Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 22:15-22

"Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ensnare him in [his] talk. And they send to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a denarius. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar`s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar`s; and unto God the things that are God`s. And when they heard it, they marvelled, and left him, and went away." — Matthew 22:15-22 (ASV)

Above, the Lord refuted the Pharisees by a parable; here, He manifests His wisdom in a second way by disputing with them. He does so in two ways:

1. By answering.
2. By objecting, where it is said, And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, etc.

The Lord answers three questions:

1. Concerning the paying of tribute.
2. Concerning the resurrection.
3. Concerning the Law.

The second part is where it is said, That day there came to him the Sadducees; and the third part is where it is said, But the Pharisees, hearing, etc.

Regarding the first point, the Evangelist does three things:

1. The question is related.
2. The answer is related.
3. The effect of His answer is related.

The second part is where it is said, But Jesus knowing their wickedness; and the third part is where it is said, And hearing this, they wondered.

In this question, three things are to be considered:

1. The intention of the questioners.
2. The ministers of the questioners.
3. The question of the questioners.

The intention of the questioners is shown when it is said, the Pharisees going made (meaning among themselves) a plan (actually, they made a foolish plan) how to ensnare him in his speech.

And this was foolish, because He was the Word of God, and the Word of God is not comprehensible: We shall say much, and yet shall want words . Now, it was an ungodly plan: Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly (Psalms 1:1). And: Let not my soul go into their counsel (Genesis 49:6).

The ministers are described when he says: And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians. But why did they not go themselves? The reason is that they wanted to question Him deceitfully; therefore, had they gone, there would have been no room for deceit. But the disciples themselves were also deceitful: As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers . With the Herodians.

Who are these Herodians? According to what is mentioned in Luke, Judea was made tributary to the Romans under Herod. This son of Antipater, a foreigner, was made king by the Romans; for that reason, he wanted to compel the Jews to pay tribute to the Romans. Therefore, there were the Herodians, that is to say, his servants deputed to collect Herod’s quota. But this Herod was dead at this time, and he had left three sons. One was Herod Antipas, and this son was then ruling, as it is said in Luke 23, that he was also ruling at the time of the Lord’s death; for that reason, it was easy for his servants to go with them.

But why did they go with the Herodians? One reason is that the Herodians were zealous for the Emperor. For that reason, the disciples of the Pharisees brought them along, so that if He said that the tribute ought to be paid, they might accuse Him to the Pharisees; but if He said that it ought not to be paid, then the Herodians would seize Him. Likewise, these men were unknown, for which reason they supposed that He would not perceive their deceit; therefore, they were acting contrary to that which is written: I have not sat with the council of vanity: neither will I go in with the doers of unjust things (Psalms 25:4). Alternatively, when Judea was made tributary to the Romans, they were divided, because some were saying that the people dedicated to God ought not to be tributary to a man; but others were saying that because Caesar was going to battle for the peace of all, all ought to give tribute to Caesar. Therefore, those who were saying that tribute ought to be given to Caesar were called Herodians.

Having presented the ministers, the question is presented. It unfolds in two parts:

1. The flattery is related.
2. The question is related, where it is said, Tell what dost thou think.

Wicked men begin with flattery: Who speak good things, but evils are in their hearts (Psalms 28:3). They praise Him in three ways:

1. They praise His person.
2. They praise His doctrine.
3. They praise His constancy.

They praise His person on account of His dignity and virtue. They praise Him for His dignity when they say, Master. Although they lie in their hearts, not considering Him a master but a seducer (as it is stated below, Matthew 27:63: We have remembered, that that seducer said: After three days I will rise again, etc.), nevertheless, He was truly a Master, as it is said (Matthew 23:8): One is your master, etc.

Likewise, they praise Him when they say, We know that thou art a true speaker. A true speaker is one who speaks the truth, and this belongs to God and to Him who is joined to God: I said in my excess: Every man is a liar (Psalms 115:11); But God is true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4). Christ is joined to God by union and is therefore a true speaker.

