The word of God today calls us to reflect on the supremacy and authority of God over every other authority in the world. God is sovereign, and all kingdoms of the earth are under his rule and he orders the world in subtle ways.
In the first reading, God chose Cyrus, a pagan king, to be his instrument to deliver his people from exile. God is the only true God who controls history and nations. He acts for the sake of his people, even if they do not know or acknowledge him.
In the second reading, St Paul thanks God for the Thessalonians, who received the gospel with power, conviction, and joy. They became an example to other believers in their faith, love, and hope. They were chosen by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live according to his will.
In the gospel reading, the Pharisees and the Herodians tried to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked them to show him a coin and asked whose image and inscription it had. They said Caesar’s. Jesus then told them to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God.
What then belongs to God, if not all the world? We live in a world where there are many authorities and powers that demand our allegiance, loyalty, and obedience. Some may be good and legitimate, while others may be evil and oppressive.
We must recognise God as the sovereign Lord of all creation, history, and salvation. He reigns over all authority and has a plan for his people and the world. We need to trust that in all things happening, God is making them work for the good of His people and those who love him, even when we don’t understand them.
Let us respond to him always with faith, obedience, and worship, giving him that place due to him in our lives and always praying that in the complexities of our world, his will may be done through us and everybody else in the world, both religious and non-religious people.