May the relationship between you and God, which God started in you by infusing into you the theological virtues of faith, charity/love and hope continue to grow to the extent that God will use you as instrument for the salvation of the world. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye
Doctrine And Faith
(Isaiah 45, 1.4-6; 1 Thess. 1, 1-4; Matt 22, 15-21: 29th Sunday of Year A, 22nd Oct. 2017)
Today’s reading resembles a royal decree, a formal statement wherein God addresses a king in order to authorise him for some tasks, empower him to function in the capacity of that task, give legitimation to decisions he may make or to a plan of action on which he might embark or instruct him in the art of ruling. This particular royal decree is extraordinary by the fact that in it, it is the God of Israel that addresses a pagan king. The contents of this decree reveal God using as his instrument a non-Israelite in the salvation of the people of Israel. Cyrus was the Persian ruler who permitted the Israelites to return from captivity in Babylon to their homeland and rebuild the temple. Cyrus subdued nations, released captive kings so that they might serve him unfettered, threw open locked doors and barred gates in the spirit of freedom. All these were done for the sake of the Israelites (Jacob-Israel). This Cyrus, the foreigner, was the agent of the release of the Israelites, but their release is for the sake of the enlightenment of foreign nations. It is understandable for God to work through the Israelites. But if the God of a people is seen to work marvels through the instrumentality of another people, it is easy to conclude that there is but one God who works through all. This is precisely what is stated in this reading. There is no other God but the God of Israel. This God is the author of history and directs the events of life to follow his plans. He can use anybody, not only the believers, but also non-believers to realise his plans. He will even use us the more if we are docile, disposed to the insinuations of his graces. What we have to do in life is to make effort to see things from God’s perspective and align our actions and deeds accordingly.
The episode in today’s gospel is common to the three Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Once again Jesus is in a battle of wits with the religious leaders of the people. This time they are the ones who initiate it. While the purpose of the encounter is the entrapment of Jesus, the underlying issue is the possibility of being faithful both to God and to a secular state. The Pharisees did not seem to approve of the Gentile rule over the Jewish people. The Herodians, on the other hand, were Roman royalists. Within the ranks of the people, the Zealots vehemently opposed the occupation, while many others had made their peace with it and sometimes even benefited from it. Roman taxation was an issue that could easily cause people to take sides. It was with this issue that the Pharisees hoped to ensnare Jesus. They first flattered him, then set up the trap by asking him for an interpretation on a point of Roman law: Is it lawful for a Jew to pay taxes to Rome? The tax in question was probably the poll tax paid directly to Rome, evidence of political subjugation. If Jesus answers no, he can be accused of political insubordination of the type that might incite others to follow in violence. If he says yes, he would have appeared to have relinquished Israel’s boast of being a people bound only to God. In his reply, Jesus did not fall into the snare of the Pharisees, neither did he incur an eventual shame nor put himself into political jeopardy/quagmire. In order to adequately respond to their question, he asked for a coin that could be used to pay the poll tax. The coin itself was abhorrent to the Jewish people, for it contained the image of Caesar along with titles that accorded him both political honour and divine status. Both of these features violated Jewish Law. In deference to Jewish sensitiveness, imageless copper coins were used in ordinary commercial exchange. At Jesus’ demand, the Pharisees produced the coin, and now they acknowledged that it contains the image of Caesar. Jesus directed them to give back or repay what is owed to both Caesar and God. Besides exonerating him from possible political or religious reproach, Jesus’ response suggests that one can indeed be loyal both to a religious tradition and to a secular power. It may be very difficult at times, especially where their claims seem to conflict, but it is possible.
In today’s second reading Paul thanks God for choosing Silvanus and Timothy as his co-apostles especially in founding and nurturing the young church in Thessalonica. The Israelites of the Old Testament prided themselves, with singular privilege, as God’s elect. But in virtue of the death and resurrection of Christ this privilege was extended to all the nations through faith in Jesus Christ.
Indeed, every nation can now enjoy these privileges formerly reserved for the people of Israel. What and what could be the contents of the privileges? They are no other things than spiritual privileges of ardent faith, works of charity and constancy in hope. Their effort in manifesting these virtues in their lives was a clear indication of their election by God, who infused these theological virtues in them. Outwardly and humanly speaking, the Thessalonians were influenced by Paul’s preaching, but inwardly they were inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. Each one of us was infused with theological virtues of faith, love and hope at our baptism when we became the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and entered into close relationship with the Blessed Trinity. Paul is thanking God today for the growth and manifestation of these theological virtues which God infused into the Thessalonians through him as an instrument. Will the priests who baptised us and through whom we became the elect of God be thankful to God for our spiritual growth? It is only and only if we remain in good relationship with God through living out the theological virtues can we begin to acquire the optic/perspective of God; when this becomes a reality, we will see things as God sees them and he will make of us instruments of evangelisation and expansion of his mission just as he used the pagan Cyrus of the first reading of today. It is, therefore, abiding in the friendship with God that we will be able to see things in the way Jesus saw it and will be able to maintain our religious traditions and still cooperate with political dispensation, regarding them as part of God’s design for our salvation. Happy Sunday? +John I. Okoye
( graphics by chukwubike)
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