20210601 MAN OF PRINCIPLES
01 June, 2021, Tuesday, 9th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading | Tobit 2:9-14 © |
'Everyone knows what return you have had for your good works'
I, Tobit, took a bath; then I went into the courtyard and lay down by the courtyard wall. Since it was hot I left my face uncovered. I did not know that there were sparrows in the wall above my head; their hot droppings fell into my eyes. White spots then formed, which I was obliged to have treated by the doctors. But the more ointments they tried me with, the more the spots blinded me, and in the end I became blind altogether. I remained without sight four years; all my brothers were distressed; and Ahikar provided for my upkeep for two years, till he left for Elymais.
My wife Anna then undertook woman’s work; she would spin wool and take cloth to weave; she used to deliver whatever had been ordered from her and then receive payment. Now on March the seventh she finished a piece of work and delivered it to her customers. They paid her all that was due, and into the bargain presented her with a kid for a meal. When the kid came into my house, it began to bleat. I called to my wife and said, ‘Where does this creature come from? Suppose it has been stolen! Quick, let the owners have it back; we have no right to eat stolen goods.’ She said, ‘No, it was a present given me over and above my wages.’ I did not believe her, and told her to give it back to the owners (I blushed at this in her presence). Then she answered, ‘What about your own alms? What about your own good works? Everyone knows what return you have had for them.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 111(112):1-2,7-9 © |
With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.
With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Heb4:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 12:13-17 © |
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.
MAN OF PRINCIPLES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Tb 2:9-14; Ps 112:1-2,7-9; Mk 12:13-17 ]
In the first reading, Tobit was an exemplar of what it means to be a man of principles, to the irritation of others. Earlier on we read of the good works that Tobit often did to help his fellowmen; bringing food to the poor, and even going out of his way to bury the dead before having his dinner celebration with the family. However, in spite of the good works he did, he was unfortunately struck blind because of a negligence. As a result, his wife had to earn a living for the family. One day, besides being paid for the cloth that she had weaved, she was given a young goat for a meal. When Tobit heard the bleat of the kid, he immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was stolen and demanded that his wife returned the animal to the owner. Of course, he was being self-righteous. But on the other hand, we see that this man, in spite of the considerable financial straits he was in, would not accept bribes or stolen goods. He was a man of principles.
In the gospel, Jesus also demonstrated Himself as a man of principles. His opponents ironically affirmed Him as a man of principles, but with an ulterior motive to disarm Him. “The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty.'” The truth was that Jesus was certainly viewed as a man of principles even by His enemies. At the same time, they exposed themselves as people without principles because they were all out to trap Jesus and to eliminate Him, using all kinds of tactics to place Jesus in a compromising situation. They were insincere in their praises of Jesus.
They sought to outsmart Jesus by applying the same technique that Jesus used when He put them in a spot with regard to their position on the authority of John the Baptist. Then, Jesus posed them this question when they challenged Him on the source of His authority. “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer me.” (Mk 11:30) Of course, they were trapped, for “they argued with one another, ‘If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From men’?”–they were afraid of the people, for all held that John was a real prophet.” (Mk 11:31f)
So they found another occasion, this time, with the collaboration of the Herodians, which was an unimaginable alliance, considering that their views of politics and state were diametrically opposed to each other. This again showed that they were people without principles. To eliminate Jesus, they would collaborate even with those people whose principles were not in agreement with theirs. The Herodians were in support of the Romans whereas the Jewish leaders were against the Romans because their only allegiance was supposed to God alone. God was their only king and the land belonged to God and they were the chosen people of God. To acknowledge the Roman Emperor as divine and as their king contradicted their fundamental belief in the God of Israel. But that is what politicians and many of us often do; we become friends with our enemies to eliminate a bigger threat before we become enemies again. We use each other for our interests, not because we subscribe to their principles or policies.
So they thought they could trip Jesus when they asked Him a politically and religiously sensitive issue. “Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?” They were so certain that whichever way Jesus answered the question, He would be trapped. If He were to say that it was not right for the Jews to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, He would incur the wrath of the Roman authorities, and He would be arrested immediately for challenging the authority of Rome, and especially Caesar. If He were to agree that the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, He would earn the wrath of the Jews because paying taxes to Rome would imply that the land belonged to Caesar, their enemy, and not to God. Furthermore, to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor was to acknowledge Him as king over Israel. Again, their insincerity was exposed because all Jews, including the priests, pharisees and scribes by law had to pay their property tax, income tax and poll tax as they were governed by Rome. So either way, Jesus would be faulted and discredited.
Again, Jesus showed His authority, His wisdom, His sincerity and honesty to the principles that guided His life. Jesus’ response was clear, unambiguous and uncompromising because it was based on principles. He always went back to the principle before speaking of specifics. Indeed, this was always how Jesus dealt with concrete practices, such as the question of the Sabbath Law and the question of marriage and divorce. He would underline the principle of the Sabbath Law, which was to honour God and live a life of charity towards our brothers and sisters and we must always do good on the Sabbath, to save life. (cf Mk 3:1-4) So, too, with regard to the question of marriage and divorce. He said earlier on, “From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.’ So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mk 10:6-9)
Once the principle was clear, Jesus would go back to the specifics. It is significant that Jesus Himself did not carry a denarius, which had the image of the Roman Emperor declaring his divinity and as the high priest. Rather, He asked them, “Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.'” The fact that the coin bore the image of Caesar, meant that it belonged to him and that those who used the coin agreed that it was legal tender because it was backed by the Emperor. It also implied Caesar’s authority over them.
However, underlying the principle of the authority of the State, Jesus put all authority under the bigger umbrella of God. In asking whose image it was, the inference was that we are all created in the image of God. So although we must render respect to earthly religious and political authority, all of us without exception come under the rule of God. No one is above God, no king or president on earth. At the end of the day, they would have to be accountable to God for the way they governed the people. At any rate, earthly power does not last that long, maybe at most for a few decades, then our human frailty will reduce us to be like any man who has to face his mortality, illness and death.
Consequently, it is clear that we must pay our dues to the State so that the State can ensure law and order, otherwise there will be chaos and anarchy. Also we need to do our part in contributing to the State for the common good of all, such as the building of infrastructure, common amenities, water, electricity, transport, medical facilities, and security of the country. No one should therefore evade taxes or our responsibilities to the country for the common good. A conscientious objection is only possible when the government imposes laws that violate God’s commandment and moral principles. But beyond such basic legitimate dissent, every Christian must be a good and model citizen. St Peter advised, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Pt 2:13,17) So whilst there is a distinction between State and religion, all eventually are under the authority of God and are subjected to Him, for He is the Lord of all in life and in death.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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