Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Yeaer A 2023

Peter H. Davids

Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

Philippians 2:15

Philippians 2:16

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5

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Our culture tries to put us on the horns of a dilemma, but God is sovereign over both sides of the dilemma, political or not, but that does not mean he endorses both sides, only that he can use them for his purposes. In the end he says, "Give to the world what it thinks is its own and give yourself totally to me." That will help us reframe the question in terms of divine truth.

Notes

Transcript

Title

What Does God’s Sovereignty Mean?

Outline

We often wonder where God is in the world around us

Where is God out there in the world?

Where is God in our community?

And what are the implications?

That is the topic of our readings

First, God sovereignly uses unjust rulers and powers for his purposes

That is the story about Cyrus. God says, “You do not know me.” He was not a righteous ruler, he was not seeking God’s purposes, but God gave him his sovereignty knowing that in seeking his own policies (loyal vassal states) he would end up doing God’s purposes so that it was “For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel my chosen one, I have called you by name.”

This was not a call to glorify Cyrus or speak of him as “God’s man” or to put Persian law over Torah or to approve of all he does. It was a call to recognize that God’s sovereignty was shown in raising him up so that - among other things that he surely did - he might restore Israel to Palestine and that thereby God would be glorified.

Second, God’s sovereignty chose us for his kingdom

We could have grown up and lived with little faith, nominal Christians, perhaps losing any faith during university; we could have grown up as cultural Catholics or, in my case, Evangelicals more American or Canadian than truly Christian, unaware of God’s desires for us, but we did grow up through whatever twists and turns to become aware of what Paul calls “our gospel [that] did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the holy Spirit and [with] much conviction.” It came and bore fruit, perhaps in bits and pieces and stages, and here we are, not just committed Christian but with our respective vocations. And while we did say our “Yes” at each stage, it was all God’s work for his glory.

Normally God used people of character, like Paul, to call and form us, although there may have been a few “Cyrus”-like individuals too.

He is expecting our full commitment: as Paul says, “your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.”

These truths put the relationship of God/Jesus and society/culture/country in their place.

In our Gospel Jesus is put on the horns of a dilemma in which he is asked to choose between loyalty to Caesar (a census tax) and Torah (serve God alone). He refuses to get involved in their polarized dichotomy (sound familiar?) but asks for the coin used to pay the tax. He receives a Tyrian denarius with the head of Tiberius Caesar on it and the inscription, “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus, High Priest.” Whose is this? Whose head, whose inscription? “Caesar’s.” “Pay to Caesar’s what is Caesar’s.” If it is his, then give it back to him, if he wishes. In the context of a sovereign God to whom all of creation belongs money loses its symbolic power for Jesus. It is just another thing that can be given to the one whose name is on it. (Paul uses a similar argument about taxes in Rom chapt 13.) But “give God’s things to God.” The image of God is stamped on the human being (Gen chapt 1 among other places) and he gifts us with the honor of giving back to him our selves even though we already belong to him. It may mean being a St Francis handing our very clothes back to human authorities so that we can serve God alone or something less dramatic, but the minute one grasps this, one is off the horns of the dilemma.

Sisters, this can help us deal with the authorities and cultures of our time

“Pope Francis, are you loyal to or behind us (or Israel) or the Palestinians?” He implicitly said, “God alone is judge in your conflict and the rules of just war are in publicly available documents. What I know is that each human being is made in the image of God, and God wants peace with human beings and among human beings because of him not pieces of human beings.”

Do I pay taxes? Yes. And I appreciate what the USA or Canada do to keep relative order and God told me to give them their money. But no party has my loyalty nor does any country except to the degree that it is carrying out God’s will. But that does not mean that I am loyal to “the other” party or country. I am loyal to God alone; Jesus Christ is my king.

Think on these things. They will keep you from polarized dilemmas, and they will make the world have to cope with your ultimate loyalty.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 10-22-2023: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Isaiah 45:1, 4–6

1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,

whose right hand I grasp,

Subduing nations before him,

stripping kings of their strength,

Opening doors before him,

leaving the gates unbarred:

4 For the sake of Jacob, my servant,

of Israel my chosen one,

I have called you by name,

giving you a title, though you do not know me.

5 I am the LORD, there is no other,

there is no God besides me.

It is I who arm you, though you do not know me,

6 so that all may know, from the rising of the sun

to its setting, that there is none besides me.

I am the LORD, there is no other.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-22-2023: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 96:7b

7 Give to the LORD, you families of nations,

give to the LORD glory and might;

PSALM

Psalm 96:1, 3–5, 7–10

1 Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all the earth.

3 Tell his glory among the nations;

among all peoples, his marvelous deeds.

4 For great is the LORD and highly to be praised,

to be feared above all gods.

5 For the gods of the nations are idols,

but the LORD made the heavens.

7 Give to the LORD, you families of nations,

give to the LORD glory and might;

8 give to the LORD the glory due his name!

Bring gifts and enter his courts;

9 bow down to the LORD, splendid in holiness.

Tremble before him, all the earth;

10 declare among the nations: The LORD is king.

The world will surely stand fast, never to be shaken.

He rules the peoples with fairness.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-22-2023: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5b

CHAPTER 1

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3 calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the holy Spirit and [with] much conviction. You know what sort of people we were [among] you for your sake.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-22-2023: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Philippians 2:15d, 16a

15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world,

16 as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

GOSPEL

Matthew 22:15–21

15 Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech. 16 They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status. 17 Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” 18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. 20 He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” 21 They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 10-22-2023: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Isaiah 45:1, 4–6

Response Psalm 96:7b

Psalm Psalm 96:1, 3–5, 7–10

Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5b

Gospel Acclamation Philippians 2:15d, 16a

Gospel Matthew 22:15–21

GREEN

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