2017October 22SUN29ORDA

2017October 22SUN29ORDA

IS 45:1, 4-6

PS 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 R. (7b) Give the Lord glory and honor.

1 THES 1:1-5B

MT 22:15-21

Good….

Today we celebrate the 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time A. And the theme of the Readings is to live for God.

In the Gospel today, we hear the popular teaching of Jesus : “to repay to Caesar  what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  This teaching of Jesus is brought about by the controversy with the Pharisees as they seek to malign Jesus.

St. Matthew presented the Reversal Argument in which those who accuses Jesus are themselves accused by their own words and actions. The Pharisees sent their disciples and the Herodians to entrap Jesus  so as they can accuse Jesus. They said:  "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.”

In these words, they proclaimed that Jesus is a Truthful Man; Teach the Way of God; and Fair: that Jesus does not discriminate because of status of the person. And these words are the ones that condemn themselves, because they did not live their words. And more so when Jesus ask for the coin that they use they gave Jesus the Roman Coin with the Face and Inscription of Caesar. Jesus proclaims to them that they belong to Caesar for they live by the Coin of Caesar and not for God.   

Let us remember that for a Jew especially in the Temple Service they uses their own coins : the Shekel and not the Roman Coin, That is why there are money changers in the Temple Area. 

This proclamation of the Gospel is also very relevant for us as Christians today.  Do we really put God as the priority of our lives just like what Jesus had done?

If we believe that Jesus is a Truthful Man, we also must live in truth just as He is. But when we gossip and malign others we are not truthful and do not live for God.

If we believe that Jesus teaches the Way of God, we also must follow His ways so as we can be worthy of God. But when we become selfish with our lives, with our talents, with our gifts, we are not for God.

If we believe that Jesus is Fair : that Jesus does not discriminate because of status of the person, we must also be accepting and respecting for others their language, their culture and traditions. But when we become arrogant with our culture and language and forces others to speak our own language and culture, we are not for God.

To make God as the priority of our lives, we have to live like Jesus Christ and we will be known as True Christians . AMEN.