DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
“Hypocrisy in Faith”: In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees tried to set a trap to denounce and destroy Jesus’ Good and Divine reputation, that was attracting many followers away from him. Ponder on, “Hypocrisy in our faith is a sin of deception that uses our faith to promote our “self-glory”, and like the Pharisees, even desire to “denounce” God’s Truth.”
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Matthew 22:15-21
The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with some Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in all honesty, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because human rank means nothing to you. Give us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’
But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why are you putting me to the test? Show me the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose portrait is this? Whose title?’ They replied, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Very well, pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and God what belongs to God.’