ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET

21st Sunday after Trinity, 2005 – High Mass

Fr Ivan Aquilina

"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

Countless are the times that this famous quote from the sayings of Jesus is thrown back at us. It is a sentence loved by those who think that as Church we should keep our mouths shut. There is a newly created ‘myth’ in which those who profess no faith are the ones who really know what is best for us. They see Faith communities as biased, therefore should not meddle in politics.

Before looking closely at this famous quote from Jesus let me share with you another rendition of the Exodus written by an unknown author:

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, ‘I have seen the affliction of my people and I would deliver them from the pharaoh.’ Moses replied, saying, ‘Lord, perhaps I should say unto pharaoh, ‘Let my people go.’ The Lord said unto Moses, ‘Thou art a man of God, not a politician. Mind thine own business.’

“The Jews went out of Egypt to the Red Sea. The Egyptians pursued them. The Jews cried to Moses, ‘Part the Red Sea so that we may pass on dry ground. Then allow the waters to close again and swallow up our enemies.’ Moses replied, ‘I am a man of God, not a hydraulic engineer. Nor do I concern myself with military matters. Buy thee a nuclear submarine.’

“Thirsty, they begged Moses to smite the rock and bring forth water. He replied, ‘Dost thou ask a man of God to develop a Sinai Water Plan? Call thee a plumber.’

Moses went up to Mount Sinai. The Lord said, ‘I have writ ten commandments.’ Moses asked, ‘Lord, shall I read them to your people?’ The Lord replied, ‘It is not for thee to introduce legislative programmes. Moses, don't meddle in politics.’

“The Jews approached the promised land. Moses taught them how to have an AGM and a PCC, how to organise coffee mornings and Christmas fairs. He grew in the respect of his flock. On his death bed, he advised his successor Joshua, ‘Avoid controversy. Flee strife. Care not for the hunger or thirst of thy flock. All who follow this creed will be respected men of God. Thou wilt be dull and alienate the young, but at least no one will attack thee.’”

If this basic event that shaped Israel and therefore also us happened according to this rendition than I am pretty sure we would not be sitting here to day. If Jesus did not challenge politics than he would not have been nailed to the cross. No Cross no Easter. No Easter no us. The basic events that shape us, Exodus and Easter are all about Faith informing, enlightening and directing politics, it should not be different now.

So why did Jesus say: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”?

Apart from the common dislike to taxes, the problem was the coin itself as it had impressed on it Caesar’s face. This meant that the coin belonged to this pagan emperor who was venerated as a god; it also meant that the emperor was being touched and carried about whenever the coin was held. So the question was not simply about the tax but more importantly the use of an unclean coin that was prohibited within the temple precincts. This controversy drained a lot of energy from those who had the spiritual care of the chosen people of God. In saying what he said Jesus was saying to them: “Stop looking at the footnote and look at the text. Pay what you have to pay to the state and do not let this issue hinder the work of God. Rather than looking at the coin with the emperor’s impression upon it, look at the book of Genesis and there you will find that every one of us, including the emperor, is created in the image of God. The face of God is not to be found on coins but in each and every one of us. In us God is present and tangible. Give to the state what is it’s due; more importantly give to those impressed by the face of God what is God’s due”.

Jesus wanted to diffuse a strange situation by trying to show that there are bigger fish to catch. If paying Cesar’s tax will secure a serene environment in which souls are saved than it is a price worth paying. It might be that the problem comes from pride rather than theology.

Today we also are summoned by Jesus to focus on the bigger picture, the one in which we need to be salt and yeast, the one in which we are to serve all those created in the image of God. Our faith informs our actions and our actions influence our environment. Today we are called to influence our environment politics being a vital part of it.

On Sunday 13th March 1927 that great Parish Priest of this Church Fr Mackay was standing in this same pulpit and was preaching about the slum priest Fr Robert Dolling. I would like to end my sermon by quoting Fr Mackay and making mine his own cry with his same prayer that one day this vision will come true; he said: “A true Anglo-Catholic movement must not be content with curing examples of evil when it finds them – it must find wrong and oppression on a large scale. It must seek to remedy the conditions which maintain social wrong. If we are going to lead England forward to a better state of things we must have the grit to work and also the pluck to speak…In politics, ethics, economics, as a Christian you must make yourself felt.”

What a different day it would be that day when all Anglo-Catholics are felt and missed in the places they live, work and play. Make the utmost of whatever place in life you occupy so that our Anglo Catholic ethos is felt and the Gospel of Christ proclaimed. Our movement grew when we strived to serve Christ in liturgy and in the needy like in Plymouth, London Docks and here in Margaret Street. As soon as our movement relaxed to rubrics only it dwindled. We need to recapture the spirit offered by that Bishop who once said that it is useless to worship Christ in our tabernacles and than ignore him in the streets and alleys. Let us not be shy and stand up for our Faith. It is only than that we will be rendering to God what is His and in due process also serving Cesar.