APPEAL TO OUR SENSE OF FAIRNESS

APPEAL TO OUR SENSE
OF FAIRNESS

Reflections on Ezra 1: 1ff  /  Matthew 22: 15-22

By Frank Savadera, SJ 

For those of us who may be closely monitoring the state of the global economy, the current wall street crash … or even perhaps the drop in the value of the dollar and the decreasing amount of goods that we can purchase with our peso … the Gospel today can perhaps direct us to some deeper personal reflections about what really matters during these troubled times.

During these most crucial times … let our readings today speak to us through three particular themes.  FIRST … OUR SENSE OF FAIRNESS … SECOND … OUR PRAYER FOR OUR LEADERS … and LASTLY … OUR CAPACITIES TO GIVE AND BE MORE GENEROUS.

FIRST … our SENSE FAIRNESS.  In the Gospel today, we read about the Pharissees watching Jesus from afar, plotting to entrap Him, taking advantage of the situation Jesus was in … hoping that through their line of questioning … by pushing Jesus against the wall … they may humiliate him in front of the crowd.  Given so … they thought … the Lord will eventually lose credibility.  

 

Catholic Christians as we are … we go to church every Sunday or sometimes every day … but we may still wish to ask ourselves how and when have we been like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel.  Why do we plot against another person?  Why do we wish to corner and push another person against the wall?  Why do we find joy in seeing another person fail or experience embarrassment in front of many? 

Think of a worst situation … this world economic situation we are in.  Would you believe that when things are tough … when a crisis strikes … some actually still would wish to take advantage of the situation … yes … even take advantage of others … and for WHAT?

For many reasons I suppose … we plot against another person because he is getting ahead of us.  Also … we wish another person ILL because perhaps sometime in the past they have wronged us and hurt us in a most terrible way.  Most of the time however … we put another person down … because we want to get credit for ourselves … be the center of attention rather than the other one … much like the case of the Pharissees in the Gospel today.  In all cases… Christians as we are … our natural sinfulness pushes us always  on the side of our desires for personal gain. 

And so … today … we appeal to our sense of fairness.  No matter how legitimate our needs and desires are … how would these needs and desires affect others.   Putting this into our current economic context … we say that our desires and needs for profit and savings are themselves legitimate … aren’t they?   In doing so however … are we pushing others against the wall?  Do we find ourselves scheming and plotting to put down another?  And so … Our appeal to our sense of fairness … we extend to you and to all Christians and persons of goodwill … to balance our needs for personal gain and profit against the needs of the poor to survive the deadly effects of skyrocketing oil prices or transportation expenses.  The workers and employees who may be under your care … think of them during these crucial times.  Together let’s appeal to our collective sense of fairness.

SECONDLY … when crucial decisions will need to be made … let’s think about our leaders.  Let’s pray for them.  In the first reading, we’ve read about a pagan king, CYRUS the Great … who liberated the Jews from Babylon.  He is so praised and exalted in Scriptures even though he was a pagan … simply because Israel knew that God made most positive use of him … and he allowed himself to be used by God for the liberation of his people.  

In the Gospel, Jesus asked that he be shown the coin that pays the census tax.  Jesus asked a question that he may well ask us now:  “Whose image do you see on the coin?”  On our peso bills … whose faces do we see? 

Jesus asks us to look at the coin and reflect on the IMAGE that we see.  The Pharisees saw the image of Caesar … the head and leader of the Roman empire.  What IMAGE of a LEADER must we see?  Of course, when we speak of IMAGE … in Scriptures … we’re brought back to our learnings on the Book of Genesis … that GOD CREATED ALL OF US IN HIS OWN IMAGE AND LIKENESS.  We look at the coin or the peso bills as Jesus commanded and look beyond the face of Caesar and say … that similar to how God configured us to his image and likeness … we behold the coin and see how God has desired and so intended that our leaders as well be configured into the IMAGE and LIKENESS of Him who has created us. 

We are all leaders in our communities and respective places of work.  The question therefore is HOW Do WE REALLY … as LEADERS MIRROR the very presence of GOD?  Here … we know that we are presented an ideal … so difficult to achieve.  We have our God as our standard!  Any leader … you may say will fail to even approximate that same image of leadership as God exemplifies.  But then we look at the forms of leadership we see around us.   Given the latest economic crunch … we’ve heard of economic leaders bailing themselves out using GOLDEN PARACHUTES.  We can still look around us and feel so disheartened!

Let us consistently remind ourselves of the Christian ideal.  We look at the image on the coin … and pray for our leaders … correct them if necessary … convince them as we convince ourselves that we were made to abide by the kind of leadership that mirrors the very presence of God.  And so … we continue to pray for our leaders.

LAST POINT … during these times of possible grave hardships … WE ARE CONTINUALLY ASKED TO GIVE MOST GENEROUSLY OF OURSELVES.  Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.   In both cases … WE ARE ASKED TO GIVE!   But then … what is it that give to Caesar?  And to God?  Is this like the usual arrangement we make when we broker a business deal?  Is this like saying: I get get 40% of the profit;  you get the other  40%; we leave the rest of the share 20% with our public investors.  Or can we actually say that what we give to Caesar is actually the same we give to God. 

  

Friends … some people are saying that the Philippines is well insulated from the economic crisis gripping the United States and Europe.  Others on the other hand say that we will feel the biggest crunch … the biggest blow come the month of December.  Let us pray for ourselves … and most especially for the poor who will be most affected by this world event.  In the meantime … let’s continue to reflect on our readings today and challenge our sense of fairness … our concern for good and stable leadership … and challenge ourselves as well to give most generously for the great mission which God has entrusted us.  May we do so as the PSALMIST today exhorts us: That in all we do … may we Give the Lord glory and honor.  AMEN.