In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus paying the temple tax after the people asked his disciples if he should not pay taxes. Jesus is the Son of God, the Lord of all, and certainly, he would not have to pay taxes, but having become man, he fully lived our human condition.
Today’s Gospel exhorts us to respect the laws of the State. And, to give good testimony in everything, but also in the background, the Lord teaches us the importance of not scandalizing anyone. The passage shows us Jesus’ great gentleness. He renounces a possible privilege of not paying taxes (due to his status) in order not to hinder the faith or cause scandal. This challenges us to be more delicate towards others and to show great respect for the conscience of our brother or sister.
Not scandalizing others, first of all, requires avoiding evil in all its forms: bad words, un-evangelical choices, anti-Christian attitudes, worldly and bad ways of doing things, etc. In short, everything that can be an obstacle to people’s faith and their eternal salvation should be avoided. Not scandalizing could mean renouncing lawful and good actions that the most vulnerable could misunderstand, what some Moral Theologians call “passive scandal,” which is substantially different from an “active scandal.”
May Saint Clare whose feast we celebrate today, intercede for us, and help us to respect God’s laws and the good laws of the State, and in this way, avoid giving scandals that hinder people’s faith. Amen.