They praise His doctrine when they say, And teachest the way of God in truth. Firstly, it is necessary that one know what one teaches: Which I have learned without guile, and communicate without envy . Likewise, some people teach, but not profitable things; He, on the contrary, teaches profitable things, namely, the way of God: I am the Lord thy God that teach thee profitable things (Isaiah 48:17). Again, some people teach things pertaining to God, but not in truth, such as heretics; He, however, teaches in truth. Concerning this, it is written: Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths, etc. (Psalms 24:4).

They praise Him for His constancy when they say, Neither carest thou for any man, meaning one does not omit, for fear of anyone, what ought to be said or done: Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a mortal man? (Isaiah 51:12). And why is this? For thou dost not regard the person of men, namely, contrary to God. For one respects a person who, for the sake of a human being, omits to say the truth which ought to be said: Neither shall you respect any man’s person (Deuteronomy 1:17).

And see how malicious they were. The question had two parts: whether they ought not to pay tribute (which pertains to God’s honor), or whether they ought to pay (which pertains to the favor of men). Therefore, they wanted Him to seek God’s favor and teach the way of God, so that if He said they ought not to pay (which they preferred), He would be immediately seized by the Herodians.

The question follows: Tell us therefore… Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Tribute was money given per person.

The answer follows: But Jesus knowing their wickedness, said. He answers their thoughts first, and then their words, where it is said, Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.

It belongs to a human being to answer words, but to God to answer thoughts. Therefore, since Christ is God and man, it follows that He answers both: The searcher of hearts and reins is God (Psalms 7:10).

Ye hypocrites. He rightly calls them hypocrites, because hypocrites are properly those who have one thing in their mouth and another in their heart. Why do you tempt me? For this was forbidden: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Deuteronomy 6:16).

These men addressed Christ with smooth talk; Christ, however, answers harshly, because He is responding to their hearts, not to their words. Likewise, an example is given to us that we ought not to believe flatterers: A prince that gladly heareth lying words, hath all his servants wicked (Proverbs 29:12).

Similarly, when one wishes to answer, one cannot better refute an opponent than by using their own words. Therefore, He first puts forth a question, and then He draws the truth from their answer. First, He asks about a coin, and then He asks about its appearance, for He wished to show their intention clearly: The learning of the wise is easy (Proverbs 14:6).

He says: Shew me the coin of the tribute, namely, the denarius that is given for the tribute. This denarius is worth ten ases, and everyone paid one denarius.

Then He asks about its appearance, saying, Whose image and inscription is this? For writing is put on every type of State money, and so it was on this coin. They say, Caesar’s: do not think that they are referring to Caesar Augustus, but to Tiberius Caesar. And you should know that the Lord was not asking due to ignorance, but rather due to the need to impart the truth gradually. He was certainly old enough, and had lived among men long enough, to know well the appearance of the denarius, but He asked in order to make an illustration. Afterwards, He concludes the truth, Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s; it is as if He said: “You belong to God and to Caesar, and you have for your use what belongs to God and to Caesar.

You have natural riches from God, namely, bread and wine, and from these, give to God. You have these man-made things, such as the denarii, from Caesar, and render these to Caesar.” Mystically, it is as follows: “We have a soul which is made to God’s image; for that reason, we ought to render it to God. In regard to the things that we have from the world, we ought to have peace with the world.” Holy men, even in this life, have been raised up from the world; nevertheless, because they have social intercourse with others in the world, they ought to strive after Babylon’s peace, as it is stated in Baruch 1.

And this is because all things that are of the flesh, which are of the world, or of the men with whom they live, they render to God. The effect follows: And hearing this, they wondered and, leaving him, went their ways.

This was surprising, because when His wisdom was seen they should have been converted; but they could not catch Him, and so they withdrew: Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me: it is high, and I cannot reach to it (Psalms 138:6).