Care for the vulnerable Is 45:1, 4-6; Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Thes 1:1-5b; Mt 22:15-21 Politics often makes strange bedfellows and none are stranger than the alliance between the Pharisees and the Herodians. These two first-century Jewish movements put aside their differences to trap Jesus into making a statement that would infuriate either his fellow Jews or the hated Roman occupiers of the Jewish homeland. The Herodians supported the royal dynasty founded by Herod the Great. The Roman Senate named him “the king of the Jews.” After Herod’s death, his kingdom was divided among his surviving sons. Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea and his brother Philip ruled the region known today as the Golan Heights. Their brother Herod Archelaus ruled Judea and Samaria until he was deposed by the Romans for incompetence. The Pharisees despised Herod and his successors, who they regarded as usurpers since they maintained that the only legitimate Jewish rulers were members of the Davidic dynasty. Herod was a Jew by religion but not ethnicity. He was an Idumean, a people who were forcibly converted to Judaism in the second century B.C. In the eyes of most Jews, Herod and his descendants held no legitimate claim on David’s throne. In addition, the Pharisees considered Herod and his family to be collaborators who owed their royal status to the Roman occupiers. The decision of the Pharisees to join with the Herodians in an effort to bring Jesus down was surprising. The Pharisees were well known for their strict observance of both the written and oral Torah and their practice of avoiding contact with those they considered to be sinners or collaborators, so their alliance with the Herodians was certainly out of character. The Pharisees conspired with the Herodians to neutralize Jesus, a person both groups regarded as dangerous. Jesus’ popularity threatened the political and religious status quo. Jesus, however, was clever enough to avoid the trap they set for him. His opponents could not dispute the wisdom of him saying both Caesar and God should be given their due. It was both politically realistic and religiously sensitive. Next year we will have the presidential election. Probably more than a few Pharisaic-Herodian-like alliances will be formed. Some Christians will choose to overlook their candidate’s values and behavior if that candidate supports policies and positions that they espouse. Doing so, however, undermines the credibility of the Christian witness to Gospel values. This has happened before, so that should cause us to tread lightly to ensure that it will not happen again. Politics does make strange bedfellows. We need to avoid the mistake made by the Pharisees, who compromised their credibility to undermine some that they and the Herodians did not trust. The reply that Jesus gives to the question about taxes raises the issue of the responsibilities of citizens to the state. The people of Judea and Galilee lived under occupation by the Romans. They had little opportunity to exercise personal responsibility since the occupation brought with it coercion and control. No matter what position Jesus would have taken regarding taxation, the Romans would have made certain that taxes would be collected. Living in a democracy carries with it significant personal responsibilities. In major election years, citizens should keep themselves informed about issues that candidates raise. They should assess how a candidate’s policies, if enacted, would affect the poor, undocumented refugees and those on the margins of society. Politics driven solely by self-interest, anger and resentment will benefit only demagogues. Jesus lived in a time of political and religious instability. The Romans maintained rule over Galilee and Judea through oppression. There were sporadic small-scale acts of sedition with a full-scale revolution against Rome taking place 35 years after Jesus’ ministry. Several religious groups such as the Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes competed for moral authority. Jesus himself was caught up in this political-religious maelstrom though he played no part in fomenting it. The Jesus movement not only survived but grew because it remained committed to his call for repentance and faith. Today, many Americans no longer belong to a church, synagogue or mosque. This is due, in part, to the Pharisaic-Herodian-like alliances that have muted the moral voice of organized religion. The path open to the church in regaining its moral voice lies with standing with and speaking for those who long for justice — the poor, the powerless, the neglected — just as Jesus did.
About the Author Father Leslie Hoppe, OFM, is professor emeritus of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S. Cornell Ave., Chicago.