Daily Reflections

October 16, 2011
State versus Church? No!

Again and again, the question of separation between Church and State arises and leads often to heated discussions. Today’s Gospel passage does not deal directly with this problem. Those who approached Jesus wanted to trap Him. If He says “yes, you have to pay taxes to Caesar,” they would accuse Him of being a friend of the Roman oppressing power. If He would say “no,” they would go to the Roman authorities and denounce Him as a rebel who opposes them. Jesus could not be trapped. In turn, He trapped the Pharisees and Herodians by asking them for a coin. Obviously, He did not carry a Roman coin in His pocket — but they did. To carry a coin with an image was strictly forbidden for the Jews! When they answered Him that the emperor’s image was on the coin, He reminded them that the coin belongs to the emperor and they have to give it back to him. And since they are created in “the image and likeness of God,” carrying the image of God in them, they are supposed to give themselves to God to whom they belong.
Jesus avoids giving rules; He only lays down principles. And that is why His words are timeless. In effect, He says: Every Christian has a double citizenship. He is a citizen of the country in which he lives. And to his country, the Christian owes many things, such as public service. Therefore, a Christian is bound to support the state. But the Christian is also a citizen of the Kingdom of God, meaning he owes much to God and therefore is bound to render to God what is God’s. We were baptized and became children of God; we have received countless graces and blessings from God and in gratitude we have to “pay back” to God.
Of course, there are at times conflicts between the demands of God and of the State. To this problem Jesus does not give an answer. A well-informed conscience will tell us when we have to pay our duty to God and when to the State. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

Reflection Question:
How do I discern what is right to do when state and religion seem to clash?

Lord, it is often not easy to have a double citizenship. Too often the trends in the state contradict the values You preached and gave us. Send the Holy Spirit to help me form a conscience that is attuned to You and to do what is right in Your eyes.

St. Maxima, pray for us.