Apparently, as the wily statesman from Little Rock knew only too well, everyone is more interested in money and how to make it, spend it or save it than anything else.
It was the same in Jesus' day.
During the week following his donkey ride to Jerusalem, he was challenged about paying taxes. ' Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
He saw through their trickery and said, “Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” (Luke 20.23-25)
Jesus spoke more about the power of money, the appeal of possessions and the corroding effect of greed on our lives than almost anything else. And in this little exchange with those trying to trick him into some inflammatory remarks, he reminds us all that we are all people stamped with the picture or image of God. It is as though God's name is imprinted on our very nature.
We belong to God by virtue of our creation and even more so, because Jesus paid a high price for us. St. Peter reminded his readers, perhaps with his own recollection of watching the crucifixion at first hand, 'For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.' (1 Peter 1. 18-19)
Therefore, today and every day, I am called to give to God what belongs to God, which includes the 'what', 'why' and 'how' of everything that makes up my life.
And of course, that is what 'economy' properly means.
Best wishes,
Richard
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