In writing this column, I spent a lot of time mulling over a strange question: if I had a coin with Caesar’s face on it, could I use it to pay for my morning coffee?

I’m sure many of you know the feeling of sweating over a hot stove for an hour to create a dish that a small, picky eater will push away, lips curled with disgust.

I’ve always thought the Parable of the Tenants could be a storyline on one of those “world’s dumbest criminals” shows. It’s easy to dismiss the tenants as paranoid.

I wonder what was so important. The man gave both his sons the same order: go out and work in the vineyard today. One son said yes, and yet one son refused.

Sometimes, the Gospel takes everything you think you know about Jesus, throws it in a box, dumps it on the floor, looks you in the eye and says: “Clean it up.”

I had called the hospital system’s financial services department to set up a payment plan on a balance I owed after having some unexpected scans and tests.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives instructions for ministering to those persisting in error. Here’s the CliffsNotes version: “treat him like a tax collector.”

Carry the cross? Absolutely. I’m happy to! Hand it over. Here’s the thing: I just might … set it down for a second, from time to time. That’s okay, right? What?