ACC ~ Matthew 22 v15 - 22

OVERVIEW:

The Pharisees went off and took counsel together on how to trap Jesus in conversation. Whenever someone wishes to close off a stream of running water, force alone bursts through another path from some new direction. So it was with the evil planning of these men. When cut off in one direction, they simply sought another opening. The Caesar’s coin is gold; that of God, humanity. Caesar is seen in his currency; God, however, is known through human beings. And so give your wealth to Caesar but reserve for God the innocence of your conscience, where God is met and beheld. For the hand of Caesar has crafted an image by likenesses and lives each year by renewable decree. However, the divine hand of God has shown his image in the virtues. It is with such inscriptions that God imprints his coins. For Caesar required his image on every coin, but God has chosen the human personality, whom he has created in love, to reflect his glory (INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW). The passion of hypocrisy is to hide hostility beneath flattery. Paying taxes to Caesar does not prevent one from serving God (SEVERUS).

22:15 | The Pharisees Try to Entangle Jesus

THE PHARISEES PLANNED HOW TO ENTANGLE HIM

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: The truth frequently confounds every evil intention but without the intention being thereby reformed. This is especially true of those who intentionally sin by malice rather than out of ignorance. For example, the priests of the old covenant were unable to intimidate the Lord when they asked him, “By what authority do you do these things?” [1] And after the force of his parables further frustrated them, they passed judgment on themselves by saying, “He will utterly destroy those wretches.” [2] Since no one bore witness against them, it had to have been their conscience alone which caused them to say this. Yet certainly the fear of sin didn’t prick their conscience. Nor did the thought of freedom from sin restrain them. What was it, then? “They went out and planned how to catch him in his words.” If anyone attempts to shut off a stream of running water by erecting some sort of blockade, the water will burst through and create a new path in another direction. Similarly the priests’ frustrated evil intentions discovered other avenues for themselves. HOMILY 42. [3]

[1] Mt 21:23.

[2] Mt 21:41.

[3] PG 56:866.

22:16 | Teaching the Way of God

THEY SENT THEIR DISCIPLES

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: These same Pharisees, hoping to eliminate Christ, accordingly brought him not before the servants of God or truly religious men but before the secularized Herodians, the Gentiles. [1] Such was their plan, and such were the planners. But who had the power to take counsel against Christ, except the devil, the adversary of Christ?

The priests viewed themselves as patterns of the messianic hope. Yet if they went out alone, questioning Christ, no one would believe them. Everyone would know that the Pharisees were Christ’s enemy. He had already spoken to the question of whether it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar.

So they joined to their party the Herodians. The witness of enemies is always judged carefully, especially if it is true, since what is suspicious is judged doubly. The Pharisees did not wish to question Christ through the Herodians. But they had a common enemy, Christ. Both parties held Christ in great suspicion. Yet each, being suspect themselves, were afraid that they might not be able to indict Christ. An enemy in the open is far better than one hidden from view. For while the first may be feared, he is easily dealt with. The second, since he is unknown, may prevail. Therefore they sent him disciples, as if still less known and less suspect, so that they might deceive him easily and stealthily, or, if caught, they would at least embarrass themselves less. HOMILY 42. [2]

[1] In reality the partisans of King Herod were also Jews, but since the race of Herod is from Idumaea, the author thinks of his supporters as pagans as well.

[2] PG 56:866-67.

TEACHER, WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE TRUE

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: They called him teacher, and truly he was. Yet they were only pretending that he was a teacher, one honored and praised. They pretended that he would simply open to them the ministry of his heart, as if they wanted to be his disciples. This is the first power of hypocrites, to simulate praise. They praise those whom they want to destroy. Their art is to incline human hearts toward simplicity of a kind confession through the delight of praise. They take small steps, a little at a time. HOMILY 42. [1]

[1] PG 56:867.

YOU TEACH THE WAY OF GOD TRUTHFULLY

SEVERUS: Jesus’ opponents expect that one of two outcomes must result for them from Jesus’ response. They think they can show clearly that Jesus was acting wrongly against the law of Moses or against the power of the Romans. “Indeed, if he responds that it is necessary for us to pay the tribute,” the Pharisees will necessarily slander him alongside those who obey the Romans, saying, “He is guiding us outside the law of Moses away from the service of God. He is leading us to a foreign power and a foreign race.” That is indeed why Luke says, “They could not catch him at fault in his teaching before the people.” [1] For it is publicly, that is to say, in the midst of the people, that they are questioning him, in order to set the people against him. And if he does not permit the tax to be paid, the Herodians will immediately lay their hands on him as on one who does not submit to the Roman authorities.

