29th Sunday Ordinary Time - October 22th, 2023 (Click Here for Readings)

In this Sunday’s readings, Jesus and Isaiah both wanted to assure their listeners that there is only one God; almighty, powerful and in complete control of all on earth.

To some of the Israelites however, the thought of the pagan King Cyrus being proclaimed by Isaiah as God’s anointed and a type of messiah to shepherd them out of Babylon back to their homeland was difficult to accept.

To tell the Israelites that "their God" was now anointing a pagan king whose ancestors were worshipers of multiple gods was extreme and a huge personal risk for Isaiah, but he was compelled to take it.

Though Cyrus did not see God as the real prompting of his decision to act in the Israelites’ behalf, God can often use people who don’t know him to do his work.

The Israelites' lack of seeing God's supremacy in his actions, and their parochial attitude as his chosen people prevented them from seeing God’s plan for them as one of many nations to be saved by grace and not by ethnicity. 

In the Gospel, Jesus also awakened the Pharisees and Herodians to the supremacy of God over the smallness of Caesar by saying in essence, give the smaller master back his due and get on with your life of giving more importantly to your one and only greater Master.

With us today, one of the best ways to “give to God what belongs to God” is to give to his children in need in the form of love and service.

And when we need to pay our modern-day Caesars, we’re in reality giving back to God as well because what seemingly belongs to them actually belongs to God in the first place anyway.

Regardless of whose image is on a coin or bill, when we comply with them, we’re also complying with our God who appointed them.

Neither Cyrus, Caeser nor any of our authorities on earth today would have any of their power if it were not given to them by God. And whether they use their power in sinfulness or righteousness, Jesus died to redeem them all.

So let us pray for all of our authorities; in government, our workplaces and our churches, knowing that when we serve them, we are in reality serving God.

As St. Paul thanked the Thessalonians for their work of faith, labor of love and hope on our Lord Jesus, let us also do our work this way and be thanked by our God as well.

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