Belonging to God

Mark 12 : 13 - 17

Render...to God the things that are God's.....

This is quite a familiar passage for most of us. We easily agree with Jesus' answer that was really 'to the point' as usual. But he was able to answer that way because he not only heard the question addressed to him, but he 'knew' the hearts of the questioners ('knowing their hypocrisy'). That made a big difference to the whole scenario. It was not just a neutral question. It was 'loaded' with the motive to trap him, whichever answer he gave, if he gave the expected 'yes' or 'no'.

Which reminds me that at times, it is more important to 'hear' what's beneath a question, rather than just hear the words expressed. There may be many things going on in the questioner's mind, besides just wanting to know a plain answer. As counselors and spiritual guides we have to 'listen' with our hearts not only at the level of the mind. Unlike this situation, people we encounter are usually not hard hearted hypocrites - they just need help to get in touch with deeper motivations. And often when that happens a flash of insight opens them up to the Lord's healing in their lives.

Another very special gift of this passage is the reminder that as human persons, 'stamped' with God's image (Gen. 1: 26 - 27) we belong wholly to God, who created and redeemed us. This is something really awesome - a thought that needs unpacking throughout our lives. Just what does it mean in concrete terms - that my life belongs to God and not to myself? It does take a whole lifetime to live authentically into the implications of such an amazing truth.

"Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you all my being. I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love." (Prayer of Anselm, 1033 - 1109)