20250811 GIVING UP OUR RIGHTS
11 August 2025, Monday, 19th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 |
The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords
Moses said to the people:
‘Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only this: to fear the Lord your God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord that for your good I lay down for you today.
‘To the Lord your God belong indeed heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all it contains; yet it was on your fathers that the Lord set his heart for love of them, and after them of all the nations chose their descendants, you yourselves, up to the present day. Circumcise your heart then and be obstinate no longer; for the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, triumphant and terrible, never partial, never to be bribed. It is he who sees justice done for the orphan and the widow, who loves the stranger and gives him food and clothing. Love the stranger then, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. It is the Lord your God you must fear and serve; you must cling to him; in his name take your oaths. He it is you must praise, he is your God: for you he has done these great and terrible things you have seen with your own eyes; and though your fathers numbered only seventy when they went down to Egypt, the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20 |
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Ps147:12,15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He sends out his word to the earth.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.2Th2:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Through the Good News God called us
to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 17:22-27 |
'They will put the Son of Man to death'
One day when they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.’ And a great sadness came over them.
When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, ‘Does your master not pay the half-shekel?’ ‘Oh yes’ he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, ‘Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?’ And when he replied, ‘From foreigners’, Jesus said, ‘Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.’
GIVING UP OUR RIGHTS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Dt 10:12-22; Ps 147:12-15,19-20; Mt 17:22-27[]
The God whom the Israelites worshipped is both the God of creation and the God of history. Unlike the neighbouring nations, they did not have to worship different gods for different needs. For Israel, there was only one God. “To the Lord your God belong indeed heaven and the heaven of heavens, and the earth and all it contains.” Consequently, Moses commanded Israel “to fear the Lord our God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord that for your good I lay down for you today.”
God is adored and worshipped not only because He is the Creator, but also because Israel was chosen to be His people. As Moses said, “Yet it was on your fathers that the Lord set his heart for love of them, and after them of all the nations chose their descendants, you yourselves up to the present day.” God’s choice of Israel evoked gratitude and awe. Israel was called to obedience so that it might grow as a nation. “It is the Lord your God you must fear and serve; you must cling to him; in his name take your oaths. He it is you must praise, he is your God: for you he has done these great and terrible things you have seen with your own eyes; and though your fathers numbered only seventy when they went down to Egypt, the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.” Obedience to His laws is our response to the initiative of a God who loves us freely.
But God did not choose us simply for ourselves, but for the sake of others. We are called to be channels of His grace and love. For this reason, after reminding the Israelites of God’s gratuitous love, Moses gave them the laws so that they could live as God’s people. Moses reminded the people to be true witnesses of God’s love in their life, in their relationship, with each other. They were to be impartial and act justly towards each other. “Circumcise your heart then and be obstinate no longer; for the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, triumphant and terrible, never partial, never to be bribed.” They must act justly, especially towards those who were vulnerable, the helpless, including strangers. “It is he who sees justice done for the orphan and the widow, who loved the stranger and gives him food and clothing. Love the stranger then, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Indeed, if the people truly love God and are conscious of their dignity as His chosen people, their devotion to the Lord will be seen in their obedience, witness, and their commitment.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus fulfilling His social obligations. Though divine and exempt from earthly requirements, He chose to uphold the responsibility of paying taxes to the governing authorities, recognising the importance of contributing to society and the state. This Temple tax was to be paid by all adult Jewish males for the upkeep of the Temple. (cf Ex 30:13-16) Even during the time of St Matthew, after the temple was destroyed, the Romans continued to require all Jewish people to pay that tax to the Roman government. Jesus was willing to make compromises when He, strictly speaking, as was exempted from paying the toll tax. He was willing to surrender His rights for the greater good of the nation. He asked Peter, “From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?’ And when he replied, ‘From foreigners, ‘Jesus said, ‘Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.'”
Jesus did it in such a way that it did not compromise His identity as the Son of God. By performing the miracle of the coin found in the mouth of the fish, He avoided personally paying the tax, which would have implied submission to an obligation inappropriate for His divine status. Since the coin came from an external source, the conundrum was resolved–He fulfilled the requirement without relinquishing His rightful position. Jesus was not a foreigner or a subject; He was their king. How could the Son be under obligation to pay the tax which was for his own Father’s house? When His parents lost Him in Jerusalem and found Him in the temple, He said, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk.2:49). The Temple tax was meant for the upkeep of God’s house. For Jesus, the Son of God, to pay such a tax would suggest that He was under obligation to support what was already His. By using the “lost and found” coin, He subtly demonstrated that He was not bound by this requirement, yet He chose to comply in a way that avoided controversy and did not offend the tax collectors.
Jesus taught us how to be flexible when dealing with injustice – such as the demand placed on Him to pay the Temple tax. He embodied the very principles He preached in the Gospel: that in the face of injustice, we should not retaliate. Though it was unreasonable for Him to pay the tax – being the Son of God – He chose not to provoke conflict. Instead, He paid it using a coin miraculously found in the mouth of a fish, a gesture that preserved His divine identity while avoiding offense. It was important for Jesus to fulfil His duty as a good citizen. It is an important lesson for us as well, especially when unfair demands are made on us. Rather than insisting on our rights, Jesus calls us to go the extra mile–even for those who are unreasonable. Sometimes, surrendering our rights serves a greater purpose: the advancement of the Gospel. This principle was also exemplified by St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. He willingly gave up his right to receive payment for preaching, choosing instead to serve freely for the sake of the Gospel. He wrote of becoming “all things to all people” so that he might win some for Christ.
Jesus teaches us to submit to legitimate authorities – even when we disagree with their policies – so long as it does not go against the basic principle of our duty towards God. We must always remember the big picture and not be too short-sighted in our judgements or actions. This is what Moses instructed, “It is the Lord your God you must fear and serve; you must cling to him; in his name take your oaths. He it is you must praise, he is your God: for you he has done these great and terrible things you have seen with your own eyes; and though your fathers numbered only seventy when they went down to Egypt, the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.” Being a good Christian does not mean we cannot become good citizens. In fact, we have a serious duty to fulfil our duty by contributing meaningfully to society – socially, politically, and economically.
At the heart of our struggle today is the fact that we do not know Jesus – just as His own people once failed to recognize Him. Because of this, He was not welcomed. When Christ is not welcomed into our lives, society becomes fragmented, confused, and directionless. In our time, Christ is increasingly excluded from the public sphere–from politics, economics, medicine, science, business, and law. He is treated as a persona non grata, especially in the media. His teachings are ridiculed and rejected. No one takes Him seriously and His gospel is dismissed as irrelevant and divisive. Yet the truth is that to welcome Christ, is to welcome everyone, the poor, the sinners, the rich and the poor. Only Christ can unite us all into one humanity. Only Christ can give us interior joy. This is why, we must reintroduce Christ into society – even if it means going against the tide of secularism that dominates today’s world. There was a time when being known as a believer, whether in government or the corporate world, lent credibility and trust. Now, it often invites suspicion. As a result, many believers hide their faith in public life, hoping to be more accepted by the world
So today, we are called to open our hearts through spiritual circumcision, just as Moses urged the people. “Circumcise your heart then and be obstinate no longer.” Being elected as God’s people requires us to lead and show the way. Rituals are useless if we do not change our lives. We must show ourselves to be God’s children by transcending worldly divisions and build harmony among people. To circumcise our hearts means to soften our hearts toward God, toward His Word, and most of all, toward the needs of our fellowmen. It is a call to proclaim the Gospel, not just with words, but with lives that radiate grace.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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