'Let us not complicate life by overexplaining the Gospel' | National Catholic Reporter

'Let us not complicate life by overexplaining the Gospel' | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: While there is something to be said for taking the words at face value and seeing how they speak to you in the now, a little biblical scholarship helps a lot.  For example, on the question of paying taxes to Rome, the money quote was not just what Jesus said, but where he got the coin.  Roman currency (like our own - how deep is that) had the graven image of the emperor (who had divinized himself).  Jews were not supposed to carry such things - they made you unclean and a collaborator. That collaborators were questioning him on this issue is rich - especially as they will deliver him to Pilate in just a few days.