Holy Apostle Thaddeus; Holy Martyr Bassa (c. 305)
1 Corinthians 2:6-9; Matthew 22:15-22
Post-feast of the Dormition
Read Matthew 22:15-22
When I was young, I used to have a coin collection featuring coins from around the world, as well as special commemorative coins marking various occasions. Have you ever been to a mint and seen the process of stamping coins? No matter how diverse our cultures around the world are, we always wind up needing some form of currency!
Our Lord’s time was no different. The Jewish people needed to pay the census to Caesar for the privilege of having their land taken away by the Romans! You can imaging the difficultly Christ is in in responding to the trick question posed to Him in the gospel today: either insurrection or rejection by His own oppressed brethren.
But our Lord’s answer cuts deeper even than this political and ethnic divide. The truth of the matter is that we are all uniquely “minted” in God’s image and likeness. Our patriotic responsibilities might lay in a particular country, but our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. We might belong to many groups or organizations, but we are always the Lord’s first.
Take some time today to examine your life. Are there times that you have sacrificed the immense dignity you have as belonging to God, for worldly substitutes? As we approach this new liturgical year, recommit yourself to growing in God’s likeness by keeping your eyes fixed on His image in Christ!