Word of Life

October 2005

Everything belongs to God. If we understand this properly, it will inspire us to work for the good of the community in every way we can.

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. (Matt. 22: 21)

These decisive words direct and focus our lives in God; and with the light and strength that come from this, they launch us into serving humanity.

With these words Jesus replies to a question posed by a group of Pharisees and some of Herod’s men: were they obliged to pay taxes to the occupying Roman power? This was a trap. If Jesus had answered yes, the Pharisees would have accused him of collaborating with the enemy and he would have lost the trust of the people. If he had answered no, then the Herodians, who worked with the Roman authorities, would have said that he was subversive and accused him of being a political agitator.

So Jesus asked them to show him one of the silver coins used to pay taxes and to tell him whose image and title was on it. They answered that it was the Emperor’s. If it is the Emperor’s, Jesus said, then give the Emperor what is his. He thus recognized the value of civil authority and institutions.

But his answer goes far beyond this, showing what really matters: giving to God what is already his. Just as the image of the Emperor is on the Roman coin, so too the image of God has been imprinted on the heart of every person. He created us in his image and likeness! (See Gen 1: 26) We belong to him and must return to him. To him alone must go the total and exclusive tribute of our selves. What matters most is not the payment of taxes due to the Roman Emperor, but giving our own lives and our own hearts to God.

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

How should we live this Word of Life?

We should renew our respect for civic affairs, our sense of responsibility for and our commitment to them, by obeying the law, protecting life, and maintaining the safety and order of society’s structures - public buildings, roads, means of transport and so on.

We do this by offering our active, critical and clear contribution of ideas, proposals and suggestions to improve our neighbourhood, town and nation, without merely being passive. We do it also by taking on voluntary work in social and healthcare organisations. We do it by improving the quality of our own work. Doing our tasks with competence and love we can truly serve Jesus in our brothers and sisters, so that both the State and society may respond to God’s plan for humanity and be completely at the service of the human person.

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

Andrea Ferrari was a cashier in Milan who lived this Word of Life in the bank where he worked. He once wrote, ‘Every morning, just a few minutes before 8.30, I walk into work, clock on and my day begins. It’s an odd sort of job; I’m always coming and going, up and down the stairs, waiting in front of closed doors, bringing and fetching forms - and I’ve been doing it for years now. If I keep on loving, even when things go wrong and letters have to be written three times, I will have done all my part, because I am sure that Jesus put me here.’

‘I am a cashier,’ he would say with simplicity to Jesus, ‘and I want to serve you as a cashier. This is my life, Lord and I want it all to become Love!’
One day an elderly lady, who always felt that Andrea treated her as ‘someone’, not as an anonymous client, came to the counter. Not knowing how to thank him, she brought him a bag of eggs!

Then, at thirty-one years of age, Andrea lay dying in a hospital in Turin, as a result of a road accident. ‘Am I to die like this, all alone, without seeing anyone?’ The nun nursing him replied that he should accept the will of God. On hearing these words, Andrea brightened and smiled. ‘We have learned to recognise God’s will always, as our ideal, even in small things,’ he said, winking with his usual wit, ‘even in front of a traffic light.’

He had obeyed God, and in this obedience of love he went to God

Chiara Lubich