They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to [Jesus] to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone's opinion. You do not regard a person's status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?" Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at." They brought one to him and he said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They replied to him, "Caesar's." So Jesus said to them, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." They were utterly amazed at him. 

Aristotle once wrote that the main concern of politics was "to engender a certain character in the citizens and to make them good and disposed to perform noble actions." To accomplish such a goal demands knowledge of the truth which in turn plays an essential part in service to others. The only name the movie uses for the person assigned to help write Adam Lang's autobiography is the name of the movie, "The Ghost Writer." Although the writer seems very naive in his approach to life as he begins his task he immediately finds a problem with the truth. Adam Lang, the former prime minister of Great Britain, made friends and enemies in his life. He had encountered a number of people in his career, some of whom were searching for the same truth he was. But there were some--with sinister motives--who followed their own interests, and used Lang's office and popularity with their own purposes in mind.            

The people who interacted with Jesus in his lifetime were often sinister in their motivation. They used the fact that he was interested in truth in order to try to trick him. But because Jesus was not into playing mental games with them, he would answer quite directly and to the point. In the instance of this Gospel reading, he told them that they must always search for the truth--whether the truth dealt with secular society like paying taxes or the spiritual kingdom that he was establishing. What was important was the truth. The truth should be a guide as we operate in the world.

In mystery stories, the truth of what truly happened is the guide to making them interesting. It seems in the movie "The Ghost Writer" that the truth of what happened in Adam Lang's past was not known even by Adam Lang himself. The ghost writer saw that he had to discover the truth without Adam Lang's help, and such was his task as he began his ghost writing for the autobiography of the ex-prime minister of Great Britain.

Jesus gives us the principle that the truth should always be our ultimate guide. It means very simply that truth will guide everything we do. It will dictate how we act as we work "with Caesar" in our world of work and play, and it will direct our actions as we work "with God." The truth will be the ultimate guide for a Christian at every moment in every circumstance.  

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son pointed out to us the importance of seeking the truth in whatever circumstance. Help us always choose the truth as our guide and never be dishonest in our dealings with you or with others. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America