What does it mean to render? The first definition, interestingly enough in light of today's Gospel, is "to meltdown." Melting down a minted coin is to render it mere metal. Secondly, to render means to transmit to another. The Greek verb translated as "render" or, as in the New American Bible, the version on which the U.S. Catholic lectionary is based, "repay," transliterates as apodote. Apdote, literally means, "to give" or "to pay."
As our first reading and responsorial Psalm make clear, everything is God's. When you think about the theory of money, especially in our advanced age, it's a pretty flimsy thing. Inherently, that is, in and of itself, money is nothing. Caesar mints a coin, you somehow come to possess some Caesar-minted coins, Caesar asks for some coins back. To you and me the question Jesus is asked and answered prompts "What's the big deal?" To the Jews of Jesus's day, the question was a bit more vexing both religiously and politically.
I suppose one can go two ways when thinking about putting "In God we trust" on our money. In one sense, it can be looked at as an acknowledgment that money has no lasting value. In another sense, it can be seen as blasphemous. It's safe to say that money is a very tempting idol. This is revealed by clichés like, "Everybody has her/his price." Judas's, of course, was thirty pieces of silver.
The fact the Jesus was betrayed for money is significant in this regard. There is an ancient tradition that holds Judas was pilfering from the common purse. This is rooted in his protestation at how much the precious ointment a woman poured on Jesus's feet could be sold for (see Matthew 26:6-13). Jesus basically told Judas to relax because this unnamed woman was rendering to God what is God's.
Rather than seen as a strong statement about the necessity of worldly governments, this passage should be viewed through a double lens. The lens of Jesus's exhortation to worldly poverty and the lens of the apocalyptic ever-present in the Synoptic Gospels, which holds that the world is ending. This way of looking at things is relevant to us, too. If nothing else, your life is fleeting.
Consider Psalm 49:6-9:
Why should I fear in evil days,Beyond that happiness, fulfillment, contentment, satisfaction does not lie in wealth. Rather, it comes from relationships. Jesus invites you into a relationship. This is realized by the power of the Holy Spirit. You relate to the Father through the Son by the Spirit's power. In this way, you render yourself to God. The Gospel does "not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction" (1 Thess 1:5a).
with the iniquity of my assailants surrounding me,
Of those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches?
No man can ransom even a brother,
or pay to God his own ransom.
The redemption of his soul is costly;
and he will pass away forever.
The gifts of bread and wine, along with the collection, symbolize the offering of ourselves to God through Christ by the power of their Spirit. This verse from the Book of Joshua comes to mind:
If it is displeasing to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15)On a side note: it's nice to reflect and write and not have to edit, re-edit, then edit some more. It's also nice that people can read what I write or ignore it as they choose. Much better than the mundane and largely unpleasant chore of "preaching," which may be the world's least effective form of communication.
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