‘Pay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God!’ (Matthew 22:21)
This line from Matthew chapter 22 comes particularly relevant in contemporary times. We are called to be Christians, yet, we too have to manage our identities in modern society — as workers, parents, children etc. At times, as Christians, we are conflicted between what is the right thing to do when navigating in our diverse society, as what we are called to do right as Christians, may not be necessarily the right thing to do by the people that we meet everyday.
The issue of abortion has always been a prickly issue in modern society. The pro-life groups have always emphasised on the importance of the unborn in the mother’s womb. Yet, as Christians, if we truly understood what pro-life actually encompasses, we need to also look beyond the unborn, and consider what the pregnant woman, or even her family is going through. Focusing on the individual sin of abortion places a huge emphasis on focusing on what the woman has done wrong. However, we need to also understand that no woman would want to put down her unborn child, and the mental and emotional anguish they have to endure personally, should they decide to abort a child. For God has created not just the unborn, but also the very same woman who has made the decision. And so for what reason should we prioritise one life over another?
In this week’s gospel, we see the Pharisees and Herodians trying to force Jesus to make a decision on whether he favours paying tribute to the Romans. Essentially, they are forcing Jesus to make a dichotomous decision and then trapping him into answering them, so that they could accuse him of doing wrong, either to the Romans or to God, in the answers he gave them. Very often, we, too, fall into the same trap when we judge or make a statement against people whom we thought have sinned terribly. Take the example of the issue of abortion as mentioned above.
Like the lives of the common Jews in Jerusalem, where they had to navigate through the complexities of being a subject of the Roman laws, and also being religious at the same time, we ought to also consider the societal constraints and complexities that these women had to navigate through, to make a decision on whether to abort their unborn or not.
Ephesians 2:1–2 mentions that, ‘And you were dead, through the crimes and the sins which used to make up your way of life when you were living by the principles of this world, obeying the ruler who dominates the air, the spirit who is at work in those who rebel.’ Perhaps, instead of labeling individuals (in this case, women) as sinners, we ought to focus on our attention on the failings of the existing structures in our society that could have led to women and their family making such difficult decisions. Who is the ‘ruler’ in this case? Could it be the failure of the state to provide necessary support to women? Could it be also existing socio-cultural practices in the society that plays a role in influencing their decision? Could it also be a lack of support given to these women should they decide to give birth to their child, that made them decide that it is better not to give birth to their child? Especially, in the example of a lack of support for children and adults who may be severely mentally disabled; or even the shame that sexually abused women may experience if they choose to give birth to their child in a society that does not provide emotional and physical support to sexually abused victims.
Perhaps, in today’s Gospel, Jesus recognises such complexities that exist in society. Hence, his Greatest Commandment at the end of the chapter:
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:34–40)
Leave the judgement to God. As individuals, let us love God with our heart, soul and mind. With others in the society, we should love them as ourselves, and not judge.
Similarly, as individuals, we need to practise discernment too in examining and reflecting our behaviours. We need to acknowledge that our actions are probably the result of a myriad of factors that influence us into behaving in a certain way. Being aware that we have sinned is also simply not enough. We need to deepen our conscience and realise that ultimately, we need to ‘pay to God what belongs to God’ through the act of confession. It is only through the confession that we are ultimately led to being accountable to God because we love Him by fearing Him.
