10/22/2023 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

REFLECTION THE IMAGE OF GOD

“The Jewish people were forced to pay a census tax to the Roman occupiers of Palestine in the year 6 A.D. The provinces of Syria and Judaea, exhausted by their burdens, pleaded for a reduction of tribute in Book II.42 of Tacitus' Annals, written in 17 A.D. Soon after, Judas the Galilean instigated a tax revolt. As God alone was acknowledged as king and ruler of Israel, Judas the Galilean preached that "taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery" and that he and his followers had "an inviolable attachment to liberty." During Jesus' ministry, this current of tax-revolt swept throughout Judaea.

The Pharisees in the Gospel are setting up a trap for Jesus to say something that can be used as an insurrection against the Romans. Jesus is asked if they should pay taxes to the Romans. Instead of diving headfirst into a political debate, Jesus instead makes a peculiar request: to see the tribute coin. Jesus's possession of the coin is irrelevant to their question. Without seeing the coin, he could still give an answer. The fact that He wants to see the coin indicates that He attaches significance to it.

Although the Roman Senate also issued copper coins, the denarius was the imperial coin and was the one with which subjected peoples were technically obligated to pay the tribute because it bore the imperial seal and was otherwise distinct from the coins issued by the Senate. Carrying any coin bearing Caeser’s likeness into a lavatory or brothel was punishable by death according to the edict of Emperor Tiberius. In sum, the denarius was an object that symbolized the emperor's authority, wealth, divinity, and subjugation.

The Gaulish city of Lugdunum (present-day Lyons) was the mint for Tiberius' denarii. This is why the denarius probably had low circulation in Judaea, as argued by J. Spencer Kennard in his excellent book, Render to God. The eagerness with which the questioners produced the coin at Jesus' request suggests that they made regular use of it, benefiting from Roman financial largesse. Since the Tribute Episode takes place in the Temple, the questioners' religious hypocrisy is exposed when they produce the coin, which violated the Temple code which forbade carrying of any graven image into the Temple precincts. To paraphrase Kennard: "Coins were far and away the most effective means of indoctrinating the peoples of the empire with the deity of the emperor. They were handled by everybody and went everywhere. Subtle symbolism was present in every house with them."

A profiled bust of Tiberius, wreathed in the laurels of victory and divinity, graced the front of the denarius. The image on the coin is so iconic that even a 21st-century viewer would know that it depicts a Roman emperor. In Latin, "Tiberius Caesar Divi August Fili Augustus" translates to "Tiberius Caesar, Worshipful Son of the God, Augustus," which is the abbreviation that appears around Tiberius. The Roman goddess of peace, Pax, is depicted on the obverse, and the abbreviation "Pontif Maxim," short for "Pontifex Maximus," short for "High Priest," is encircled around her. The coin featured in this Tribute episode is a stunning example of ancient Roman propaganda. It demands that its customers worship the emperor and declares that all power originates from Caesar.

In the most ironically dense passage in the Bible, Jesus, the Son of the living God and the High Priest of Peace, is shown holding the tiny silver coin of a king who claims to be the son of a god and the high priest of Roman peace. Jesus tells those questioning Him, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God, the things that are God's." This answer raises the question of who has legal authority over what: God or Caesar?

According to ancient Hebrew belief, God was the rightful owner of all things. Jesus has already reminded His questioners (using the words "image and inscription") that they owe allegiance, love, and worship to God alone. God also owned the entire economic system. Example: God said in Leviticus 25:23, "The land [of Israel] shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is mine, and you [the Israelites] are but aliens who have become my tenants." This verse indicates that God owned the physical land of Israel. The Jewish practice of dedicating the first of their harvest to God was meant to symbolize their belief that God was the source of everything good and that God rightfully owned everything.

Therefore, Jesus's reply is not a deft evasion. This is a head-on collision. There is no way to separate the world into a God-sized portion and a Caesar-sized portion (however small). First and foremost, God is sovereign over everything, including human beings, who, as God's image, are responsible for taking care of the world's resources. From there, one can figure out how to relate to the empire on a more micro level. So, Jesus warns those who oppose Him that they are opposing God's reign if they ignore His truth. They are not adequately representing God as image-bearers. Jesus uses this occasion to invite them to contemplate a very deep spiritual reality, “Give back to God what belongs to God.”  What belongs to God?  Everything!  And in whose image, are you?  In God’s image (Gen 1:27).  Therefore, give back to God everything that you possess and above all, your own self.  Don’t evade that.   Are we ready to be challenged by the Word of God on this Sunday and give our whole self to God? Fr Tom Kunnel, C.O.