Traps and Truth – A Homily on Matthew 22:15–22 for Everyday Christian Life
Praise be to Jesus Christ
There was once a wise old farmer who lived at the edge of a village. One day, some young boys from the town decided to test him. They caught a small bird and held it behind their backs. Then they asked him, “We have a bird with us — is it alive or dead?” If he said it was alive, they would crush it and say he was wrong. If he said it was dead, they would open their hands and let it fly. Either way, they thought, he would lose.
But the old man looked at them, smiled gently, and said, “My sons, the answer is in your hands.”
Today’s Gospel (Matthew 22:15–22) begins with a similar trick. The Pharisees came to Jesus — not to learn, not to seek truth, but to trap Him. They said, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” It seems like a simple question. But underneath, there is a trap. If Jesus says, “Yes, pay taxes,” they will say He supports the Roman rulers. If He says, “No, don’t pay,” they will accuse Him of rebellion.
But Jesus, like the wise old farmer, sees through their game. He doesn’t fall into their trap. He asks for a coin and says, “Whose image is on it?” They reply, “Caesar’s.” And then comes that powerful sentence — “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Many people stop there and say: this is about politics and religion, about keeping the two separate. But there is something deeper. What Jesus is really doing is turning their trap into a mirror. He is showing them — and us — that the real question is not about taxes. The real question is about the heart.
He asks, “Whose image is on the coin?” — and then He asks us in silence, Whose image is on you?
That’s the hidden pearl in this Gospel. The coin carries Caesar’s image. But we carry the image of God. That means we belong to God — completely. Not just our Sundays, not just our prayers, not just the religious part of life. But all of it — our work, our worries, our joys, our family life, even our silence. God’s image is on all of it.
That changes everything. Because it means we can’t live divided lives — one part for God, one part for the world. That’s exactly what the Pharisees were doing. Their lips asked a religious question, but their hearts were full of poison. They were not interested in truth — only in winning.
But Jesus is not interested in winning. He is interested in saving.
My brothers and sisters, we too face many such traps in our day-to-day life. Someone may ask us a question, not because they want our answer, but because they want to catch us. In families, in workplaces, in villages — people test us. They speak sweetly but carry hidden knives. Have you faced that? Maybe today itself.
Jesus shows us the way. He does not fight them. He doesn’t run away either. He speaks with clarity, but also with calm. He is not afraid. Why? Because He knows He belongs to the Father. He knows whose image He carries.
So let us remember: when someone tries to trap you with words, when people twist your truth, when you are tempted to play their game — stop and breathe. Don’t fall into the trap. Ask yourself instead: What does God want from me right now? How can I give to God what belongs to Him — my honesty, my gentleness, my dignity, my silence, my voice?
Jesus invites us not just to win arguments — He invites us to reflect His image. If you belong to God, then speak like Him, act like Him, love like Him. That’s the real answer.
The truth is, we cannot stop people from setting traps. But we can choose not to walk into them. We can walk in truth, in love, and in peace — because the answer is in our hands.
Lord, help me give You what belongs to You — my heart, my words, and my whole life.
