GIVING BACK

A SERMON FOR THE 22ND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  Today’s Gospel is all about rendering.  But what does it mean, to “render”?  The word comes from the Latin reddere, which means literally “to give back.”  We have no problem knowing what we need to give back to God for all the good things he’s given us.  We must give him literally everything, ourselves included.  All is placed back in his hands to do with what he will.

But when we’re asked to render unto Caesar, how much are we supposed to give back to him?  Caesar, in today’s terms, can be equated with the state.  Our country.  Now we may be tempted to wonder what good things the state provides for us.  If we can get past the more cynical answers to that question, we will, I think, eventually realize that without some degree of control by the state, we would live in a world of anarchy.   We have the state to thank for the laws which keep us safe and well organized, for the law enforcement organizations and justice system that make sure our rights are respected.  Those rights are summarized in the Bill of Rights, and we can rightly be thankful that we do have the right to criticize the government freely, the right to bear arms, to worship freely in the true faith, and so on.  The state provides us with many other good things—running drinkable water in our homes, education for our children, decent roads to drive on, airports, hospitals, the ability to run our businesses, and so on.  And If we’re ever in serious financial trouble, the state will even give us unemployment checks, food stamps, Medicaid, whatever we need to stay alive.  When all’s said and done, we can honestly say that we’re better off in this country than most others on the planet, and we should be genuinely grateful, at least for the “good things.”

We show our gratitude by “giving back”, rendering unto Caesar.  We do so rather begrudgingly by paying our taxes.  But should we expected to give more than that?  And if so, how much?  It’s not just about handing over a few dollars in tax every year so that everything runs nicely.  We must take it to the point of laying down our lives for our country if necessary.  Our duty to our country is second only to our duty to God.  We call it patriotism, and it is actually a virtue.  “Patriotism,” a word that stems from the Latin word patria, literally the “Fatherland.”  The USA is a kind of father to us.  We are sons and daughters of our nation, a nation that protects us from harm, helps us to grow in peace and prosperity.  And as such, the Fourth Commandment that we should honor our father and our mother applies equally to honoring our nation.  This is why when ignorant footballers refuse to stand for the National Anthem, they are, objectively speaking, committing a sin against the Fourth Commandment.  I doubt they have half a brain between them, so hopefully God will not judge them too harshly, but by disrespecting the flag they are offending not just their fellow citizens, they are offending God.

However, we have other more serious issues going on these days, however, than brain-dead footballers and whatever silly protest-of-the-week they’re excited about this Sunday afternoon.  Something far more sinister is afoot, and it’s worthwhile reminding ourselves that the loyalty of American citizens is being tested today as never before.  We are being told that patriotism is a thing of the past, something evil which perpetuates inequality, xenophobia and white supremacy.  The globalists who try to force this myth down our throats consider themselves citizens of the world and not of this country.  If they view America as a nation at all, it is only to condemn it for what they perceive as its wicked past, the ethnic cleansing and genocide conducted against the Indian nations, slavery and segregation, corruption of the ruling classes, persecution of transgender non-binary whackos…  Globalism is the enemy of our nation, the enemy, in fact of every independent nation-state, and the filial piety we have towards our own country should make us recoil in horror at the very notion of a one-world government ruling over us and determining how we are to live our lives.

Nevertheless, we are being slowly tricked into believing that such a thing would be better than a world where individual nations constantly go to war with each other, and where military might supposedly prevails over the humble and meek. Don’t believe it for a second, for the absolute power that would belong to the government of the entire planet would result in similarly absolute and total corruption that would know no bounds.  If the world is to have a single leader, let it be Christ the King, to whom all other kings and presidents bow the head and bend the knee.   

As individuals we are powerless to stop the will of the majority from overwhelming the rest of us.  But let’s use the powers of democracy as long as we can, by campaigning and voting against evil men and women who would lead us to disaster with the iron fist of global totalitarianism.  

Only by leading the world in the adoration of the one, true God will we ever succeed in truly making America first.  Only by first rendering unto God the things that are God’s can we ever hope to keep the would-be Caesars of this nation from destroying us all.