20/10/2002 – 29th. Sunday Ordinary Season- Year A /// www.cinquepani.it

“Even if you don’t know me…”. Thus God addresses King Cyrus, who was keeping under his rule the people of Israel, exiled in his territories. Even if you don’t know me! God is the Almighty, and His power extends and is realized even outside and above those who know Him and accept Him! Even though you might not want to obey God, He remains your God! Even though you might not know Him, He might use you, He uses your choices to realize His plans! How many times it happened through the centuries! And even now it’s the same way. Many of the big ones of this world, those who command and decide, even though they might think that they are the ones who are leading the fate of the peoples, in truth they are at the disposition of God’s projects! God uses them for His projects at a long distance, even in events that at first sight might make the poor suffer.

This is not only for the works of the big ones, it is also true for me. I am not to think that I’m free from doing anything, on the contrary I need to know the Father’s will to do and to participate in His love for all!

The prophet Isaiah speak of Cyrus to the people of Israel and declares him as “called by name” by God,  and object of His kindness: “I will render you fast in your doing even though you dont know me!” God wants to make His people understand that He can intervene using even others to do good to other peoples.

With this the prophet wants to help us understand Jesus’ attitude.

In fact, today’s Gospel presents to us Jesus surrounded by the Pharisees and the Herodians, rappresentatives of two inimical poliitical parties, but both in want and ready to put Him to death because His faithfulness to God and His meekness were against their way of doing things and their presumption. They, to be able to accuse and condemn Him, were sure that they were going to find Him in error, making Him saying something against Ceasar, the emperor who with heavy taxes was holding the people in pain and rebellion. After a flattering introduction of words, they ask: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Ceasar or not?”  If Jesus had to answer yes,  He would have been in direct opposition with the Pharisees who retained the emperor of Rome as an intruder, as the one who was putting himself in the place of the true God; if on the other hand, He would have answered no, He would have found the indignation of the party of Herod, a friend, or better, a person dominated by Rome.

Their malice was clear to Jesus who was sure of having a defender, the Father. Thus says the Psalm: “Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Hence the Master gives that answer that became famous for its wisdom and...why not?, shrewdness! Now nobody can accuse Him. He didnt stop to look at the one who reigns on earth, but helped His listeners to set their hearts on Him who reigns from on heaven. If you give God what pertains to Him, you give Him your life, your time, your strength, all your heart. It’s then that you can recognize also in the one who reigns on earth an instrument of wisdom and omnipotence of God, that as He knew how to use Cyrus, He can use also the emperor of Rome, and, inspite of his ignorance, make him an instrument of His Reign!

Rightly, from Jesus’ answer we receive the necessary meekness and power to pay taxes and respect the people that govern us, even though sometimes they dont know God and are not respectful to His will! From His answer we are directed not to forget our duty of gratitude to the Father for our lives and for calling us to eternal life.

St. Paul gives us an example of how to keep focused on the principle issues, on what keeps us busy to “give God what pertains to God”: work of faith, labour of love, steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ: This commitment is the fruit of the Gospel preached, but also of the action of the Holy Spirit and the matured convictions in comparison with the Word of God.

Father, help us to be attentive to you, ready to answer back your love with our love. Thus we shall be free among men, and able to appreciate their work with You for your Reign!