Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?

19 OCTOBER (Mt 22,15-21)

The hypocrite, being false at heart, is also false in his thoughts. He uses his tongue to flatter, but his flattery is false, lying and deceiving. Never might a tongue be used well according to truth when the heart is false, wicked and evil. The wise man, knowing his truth, is instantly able to feel, sense the falsity of a fawning, deceitful tongue language, that speaks only for his evil, never for his good. The damages the tongue produces are innumerable. Scripture exhorts us to put all attention, surveillance not fall below its deadly blows.

Cursed be gossips and the double-tongued, for they destroy the peace of many. A meddlesome tongue subverts many, and makes them refugees among the peoples; It destroys walled cities, and overthrows powerful dynasties. A meddlesome tongue can drive virtuous women from their homes and rob them of the fruit of their toil; Whoever heeds it has no rest, nor can he dwell in peace. A blow from a whip raises a welt, but a blow from the tongue smashes bones; Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as by the tongue. Happy he who is sheltered from it, and has not endured its wrath; Who has not borne its yoke nor been fettered with its chain; For its yoke is a yoke of iron and its chains are chains of bronze! Dire is the death it inflicts, besides which even the nether world is a gain; It will not take hold among the just nor scorch them in its flame, But those who forsake the Lord will fall victims to it, as it burns among them unquenchably! It will hurl itself against them like a lion; like a panther, it will tear them to pieces. As you hedge round your vineyard with thorns, set barred doors over your mouth; As you seal up your silver and gold, so balance and weigh your words. Take care not to slip by your tongue and fall victim to your foe waiting in ambush (Sir 28, 13-26).

Jesus, the most pure divine and human truth, is not fooled by the flattering tongue, which lies on his behalf. It is not true that Jesus does not look at anybody. Jesus looks at every person’s face, but before that he looks into his heart, he examines, tests it, reads its goodness and falsehood, love and hate, truth and falsehood; and he answers according to what he finds written in it. The prudence of Jesus is very high. He knows that a single worduttered without wisdom is transformed into an immediate stoning for Him. The Jews at that time were inclined to easy stoning. One word utteredbadly, poorly said, misunderstood and it was already a death sentence. He knows that the Pharisees are trying him and acts with the highest and mostprofound wisdom with them. His word is always of divine truth. It is of a truth that goes far beyond the multiple truths of man. Jesus goes as far asthe origin, the principle of truth. At the origin, at the principle of the truth he is always unassailable.

Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away.

The principle, the origin of the truth of every man is that he was made ​​in the image and likeness of God. However, Caesar wants him in his own imageand likeness. The man finds himself to be under two masters. What to give to one and what to the other. To each, one must give what is his. But whatis Caesar’s and what is God’s? God’s is the truth. Caesar’s is falsity. The coin is given to Caesar. It is his. The will is given to God. It is his. What does not involve the gift of the will of man, can always and in any way be given to Caesar. Jesus gives to Caesar even his own body so that he hangs it on the cross. If Jesus gives his own body, one can also give a poor copper coin.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us the truth of God.