"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's" has been for centuries the Christian guideline for communal living in a world that finds them strange and alien. We "give to Caesar" so long as obedience to him does not mean disobedience to God who alone deserves our total commitment. The original context of the saying is found in Matthew 22:15-22, the gospel reading for the 29th Sunday OT A. Read this article and use the following for your reflection.
1. Cerezo has a nice illustration for Matthew 22:15-22. Click on the small picture below to see the full details. Observe the image and identify the people depicted. What idea does Cerezo bring across?
2. Theophilos of Antioch in an apology expressed the Christian conviction regarding obedience to civil authorities. He said
I will honor the Emperor. I will not worship him, but I will pray for him. Only the kingly God, the true God I will adore knowing that the emperor was made by him. Certainly you will ask me: why don't you adore the Emperor? Because he was not made to be adored but to be honored with obedience to the law. He is not God but a human being that God has constituted not to be worshipped but to function as a just judge. In a certain sense, God has entrusted to him administration. And even he does not wish that anyone who is subordinate to him be called Emperor. "Emperor" is his name and no one can be called legitimately by that name. In the same way, adoration is only for God. Therefore O Man, you are trully mistaken. Honor the emperor, loving him, obeying him, praying for him. Doing thus, you do the will of god. In fact, the Divine Law says: "Son, honor God and the emperor and do not be disobedient to one or the other. They immediately punish their enemies (Prov. 24:21)" (For references see this article)
Reflect: In the light of the above quotation, how do you understand Jesus' saying "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's"
And what does both Theophilos' quotation and the Gospel passage say to you about the current controversy regarding the bill that seeks to legalize contraception?
