Friday 16th October 11.35

w/c Sunday 18^th October 2026

Dear Friends,

Thought for the week:

In our gospel reading this week we have two parties who disagree with each other, uniting to try to catch Jesus out; they think, to make him incriminate himself.
The Herodians are the ultimate collaborators with Rome and are doing very nicely thank you, out of it.
The Pharisees are supposedly opposed to Roman rule but certainly not immune from making deals with their overlords when it suits them!
One might not therefore, expect to see much harmony on the payment of the Imperial Tax.
The consequences for non-payment were grave and this tax was a legal obligation, to be paid in Roman currency which was hated by many,
including the pharisees, as a symbol of Roman oppression.
Reading from verse 16:

 “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. ¹⁷ Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

Jesus confounds them with His famous reply from v 18:

 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

²¹ “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.”

Whatever they thought about the Romans, they lived under their rule and protection.
Hence, they were legally obliged to pay their taxes, as we are today; to ensure good functioning of society, the NHS, education, our infrastructure and so on. However, who we really are is where our heart is and that is God’s domain.
In his letter to the Romans (Ch 14 v 17) Paul writes that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
We are to obey the law but through faith we are citizens of a higher Kingdom.

Elsewhere in Matthew’s Gospel, the Beatitudes suggest that whatever brings wholeness, transformation and healing to communities, is a form of resistance to the “secular” worldview or ethos.
With Kingdom values, we give back to God what is God’s and shine as lights in the darkness.

David Harwood

Lectionary Readings for 18^th October

• Isaiah 35:3-6 or Acts 16:6-12a
• Psalm 147:1-7
• 2 Timothy 4:5-17
• Luke 10:1-9

Notices and Diary

• Shoe Box Appeal – leaflets at the back of the church, the Village Shop & the Toll House, more information available at https://linktohope.co.uk/. All boxes to be handed in by 6^th November. Any questions to Liz Rider

Parish lunch in the church room on Wednesday 14th from 12.30 – 1.30

Sunday 18th in the church room, coffee at 8.30 Year of Prayer 8.45 – 9.15

Wed 21^th Oct                St Petroc’s Morning Prayer at 8.30am

Thought for the week at 10am by zoom and telephone

St Petroc’s Parish Lunch 12.30-1.30pm

Fri 23rd Oct                  Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone