Sunday, October 18, 2026

“Give to the emperor what is the emperor’s – and to God what is God’s!”
Mt 22:21

We belong to many communities. To our family, our work, a country. We have tasks. We pay bills, meet deadlines, try to meet expectations. Sometimes by evening we feel: today everyone got a piece of us. But we no longer have time left for God.

Jesus asks for a coin. He shows the emperor’s image on it. The coin indicates whose money it is. But whose image is visible on our life?

According to the Holy Scripture, man was created in the image of God. This gives us a dignity that neither rank, nor salary, nor the recognition of others can replace. And which we cannot take away from others either. Not even from those who are weak. Who think differently. Who cannot reciprocate anything we do for them.

Giving to God what is God’s is also a task in everyday life. When we work honestly. When we do not humiliate someone, even though we could. When we do not silence our conscience for our own benefit.

Because the emperor sometimes asks for more than what is due to him. Unconditional compliance. Silence in the face of injustice. A loyalty for which we would have to deny ourselves. At such times it is especially important to know to whom we belong.

It is worth asking today: whose expectations guide my decisions? Why do I say yes to what I would inwardly say no to? And is God’s image still recognizable in me in the way I treat others?

We can give the emperor his money. However, we do not have to put our conscience alongside it.