When kids go to hunt rabbits, their greatest luck comes when they see the rabbit run into its hole. It significantly increases their chances of catching their game. First, given that every rabbit hole has an escape route, the kids search out its escape route and close it. Second, they start digging from the entrance or simply introduce grassfire and smoke into the hole. 99 percent of the time, the rabbit is caught in its hole or as it scurries to exit. Hence, the term “rabbit hole” is used to refer to “a bizarre situation or environment from which it is difficult to extricate oneself.” Politicians masterfully employ that when they attack their opponent. They begin by praising the person’s achievement before going on the attack. It was from the Pharisees and Herodians that today’s politicians learned that tactic? Although, current politicians have developed less compunction about their vileness. They don’t ever pretend about hatred of their opponents.
The Pharisees and Herodians of today’s gospel thought that they caught Jesus in a rabbit hole with the question: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not; should we pay or should we not?” How people dreadfully opposed to each other can easily unite against a common ‘enemy;’ these enemies who don’t see eye to eye are willing to unite against Christ. The Psalmist prophesied: “The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes plot together, against the Lord and against his anointed” (Psalm 2:2). The well laid trap was to have Jesus answer either way and be caught either as traitor and impostor against his own people or a revolutionary against a sitting government.
Vacationers to England often visit the British Museum in Manchester inside of which is a Roman coin section. One can find displayed in this section a very shiny silver coin dating back to the time of Jesus—the coin used for commerce and tax to Rome for the inhabitants of almost all the nations of the world. It’s technically called the silver denarius. This was the coin that the Good Samaritan would have given to the innkeeper to care for the wounded traveler. The vineyard workers of the parable heard three weeks ago would have been paid with this same coin. The face side of the coin bears the image of Tiberius Caesar, with the inscription in Latin, “Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti Filius Augustus Pontifax Maximus” (Tiberius Caesar, August Son of Divine Augustus, High Priest). The back side has the image of Livia, the queen mother of Tiberius seated and holding an olive branch.
The stunning response that Jesus gave: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” did not just silence his adversaries, it indicted them as the real impostors. By carrying the denarius on themselves they showed that they already had allegiance to Caesar and needn’t have someone advise them on that. But Jesus went ahead to answer and teach about the relationship between civic duty and religious duty. Caesar, Putin and Biden may be good or bad people, may know God or may not; just like Cyrus, King of Persia, and a pagan whom God used to deliver his people from Babylonian oppression. But is it okay to pay taxes to their government? You bet!
The street in front of your home and Highway 69 were paved with tax dollars. It’s also right to serve in the military, in the jury when called, in the city council or board of education, and above all to vote come November 4. This is giving Caesar what belongs to Caesar. But it is even more important to give to God His own share. And that is—ALL YOU HAVE AND ARE, ALL THERE IS, including Caesar. God always respects Caesar: after all, He gave him life and placed him as ruler. It’s always Caesar (government) who wants to take what belongs to God. If ever that conflict arises, as it often does, be sure to stand with God against any Caesar.
Fr. Chukwudi Jo Okonkwo