Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

 *** Der Originaltext von Holger Schmidtke auf Deutsch wurde gestern im Blog eingestellt. Bitte einfachen einen Post nach unten scrollen.

The Bible text is from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 22 . The translation to Holger's prayer was done by Hugh Blair, who is one of the volunteers in our Evensong team at Berlin Cathedral. Thank you, Hugh.

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. 

Prayer: God, mirror of clarity, in our everyday lives we sometimes do not know clearly how to tell between what is needed at any moment and what is not. In our confusion we embroil others, pass judgment, causing such unease for ourselves and for others. We ask you root our hearts in your presence so that at every moment we embrace and do that which is right. Give us the courage to stand by this clarity and not blot ourselves out further in the tangled undergrowth through explanation and argumentation.
God, mirror of clarity, in our doings with others we often cause confusion because we do many things from self-centeredness and then disguise them with a sense of piety or goodwill without realizing that we do not have the people near us at all in mind. We ask you root our hearts in your presence so that in the face of our neighbour we may recognize your image and that this clarity may provide us with a life of fellowship and dignity, where each has the chance to unfold the treasure of her or his personality for the benefit of all.
God, mirror of clarity, in the coexistence of peoples there is a swell of confusion in which some individuals increase their power and wealth at the expense of others. Wars, hatred, injustice, and oppression are the consequences such that so many suffer. We think in particular of refugees and of areas of conflict over the world. We ask you root our hearts in your presence so that at every moment we assume our responsibility and no longer condone the disfigurement of the face of this world. Give us courage to venture on new paths of reconciliation and harmony among people.