Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5; Matthew 22:15-21
Grace and peace to you, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. Today is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. It is also Mission Sunday.
Our reflection will be based on the readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but I will end by connecting today’s message to our mission as Christians.
We have an awful lot to learn from today’s Gospel. Three years ago, I preached about the malice of conspiracy, the danger of careless words, the danger of flattery, the gift of discernment, and what it means to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
Today, I want to focus on three messages:
I. Beware of temptation
II. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s
III. Give to God what is God’s
I. BEWARE OF TEMPTATION – WORK ON YOUR WEAKNESSES
We are told in today’s Gospel that the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle Jesus in His words. Take note of the words, “in His words.” They wanted to use Jesus’ answer against Him. Temptation often works in a similar way: it finds a weakness or vulnerable moment and tries to draw us away from God.
I would like to mention three areas in which we are often tempted and need to be careful.
1. Our words
We face daily temptations to lie, boast, make hasty promises, speak angrily, swear, gossip, slander, insult, blaspheme or joke carelessly. Our words can build people up, but they can also wound, mislead and destroy.
Perhaps we should pray with the Psalmist: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Let us be careful with our words and not use our mouths carelessly. Jesus reminds us that we will have to answer for careless words (Matthew 12:36).
2. Our self-control
We are tempted through our temper, especially through anger. We are also tempted through our appetites for food and drink, and through the desire to consume more than we need. We face temptations in our sexual desires, too, when we seek to gratify them in ways that are sinful or contrary to God’s plan.
Self-control does not mean pretending that we have no desires. It means asking God to help us govern them, rather than allowing them to govern us.
3. Our pride
Pride is the desire to look better or greater than others, to be praised and honoured, or to appear more successful. It can lead to envy when we see others thriving and anger when our ego feels undermined. It can drive us to seek power, wealth, possessions and titles so that we feel superior or among the privileged.
We must ask ourselves: Am I seeking these things for a good purpose, or because I want to be admired and placed above others? All these things, when they become the measure of our worth, are vanity.
These are three areas in which we need to be careful. In them, we face daily temptations to sin, to be unfaithful to God and to compromise righteousness. We should not be ashamed to recognise our weaknesses. We should bring them to God, seek His grace, and take practical steps to avoid the occasions that lead us into sin.
II. GIVE TO CAESAR WHAT BELONGS TO CAESAR
Jesus did not fall into the trap set for Him. The flattery did not work. His opponents wanted an answer that would either set Him against the people or place Him in conflict with the Roman authorities. Jesus gave an answer that has become one of His most widely quoted, and often misquoted, sayings: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.”
One implication of this statement is that Christians should respect legitimate authorities and obey just laws. We are not excused from our civic responsibilities because we are Christians. We are called to be good citizens and to contribute to the common good.
The Church teaches that civil authority should serve the common good. It also teaches that a person is not bound in conscience to obey a directive that is contrary to the moral order, the fundamental rights of persons or the Gospel.
This means we should:
1. Love our leaders and pray for them
We may not like every decision our leaders make, and we may disagree with their policies. We can express criticism, but we should do so truthfully and in charity. We must not allow disagreement to become hatred or contempt. Above all, we have an obligation to pray for those who govern us.
The First Reading is an eye-opener. God says that He chose and anointed Cyrus, a pagan ruler. God strengthened him and made him an instrument for fulfilling His purpose. Cyrus had authority, but his authority came from God. Let us pray for our leaders, that they may seek wisdom, serve the common good and fulfil the good purpose for which they have been entrusted with responsibility.
2. Obey just laws in the different areas of life
There are laws and regulations that help society live in an orderly and safe way. As citizens, we are expected to obey just laws in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.
– Road and traffic laws: We should obey speed limits, traffic signals, parking rules and laws against driving under the influence. These rules protect our lives and the lives of others.
– Tax and financial laws: We should pay the taxes we owe, keep proper records and make truthful declarations of our income. We should not hide income, make false claims or misuse public funds.
– Criminal and public safety laws: We must not steal, assault, defraud, threaten or exploit others. We should respect the rights and safety of our neighbours and cooperate with lawful efforts to protect the public.
– Business and consumer laws: Those who run businesses should deal honestly with customers, workers and suppliers, honour agreements, and avoid fraud or exploitation. We should not sell unsafe goods, misrepresent what we are offering or take advantage of people who are vulnerable.
