Total Gift, Total Belonging

Message from Fr. Jose Koluthara, CMI

“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but give to God what is God’s” (Mt 22:21). Traditionally, this text has been cited to support the concept of separation of church and state. This text has prompted many discussions and much controversy as to the extent of the church’s involvement in the political process. This text has been favourably used to highlight the responsibilities Christians have to be salt and light and leaven in the world. The challenge is maintaining one’s equilibrium without absenting oneself from any aspect of the human experience. Here the role model is Jesus himself who engaged and sanctified the secular world by the sacredness of his presence and involvement. Jesus remains to teach and guide, prompting us to similar transforming involvement with all the created universe.

Less traditional but more popular over the last several decades has been the appreciation of this text to the Christian duty of stewardship. Beleaguered pastors or financial administrators may seize on Jesus’ words as an opportunity to press for money. Caesar, i.e. the state, may tax the cheque book or bank account, they may plead, but let us not forget the tithe that is rightly God’s.

“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” was indeed a challenge requiring an occupied populace to pay tribute to their occupiers. Nevertheless, it is Jesus second exhortation, “Give to God what is God’s” that constitutes the greater challenge. Such giving or stewardship before God is never limited solely to money. Rather, this quality of stewardship offers as gift all that we are and all that we have. Indeed, stewardship before God involves everything and everyone God has provided, including the earth and all its peoples. Understood in this way, giving to God would necessarily begin with a rededication to God all we are, all we say, all we do, all we choose, all we become. Whereas popular etiquette may regard a 10 percent tribute or tithe as sufficient, those who are God’s will settle for offering nothing less than 100%: total gift, total belonging.

This absolute belonging to God will necessarily preclude our being given over in anyway to immorality, dishonesty, injustice or any other word or work that would desecrate the gift that we are. This absolute belonging will also involve the gift of all that we have to God – time, talent and treasure – because when the gift of self is primary, all else follows naturally. Give to God, therefore, all that is God’s.