HOW VALUABLE ARE YOU?

TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Is.45: 1, 4 -6; Ps. 96; 1 Thess.1: 1-5b; Mt. 22: 15 – 21, Cycle A

Coins have become insignificant today. When we save, we keep the bills and give away the coins to waiters in restaurants, street children and beggars on the streets, and even to collektoras during the Mass. What’s in a coin? It’s nothing but a heavy metal with a small value.

However, for archaeologists, coins found in an archaeological site are very important. Inscribed on these coins are images and names of emperors and rulers of old. Thus, through these discovered coins, archaeologists can date the time of the archaeological site. That’s how valuable coins are!

In our Gospel today, we heard of the Roman coin on which the image and name of Emperor Caesar was inscribed. Hence, we can say that the people during the time of Jesus were under Roman rule. When Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God,” he was not giving them a lecture on separation of Church and state. Rather, he was simply telling them that at the end of the day, after having followed the laws of the land, everything still comes from and belongs to God!

And this is what happened to King Cyrus in our first reading today. After defeating the Babylonians and making all kings run under his service, God revealed to him that it was “he and there is no other, who arm you, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun, people may know that there in none besides me.” No matter how strong Cyrus was, every strength that he has comes from God.

Let this be our reminder today: all that we have, and all that we are comes from God! As St. Francis puts it, “Everything comes from God, what we can claim as our own is our sinfulness.” St. Peter in his first letter reminds us that “as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” We are only stewards and not owners.

Since everything belongs to God, what then are we to do? St. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians admired the Christian community for three things: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your WORK OF FAITH, and LABOR OF LOVE, and ENDURANCE IN HOPE of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like a coin that is marked by the emperor of the land, the Christian community of Thessalonika was marked not by rulers but by FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE!

This is therefore our response to God’s generosity, that we mark ourselves with faith, hope, and love!

Since everything belongs to God, then let us keep that spark of faith glowing amidst the darkness of our journey!

Since everything belongs to God, then let us continue to love the unloved and unlovable!

Since everything belongs to God, then let us persevere amidst the sufferings of the world for we have been saved by hope!

A coin becomes valuable depending on its inscription. If an image of a monkey is inscribed on it, then you would naturally let go of it. But if it is marked by the official logo or the name of the President, then it has a value. The same is true with our Christian life! We only become valuable if we acknowledge God as the source of everything and mark ourselves with faith, hope, and love.

And so the question is, “How valuable are you?”