29TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME HOMILY YEAR A 2026
WHAT ABOUT TAX AND CHURCH AND STATE??
Mt 22.15-21 Is 45.1,4-6 1Thess 1.1-5
Today, I begin with a quote from Julie Ottobre (Bachelor of Theology), friend and former parishioner at Holy Saviour Parish, North Glen Waverley, where I was once a seminarian on pastoral placement for service in 1977, and then parish priest later from 1993 to 1998. In a letter to ‘The Age’ this weekend, she states: “I have always been proud to call myself Australian, and to live in a country that prides itself on respecting societal values, which include respect for individuals, equal opportunity, democracy and a fair go. Now, I read about the One Nation candidate for Melbourne who has a history of promoting far-right rhetoric about waging religious wars against Muslims, uses misogynistic language and spreads COVID-19 conspiracy theories. What’s happening to our country when we allow such outrageous behaviour to be forefront as a possible parliamentary voice? Freedom of speech is also a core Australian value, but surely, freedom of speech should be one that builds, not destroys.”
Then Anglican Bishop Philip Huggins from Point Lonsdale follows up: “It’s a terrible choice to choose violence over peacemaking. All we can do is encourage people to think, speak and act in ways that are kind, never cruel. We have this freedom to make choices that only heal and never harm. As is conveyed in places of spiritual practice, do unto others what we would have them do to us. (A universal principal in all mainstream faith traditions). Under no circumstances do anything else.”
In contrast, in the disunited USA, there’s yet another school shooting, with 5 dead, including 3 children and a teacher. Meanwhile, there was a proposal to livestream an execution, now thankfully withdrawn, and an obscene, grossly insensitive and bad taste, wrestle with a tiger on social media, just after a man had been killed by a tiger in the UK. Not to forget the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran, and the devastation and suffering in Gaza and elsewhere, now somewhere in the background. It’s a sad state of affairs in the world at present, and not easy to see hope. Yet, the Gospel remains our core message and provides the values we should strive to live by, despite the darkness we see around us at present.
It’s a world with which we must engage, and make an effort to shine some light into the darkness, through the way we live our lives, and work towards making our society a just and fair place for all, and engage in a multicultural, not a stifling and narrow monocultural society.
This, to my mind, leads to the question Jesus addresses today, that of taxation. While it’s firstly the Pharisees who ask the question, in order to try to trap him, or, as one translation says: “to entangle him in his talk”, Jesus has no problem in pointing to the separation of religion or church and state, as we would understand it. He gives no recognition to the deluded supposed divinity of Emperor Augustus, but acknowledges the right of the ruling state to be supported for the purpose of providing services for all, even though social security was not part of the consciousness back then. It might be presumed that family support for all be provided for the oldies, and those in need, although it would also be certain that some, afflicted with disease or poverty, fell through the cracks.
As Monty Python reminds us, the Romans did a lot of positive things throughout the empire, much for the good of the local people: “the aqueduct and sanitation, roads and irrigation, medicine and education, wine, public baths, order and peace”. Not a bad effort, you’d have to admit! So, it is evident that tax was not just a means of extortion to feather the nests of the emperor and wealthy aristocrats of Rome, but used to improve the lives of the locals as well. In addition, it would appear the Romans were respectful and tolerant of local customs and religious observance, generally speaking. At the same time, this is not to say the military control was not sometimes ruthless and brutal, but not all was bad! We can’t forget the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, can we?!
Ultimately, Jesus’ focus is on the here and now, with both social and spiritual dimensions of life. The further questions to be asked relate to resurrection from the dead, asked by the sad sack Sadducees, and then the lawyer asking about the greatest commandment, which, of course, amounts to love of God, necessarily linked with love of neighbour, the law and the prophets having their place, but subservient to the primary commandment of love.
Brendan Byrne SJ has an insight worth quoting too: “If Jesus supports the payment of the highly unpopular poll tax, he will lose standing with the people. If he rejects payment, he runs the risk of being identified with groups (such as those later known as the Zealots), who were in more or less perpetual rebellion against Rome, and so of appearing as a significant threat to peace and public order… Certainly he distanced himself from the kind of Zealot fundamentalism that required absolute theocracy in the name of God – a religious attitude all too resurgent in our world today. His followers , especially as portrayed by Luke (Gospel and Acts), would commend a peaceful and loyal existence within the Roman Empire so long as allegiance to Christ Jesus and the Rule of God had priority (Acts 5.29). The later Christian sense of the separation of Church and State has its origins here, along with the recognition that believers have responsibilities in both realms that oblige in conscience before God.”
As Paul commences his letter today (thought to be the earliest document in the NT), commending the Thessalonians and how they “have shown (their) faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s a practical reminder to me and you too.
We often hear and can make complaints about our own society and its government, but, for all of us, our Christian and social responsibility is to support justice and peace, and a fair go for all. These are clearly fundamental Gospel values, proclaimed by Jesus in word and deed, and who expects his followers, like you and me, to do likewise.
john hannon 18th October 2026