+ The short gospel passage today has two themes: the announcement again of Jesus' upcoming death and resurrection – which he constantly keeps in his own mind, and now wants to somehow get fixed in the minds of his disciples. These were necessary things for him to go through in order for us to be released from the spiritual prison that we all were confined to by sin.
The second is both the humility involved and the proper rendering that is involved in dealing with rightful civil government. Since Jesus was not entirely a citizen of this earth, he really did not have to pay the tax, technically – but, because "he became one like us" to free us from the prison of sin – he consented to pay the tax "as a foreigner" would. Thus Jesus shows his humility and willingness to give to Caesar what was rightfully his for the common good of society.
May we today, keeping our eyes fixed on heaven – where our treasure is – where the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord (from the first reading) resides: give everyone what is their due: beginning with God, then our brothers and sisters in the Christian community, then everyone else including those who govern us by right!
God has called us through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ – let us revel today in that glory that dwells within us!
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