‘Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves’
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96, R. Give the Lord glory and honor.; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b; Gospel – Matthew 22: 15-21
When the flood control corruption scandal broke over a year ago, one of the most respected voices in explaining—and condemning—the mess said that, in a sense, we are partly to blame because we have lost our sense of civic duty.
“Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” (cf. Matthew 22: 15-21) This line from today’s Gospel is often quoted to emphasize the separation between church and state.
Let us deepen our reflection on this, as it is a crucial issue we now face—given all the developments around us, both nationally and internationally.
The first point to consider is the context that gave rise to this statement from the Lord. The second is the delineation it made between the church and state. The third is how it defined a complementary relationship between the two domains.
The “perfect” trap
In the opening lines of the Gospel, we were given the context of the hypocrisy of Jesus’ enemies. On the one hand, you had the Pharisees who hated the Roman conquerors, and on the other hand, you had the Herodians who were pro-Romans. Despite the diametrically opposing political allegiances, they banded together to trap Jesus.
It was a marriage of political convenience devoid of all principles. The one goal was to get rid of the enemy.
After all the flattery, the perfect trap was set: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Whatever Jesus’ answer was would have gotten him into trouble. Or so they thought.
If he said “yes,” the Pharisees would have denounced him—their fellow Jews—as a traitor. If he said “no,” they would have reported him to the Romans as inciting rebellion.
Dealing with the evil forces of the world
But the wisdom of Jesus rose above their evil and worldly designs. By asking for the coin that was used to pay the tax, Jesus turned the tables against both.
He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
This is the wisdom we must learn in dealing with the evil forces in this world: “Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.” (Matthew 10: 16) Not only did it frustrate the trap, but even more importantly, it became a moment to establish a basic principle.
“Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” We have a civic duty, which we must fulfill, but we also belong to God. We are citizens of the world, and our citizenship is also in heaven.
Delineation between church and state
Yes, there is a delineation between church and state. At its most basic, the church as an institution is not—and must not—be a political power. But it must encourage and form its members to take part in the political affairs of the country, especially exercising their civic duty as citizens.
In the mobilizations against the flood control corruption scandal last year, many people waited for which mobilization the church supported, and this was what they joined. In the Nov. 30, 2025 mobilization, as well as the Feb. 25, 2026 mobilization, the Philippine Church was able to hold mobilizations in practically all 86 social action centers nationwide.
One of the principles the church upheld was respect for the rule of law, which was a civic duty—and the principle they cited in distancing from and disagreeing with those who advocated a revolutionary government.
The latter would have been not simply a moral stand, but also a political stand which the Church, as an institution, did not wish to engage in.
Social action and social development
At the same time, Jesus’ statement was a reminder of the complementary relationship between the two domains. The church, through its members—especially the laity—can and must work with the state through the exercise of their civic duties and responsibilities.
This engagement must be guided by discernment and the Gospel worldview, coupled with the church’s social teachings. As the late and esteemed Bishop Francisco Claver, S.J., D.D. pointed out, the church must engage in social action and social development to bring the Gospel worldview as a perspective for development.
Since 1891, with Pope Leo XIII’s “Rerum Novarum”—the first social encyclical of the church—this Gospel worldview has been complemented by the body of the church’s social teachings. It provided an ethical compass even for the political sphere—a compass that even non-church members can consider.
I always consider the central proclamation of the Lord as one of the fundamental principles of our being citizens in our world: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand…” (Mark 1: 15). This is how we are to be engaged in our world:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free…” (Luke 4:18)
