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Greetings, SBT Readers:
To say that we are living in a complex world is an understatement. Not only has the climate crisis given rise to unprecedented natural disasters, but whole populations are on the move, seeking a better life elsewhere, only to encounter closed borders; meanwhile, bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza... Add to this mess the fake news that has the power to convince everyone that lies are truth and that truth is falsehood, and the real news that is so shocking that we have a hard time accepting it... Trying to untangle what is really happening lies beyond most of our capabilities, my own included.
From what I can make out -- correctly or incorrectly-- North Korea is helping fund Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, while Russia and Iran are funding Hamas. For its part, Hamas is not representing the Palestinian people but has a similar agenda to that of ISIS -- to establish a totalitarian theocracy. Then there are all the other players -- including the U.S., some actively supplying military aid to one side or the other, and some still watching and waiting for the opportunity to pursue their own vested interests. Apparently, Russia has its sights set not just on Ukraine but on Poland and the Baltic countries, while China is watching what unfolds, eyeing its next moves against Taiwan. Despite this overly simplified assessment, it does not take a geopolitician to see that the world is in a precarious situation.
According to the Kabbalah, Noah was less righteous than both Abraham and Moses because he failed to ask God to spare his people at the time of the Great Flood; his only concern was building the ark for himself, his family, and the various creatures that accompanied them. In the Zohar, God says to Noah: "I lingered with you and spoke to you at length so that you would ask for mercy for the world! But as soon as you heard that you would be safe in the ark, the evil of the world did not touch your heart."
May we who are safe now pray to the God of Compassion for peace among the nations and for all the innocent civilians who are paying the price for global madness. If prayer can move mountains, it can also save the world.
Many Blessings!
Elizabeth
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Link to Readings
The Pharisees went off to plot how they might entrap Jesus.
They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Nor are you concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
When they handed him the Roman coin, he asked,
"Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that, he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
Mt 22:15-21
Despite his adversaries’ intention to trip him up, Jesus did not take the bait. Instead, he turned the tables on his enemies, not only exposing their hypocrisy since they themselves produced the imperial coin used for paying taxes but also providing them with an enigmatic answer:
“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Matt 22:21).
According to this Sunday’s Gospel, those who tried to entrap Jesus by making him side with either Rome or his own people were completely nonplussed. There was nothing they could say without incriminating themselves. Once again, they were caught in the trap they themselves had set, just as they had been when they dragged the woman caught in adultery before Jesus, asking whether she should be stoned according to the Law or let go (Jn 8:1-11). In both situations, their only option was to walk away.
The question the Pharisees and Herodians posed demanded a “Yes” or “No” answer – or so they thought. In their limited thinking, Jesus’ adversaries saw everything in black and white. We will see this again in the same chapter from Matthew’s Gospel when another group of religious leaders—the Sadducees-- asked his opinion on the resurrection of the dead (Matt 22:23-33). When they, too, were silenced, the Pharisees had one more question in their arsenal: “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” (Matt 22:36). In this case, instead of choosing one commandment over the others, Jesus summed up the entire Law by citing two texts that are foundational to Judaism: Dt 6:4-5 and Lv 19:18-19. The chapter ends with Jesus posing a question of his own regarding David’s son and the Messiah, thus further enraging all those who had expected him to blaspheme in public.
But let’s go back to Jesus’ famous words about Caesar, in this case, the Emperor Tiberius (C.E.14-37): “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Matt 22:21). Many commentators suggest that Jesus saw “Caesar” (representing worldly authorities) as having earthly jurisdiction while God had jurisdiction over the spiritual realm. Personally, I don’t find this interpretation very helpful. From my reading of the Gospels, it would seem that Jesus looked for unity rather than dichotomies; to say that Caesar had his realm would be tantamount to dividing the world into two kingdoms -- the sacred and the profane. It also implies that God and “Caesar” (again, representing worldly authorities) vie for power. But isn’t the entire universe God’s realm and don’t all things belong to God? This isn’t to say that Caesar doesn’t have his place in the scheme of things, but, ultimately, we belong to God, not to Caesar. And, to be subversive, if there is ever a conflict between our allegiances, it is to God that we are answerable. Caesar may be entitled to our taxes but not to our souls:
"I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me" (IS 45: 5).
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