Father Jon Schnobrich preached this week on one of the final discourses Jesus had with the Pharisees before he was put to death. The Pharisees asked him if the Jews should pay their taxes to Caesar. In reply, knowing that if he gave a definitive answer that he might get into trouble, Jesus said, “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and give unto God what is God’s.”
Now, at this time, Roman coins had inscriptions of the Caesars, who were seen at this time as gods. Jesus' response to them meant only this: They give to Caesar only his taxes with the coins depicting him; they give to God what is his, which is us. We have the Imago Dei: the image of God. In this discourse, what is at stake is not paying your taxes, but awakening the interior life. We are made in God’s image, but we are in need of Christ through the sacraments to restore the Imago Dei.
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