9TH TUESDAY HOMILY OF THE ORDINARY TIME

9TH TUESDAY HOMILY OF THE ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: YOU BELONG TO GOD

BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA

2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18; Psalm 89(90):2-4, 10, 14, 16; Mark 12:13-17

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the daily grind? We worry about bills, politics, work, and trying to please everyone. In today’s Gospel, some people try to trap Jesus with a very stressful, everyday question: “Should we pay taxes to the government or not?”

It sounds like something we would argue about on the news today. But Jesus does something amazing. He changes the whole conversation, and St. Peter, in our first reading, helps us look at the bigger picture. Together, they remind us that while we have to live in this world, we are actually made for heaven.

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From our Gospel Reading

The enemies of Jesus thought they had Him trapped. If Jesus said, “Yes, pay the tax,” the Jewish people would hate Him for supporting the cruel Roman rulers. If He said, “No, don’t pay it,” the rulers would arrest Him for breaking the law. It seemed like there was no right answer.

Jesus asks to see a coin and asks, “Whose image and name is on this?” They answer, “Caesar’s” (the Roman Emperor). Then Jesus says His famous words: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Jesus wasn’t just being clever. He was teaching us a deep lesson about who owns us. The coin has the Emperor’s picture on it, so it belongs to the Emperor. But Jesus is asking an even bigger question: What has God’s picture on it?

The answer is: You do.

Every single one of us is made in the image and likeness of God.

Yes, we have duties on earth. We have to pay our taxes, follow fair laws, and be good citizens. But our hearts, our souls, and our lives belong to God alone. We cannot let the “Caesars” of our world—like money, politics, or what other people think of us—rule our lives. Only God deserves that place.

From our First Reading

This is exactly what St. Peter talks about in the first reading. He reminds us that this world will not last forever. All the things we stress about today will eventually pass away. So, Peter asks a great question: “What sort of persons ought you to be?”

Peter isn’t trying to scare us. He is just reminding us to focus on what matters. Since our lives belong to God, we should spend our time doing good, staying at peace, and growing closer to Him. He tells us not to get dragged down by the mistakes and arguments of the world around us. Instead, we need to stand firm in our faith.

What We Learn Today

Be Good Citizens, But Better Christians: We have to do our duty on earth, but God always comes first.

Remember Who You Are: When the world tries to tell you that you are only worth how much money you make or what people think of you, remember your true value. You belong to God.

Focus on What Lasts: Don’t waste all your energy on temporary things. Use your time to pray, love others, and do good. These are the things that last forever.

Conclusion

Today, let’s look at the things that are making us stressed or worried. Are we giving too much of our energy to the temporary things of this world?

Let’s be good neighbors and do our daily duties, but let’s give our hearts and our trust completely to God. He is the one who made us, and He is the one who holds our future.

A very Blessed Tuesday to everyone!

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