for our leaders, that like Cyrus they do God's will
(see
1 Timothy 2:1-2) - until from the rising of the sun to
its setting, all humanity knows that Jesus is Lord.