– Employment laws: Employers and employees should respect their obligations. Employers should treat workers fairly and provide the protections required by law. Employees should work honestly, respect agreed duties and not misuse the property or time entrusted to them.
– Family and safeguarding laws: We must respect the rights and safety of children and vulnerable people. Parents, carers and those entrusted with responsibility must act for their protection and wellbeing.
– Immigration and residency laws: Those living, working or travelling in a country should respect its lawful requirements, including the conditions attached to visas and residence.
– Public health and environmental laws: We should follow reasonable safety requirements and avoid actions that needlessly endanger others or damage the environment that we share.
These are only some examples. The details differ from one country to another, and not every regulation will apply to every person. But the principle is clear: we should not treat the law as something to obey only when we fear being caught. We obey just laws because honesty, responsibility and concern for others are part of Christian life.
3. Be honest citizens
We must not be dubious citizens who cheat the state by claiming benefits falsely, making false declarations of income, lying about our status to gain an advantage or engaging in other dishonest activities.
Sometimes we call dishonesty “being smart” or “knowing how to manage the system.” But many things that people call cleverness in this world are foolishness before God. We may escape civil justice, but we cannot escape God’s judgement. Each of us will have to give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12).
We should therefore ask not only, “Can I get away with this?” but also, can I present or defend this action before God?”
III. GIVE TO GOD WHAT BELONGS TO GOD
This is very important because sometimes we give to Caesar what belongs to God. We give to other people what belongs to God. Jesus’ words also set a limit: Caesar is not entitled to everything. We should give him what is his, but we must give God what is God’s.
There are things that belong to God alone. Many of our disappointments in life come from giving others what we should give to God, or expecting from others what only God can give.
1. Love above all things
We are called to love God above all things. We can love our family, friends and neighbours deeply, but no person should take God’s place in our hearts. God is the source of our life and the one in whom our deepest hope and happiness rest.
Whenever we love any Caesar more than God, or allow another person to become the ultimate source of our happiness and the measure of our worth, we are on a dangerous path.
2. Glory
God uses people to help and bless us, and He uses us to help and bless others. We should praise and appreciate people for the good they do. But we must always remember that God is the ultimate source of every blessing we receive and every good we are able to give.
The First Reading reminds us that Cyrus helped bring about the return of God’s people from exile, but God was at work through him. Cyrus did well, but the glory ultimately belongs to God. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).
The Psalm tells us to ascribe glory and power to God. In the Second Reading, after praising the Thessalonians for their work of faith and labour of love, St. Paul gives glory to God, who chose them.
If we cannot look beyond people to God, who is at work through them, we risk turning them into idols and giving to Caesar the worship and glory that belong to God.
3. Our ultimate trust and confidence
We should trust people appropriately and be grateful for those who are faithful to us. But no fallible human being should receive the absolute trust that belongs to God alone. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Psalm 118:8).
This does not mean that no one is good or trustworthy. It means that even the best of us is fallible. Only God is perfect, ever faithful and completely trustworthy. People may disappoint us, sometimes without intending to, but God remains faithful.
4. Our ultimate obedience and loyalty
We should obey our parents and respect those entrusted with spiritual and civil authority. In marriage, husbands and wives are called to love and serve one another. But no human authority is above God.
Our obedience to God must come first: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). If anyone asks us to do something that violates the moral law, harms another person or requires us to disobey God, we must not do it.
5. The final judgement of our lives
We should not give other people the power to make the final judgement about our worth or our future. People may offer opinions, advice, encouragement or correction, and sometimes we need to listen carefully. But their opinions do not have the final word about who we are.
Many people have allowed the judgement of others to destroy their happiness, affect their sense of worth, limit their vision and dictate their dreams. We are who God says we are. Our deepest identity and hope come from our Creator.
MISSION SUNDAY
Today is Mission Sunday. We pray for all missionaries and for all those who have dedicated themselves to God; for all who have heard God’s call and responded, like Cyrus in today’s First Reading and St. Paul in the Second Reading.
We pray for all those who spread the faith wherever God sends them, especially those serving in difficult places. May they be strengthened, empowered and rewarded for their service to God and humanity.
Let us also pray that each of us may understand that we belong to God and carry His image. He has called us to be missionaries wherever we are: in our families, workplaces, schools, communities and friendships.
We are called to share the Good News with the world: the Good News of God’s mercy and love for everyone, and the Good News of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. We do this not only through our words, but also through lives marked by honesty, justice, compassion, courage and faithfulness.
May we give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on October 18, 2026