Quomodo voluerunt Jesum capere in sermone
Jesus Sought to Save, but They Sought to Destroy
Jesus labored for the salvation of the Jews, yet they responded by trying every means to trap and destroy him, but their scrutiny found nothing against him.
Just as the Lord Jesus made every effort to bring about the salvation of the Jews, so they, on the contrary, tried by every means they could to bring him down and destroy him. Therefore they thought to deceive him, but their close examination came up empty.1
The Trap of the Tax Question
The Pharisees and Herodians conspired to ask Jesus whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, hoping his answer would make him hated by either Caesar or the Jewish crowd.
They sent their own disciples, however, along with Herod's associates, from a deliberate plan, to ask whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not.✦2 For they thought this would make him hated either by Caesar or by the crowd of Jews, since he would have no answer except one that went against himself.3
The Searcher of Hearts Answers
Jesus, knowing their malice, exposed their hypocrisy and answered that what belongs to God should be rendered to God and what belongs to Caesar to Caesar, sending the conspirators away in shame.
But he, the searcher of hearts, knowing their malice, answered that what belongs to God should be rendered to God, and what belongs to Caesar to Caesar, calling them hypocrites, who deceived with flattering words while their hearts spoke deceitfully.✦4 And so, cheated of their purpose, they withdrew in shame.5
Render What Is Due to Lords as to Caesar
The passage draws a devotional lesson that just as Caesar's tax was owed, so prelates and temporal lords must not be defrauded of their dues, and withholding taxes, tithes, and owed payments is sinful.
Therefore observe him carefully, just as you had him set out above in the general tradition; and also consider here that the Lord does not will that prelates and temporal lords be defrauded of what is owed to them. So it is a sin, and forbidden, to withhold the payments, taxes, tithes, and other dues that are duly and equally required through temporal lords.6
Uncertain Textual Fragment
The chapter closes with two fragmentary or corrupted textual readings whose meaning is uncertain, likely scribal errors or abbreviations in the source manuscript.
[Uncertain reading; possibly an abbreviation or truncated word — source text fragmentary.] [Unidentified form; possibly a scribal error, abbreviation, or non-standard spelling — source text uncertain.]
Read the original Latin
Sicut multis modis Dominus Jesus nitebatur operari Judaeorum salutem, ita e contrario illi, omnibus quibus poterant modis, conabantur ad ejus detractionem et interitum. Cogitaverunt igitur eum decipere, sed * defecerunt scrutanies scrutinio. Miserunt autem ^ ex deliberato consilio discipulos suos cum familiaribus Herodis regiSj ut quaererent, si liceat dare censum Coesari, an non? Cogitabant enim, quod ex hoc eum redderent exosum, vel Cassavi, vel turbae Judeeorum, quasi non posset nisi contra se respondere. At ipse scrutator cordium cognoscens eorum malitiam, respondit quod quae ad Deum pertinebant, Deo, et quae ad Caesarem, Caesari redderentur: vocans eos hypocritas, qui verbis blandis, animo fallaciloquebantur. Uli ergo sua intentione fraudati, cum verecundia recesserunt. Conspice igitur attente ipsum, ut supra in generali traditione habuisti; et etiam considera hic, quod non vult Dominus, quod praelati et domini temporales in suo debito defraudentur. Unde peccatum est et inhibitum nonsolvere pe- Pec^ dagia, et gabellas, et decimas, et dativa alia, '^"^"^^^ quae per temporales dominos debite et aequali- dar ter ordinantur.
^"l'. vedsgi
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.22.17;Mark.12.14;Luke.20.22 — Tell us, then: what do you think? Is it lawful to pay the poll tax to Caesar, or not? Mark.12.14 — And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's status, for you do not regard the face of people, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay the tax to Caesar, or not?" Luke.20.22 — Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
- ↩Matt.22.21;Mark.12.17;Luke.20.25 — They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Mark.12.17 — And Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. Luke.20.25 — But he said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'scrutanies' is an unusual form, likely a variant of scrutinium ('scrutiny' or 'close examination'). The sense is that their attempt to trap him through careful questioning failed.
- 2 ↩The form 'regiSj' appears to be a scribal error for 'regis' (genitive singular of rex). The translation reads the intended sense 'of Herod the king' or simply 'of Herod.'
- 3 ↩The form 'Cassavi' is uncertain. It may be a scribal corruption of 'Caesari' (to Caesar) or a proper name. The translation renders the most plausible intended sense: that answering 'yes' to the tax question would make him hated by the Jews, while answering 'no' would put him at odds with Caesar.
- 4 ↩The form 'fallaciloquebantur' is a rare compound verb, possibly a scribal coinage meaning 'they spoke deceitfully' or 'they dealt treacherously in their hearts.' The translation renders the sense of inner duplicity.
- 5 ↩The form 'Uli' appears to be a scribal error for 'illi' (they). The translation reads the intended sense.
- 6 ↩The source text 'pe- Pec^ dagia' is corrupt and difficult to resolve. 'Pe' and 'Pec' appear to be fragments or scribal errors, possibly for 'pecunia' (money/payments). 'Dagia' is uncertain. The translation reconstructs the most plausible intended sense: various kinds of payments or dues owed to temporal authorities.
Meditationes Vitae Christi (Pseudo-Bonaventure), Castilian court context companion
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