Lent Exercises: Allegiance - Whose Side Are You On?

“Whose side are you on?”  I asked my mother-in-law playfully.  Our first daughter was barely a week old.  I was attempting to bathe her.  Sophia and I had different ideas about how to approach this task and were teasing one another.  My mother-in-law, by far the most sensible and more experienced, chimed in with her thoughts as the process unfolded.  I found her insights really helpful when they aligned with my perspective.  When her perspective differed from mine, I was confused.  

It was time to dry our daughter as the words left my mouth.  With unexpected agility my mother-in-law swooped by me, lifted up our daughter, and had her wrapped in a towel in her arms.  She smiled wryly.  “I’m on her side,” she said looking down at her granddaughter.  

If only all questions of allegiance and loyalty were so simple.  

In Luke 20:20-26 Jesus’ is asked to reveal his political allegiance so that his opponents can create a pretext for arresting him.  Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?  While this question isn’t dangerous for us, we know some of its cousins.  Should Christians vote Democrat or Republican?  Should we say Black Lives Matter? Should we wear masks or get vaccinated?  

There’s nothing wrong with these questions, per se.  The problem is that our answers can very easily be used to paint us into a political, cultural, and ideological corner.  There is a real temptation, even among thoughtful Christians, to villainize anyone who has a different set of answers to our “litmus test” questions.  On the other hand, the answers to these questions matter.  Political, cultural, and public health choices directly impact the people we are commanded to love.  

Jesus’ answer does not avoid or skirt the question.  He calls for a coin and asks, pointedly, whose inscription and image are reflected.  Since the coin belongs to Caesar Jesus says, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  Since Jesus could be killed for forbidding taxes to the emperor, (he is accused of this before Pilate), he avoids the trap on one side.  Since Jesus’ words contain a criticism of the emperor, (his words could be read, ‘what’s coming to him…’ or ‘what he deserves…’) he avoids the trap on the other.  But, most importantly, Jesus’ emphasizes our primary allegiance to God.  

Christians of goodwill can disagree about political philosophies, cultural movements, and public health decisions.  But our primary allegiances are never to be caught up these.  We must answer the questions while rejecting tribal allegiances.  We are to do this in ways that demonstrate our love for God and reflect God’s command to love our neighbors.  

St. Catherine wrote, “You cannot love God except through your neighbor.”  My mother-in-law refused to be distracted by the parents bickering, because there was a beloved child who needed care.  

How might Jesus be inviting you to love God and neighbor today?