Memorial
of St. Justin, martyr
(Tobit 2:9-14;
Mark:12:13-17)
St. Justin
Martyr would have approved Jesus’ reply to his adversaries’ question in today’s
gospel. Justin himself had to defend the
Christian faith against severe critics.
He no doubt often used Jesus’ method of leaving open the possibility
that the faith response is right.
Jesus never
declares the temple tax legitimate or illegitimate. He puts his questioners on the defensive with
the challenge to pay to God and to Caesar their respective dues. They will have to determine if the temple tax
and whatever else becomes an issue belongs rightly to Caesar, i.e., the
government.
In his answer Jesus seems to put Caesar on the same plateau as God. This equalization requires a comment. Since God is the source of all that we have and are, we owe everything to Him. We meet this debt by giving each person in our lives his or her due. In other words, when we pay workers a just wage, we give God His recompense. When we pray, however, we treat God as an individual, not very differently than we would entreat another person. Yet God is completely self-sufficient with no need of our prayers. As St. Augustine observed, God is even aware of our needs before we are. Jesus taught us to see and address God as our Father so that we might begin to understand His love for each of us.
