29A SUNDAY HOMILY, MATTHEW 22:15-21, OCTOBER 22, 2023
STORY
One day God visited Adam and Eve and their children so that he could
give each child a special blessing. Each
child, in turn, knelt before God. God
blessed the first one and made him a king. The second he blessed and made a princess. He blessed the third one and made her a
teacher. The fourth one he blessed and
made him a farmer. The fifth one was
blessed and made a carpenter. The sixth
one God made a servant. Eve complained
to God that the blessings were so unequal. She said one you made a king and another a
servant. God explained to Eve that all
were important as there were so many different tasks to be done in the world. Each had a different function as the parts of
a body. They all blend together and
support each other. Eve finally realized
that all her children were important no matter what position they had.
GOSPEL: MATTHEW 22;15-21
GIVE TO CAESAR WHAT IS CAESAR'S
Jesus informed the people that Caesar, the legitimate government, was
important in their lives. They had a
responsibility to support, obey and pay taxes to the government.
GIVE TO GOD WHAT IS GOD'S
At the same time Jesus reminded the people that they had an even more
important responsibility to give to God, the creator and sustainer of the
world, what is God's as God was most important in their lives.
APPLICATION TO LIFE
THE GOVERNMENT IS IMPORTANT
1) An efficient, honest and responsible government is very important in
our lives. It provides hospitals,
schools, police, firemen and runs prisons. It keeps the roads repaired, and subways,
buses, boats and planes running. It
provides us with safe food, clean water and garbage removal. We need a good government to make life
livable.
2) We have a responsibility to be good citizens, by obeying
the law, and support the government by paying just taxes.
GOD IS MOST IMPORTANT
1)Though many are not aware of God's love, care and guidance, we are
blessed to have this precious knowledge. God created us and the universe and keeps it
running. He provides us with all the
basics of life, sun, rain, air, and the earth. He sent Jesus who saved us and gave us eternal
life.
2) We have blessings from God, and we also have responsibilities towards
him. We must pray daily to God thanking,
praising and asking for help. We must
obey God who is our loving father. We
must tell others about God so they too can follow him.
CONCLUSION
In the story God blessed each child in a different way but all were
equally important in his eyes. In the
gospel Jesus teaches us that we have a responsibility to our government,
Caesar, and a responsibility to God. We
must pay taxes to the government, and we must be good, obedient, and thankful
children of God.