Observe what is the passion of hypocrisy, how it has hidden all the hostility and the homicidal thought of the Jews beneath flattery’s vile veil, and how those who hate involuntarily honor as they attempt to cause a death. Indeed, those who were saying, “We are the disciples of Moses, but we don’t know where that one is from” [2] call him “Master.” Those who were calling him a “deceiver” and “seducer” say, “We know that you are truthful.” Those who were doing their best to resist with jealousy and with ignorance, saying, “This man does not come from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath” and “he has a demon” [3] witness that he teaches the way of God in all truth. CATHEDRAL SERMONS, HOMILY 104. [4]

[1] Cf. Lk 20:26.

[2] Jn 9:28-29.

[3] Mt 12.

[4] PO 25:634-35.

22:17-19 | Why Put Me to the Test?

WHOSE LIKENESS IS THIS?

SEVERUS: What then does the Wisdom and the Word of God do? Jesus allows all their passion to appear for all to see, without them taking back the words they were speaking to no purpose. And like a skillful physician, he then lances their passion with a deep incision, when he cut with the first word. “Why are you testing me, hypocrites?” And after having shown by a reproach that the skin of deceitful hypocrisy was dead, it is gently, and to speak this way, insensibly and tranquilly that he nipped like the web of a spider their inescapable question. Indeed, he said, “Show me a denarius for the tax.” And they presented a coin. And he said to them, “This image and this inscription concern whom?” They said to him, “Caesar.” Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” “If the coin is Caesar’s,” Jesus says, “because that is what you have said—it is necessary to give it to Caesar himself.”

“What then! You permit us to serve a man, and not god? And how is this not a violation of the law?” It will amount to nothing. Indeed, the act of giving tax to Caesar does not prevent the service of God, although you would like to think so. This is why it is necessary for you to give to God equally what is God’s, in such a manner that if what is Caesar’s is kept for the service of God, it is necessary that God be preferred to him. If you remain a tributary of Caesar, you should attribute this to your sins, not to God. In the same way, Paul similarly applies himself to the same distinction. In sending a letter to the Romans he wrote, “Pay to the world, therefore, what is due to the world; to those you owe taxes, taxes; to those you owe tribute, tribute.” [1] CATHEDRAL SERMONS, HOMILY 104. [2]

[1] Rom 13:7.

[2] PO 25:636-37.

22:20-22 | Render to Caesar the Things That Are Caesar’s

THE IMAGE OF GOD

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: The image of God is not depicted on gold but is imaged in humanity. The coin of Caesar is gold; that of God, humanity. Caesar is seen in his currency; God, however, is known through human beings. And so give your wealth to Caesar but reserve for God the sole innocence of your conscience, where God is beheld. For the hand of Caesar has crafted an image by likenesses and lives each year by renewable decree. However, the divine hand of God has shown his image in ten points.

What ten points? From five carnal ones and five spiritual ones [1] through which we see and understand what things are useful under God’s image. So let us always reflect the image of God in these ways:

I do not swell up with the arrogance of pride;

nor do I droop with the blush of anger;

nor do I succumb to the passion of avarice;

nor do I surrender myself to the ravishes of gluttony;

nor do I infect myself with the duplicity of hypocrisy;

nor do I contaminate myself with the filth of rioting;

nor do I grow flippant with the pretension of conceit;

nor do I grow enamored of the burden of heavy drinking;

nor do I alienate by the dissension of mutual admiration;

nor do I infect others with the biting of detraction;

nor do I grow conceited with the vanity of gossip.

Rather, instead, I will reflect the image of

God in that I feed on love;

grow certain on faith and hope;

strengthen myself on the virtue of patience;

grow tranquil by humility;

grow beautiful by chastity;

am sober by abstention;

am made happy by tranquility;

and am ready for death by practicing hospitality.

It is with such inscriptions that God imprints his coins with an impression made neither by hammer nor by chisel but has formed them with his primary divine intention. For Caesar required his image on every coin, but God has chosen man, whom he has created, to reflect his glory. HOMILY 42. [2]

[1] If human nature is interpreted on the basis of Platonic dualism, the intelligible (spiritual) corresponds to the sensate (corporeal), and consequently the five spiritual senses to the five corporeal senses. The topic of the spiritual senses was much discussed by the mystical doctrine of Origen.

[2] PG 56:867-68.