Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22, NRSV)
Have you ever been asked a question that there wasn’t a good answer for?
That is what those questioning Jesus ask Him here. Taxes are a hot button issue now and in Jesus’ day.
So they ask Him if they should pay taxes…
So He asks for a coin, a denarius. This coin would have been something like the picture here, on the one side with the profile of Tiberius Caesar and the inscription “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus”. And Jesus asked those questioning Him, “whose head is this, and whose title?” So they said Caesar…
And Jesus’ response is a bit amazing, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
You see Jesus did not come to establish a political kingdom in opposition to Caesar. He came to help us understand how we are to live and what God is asking from us.
But if we actually break down Jesus’ answer it gets a little deep, really quick…
You see the coin had Caesar’s image and is easily identifiable as Caesar’s then, but what has God’s image on it?
If this is what shows us what is Caesar’s and what is God’s by their image on it, what has God’s image…
The word for head in our reading is actually the word image, and it is the same word used in a passage from the Hebrew Scriptures:
“Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; …. So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:26-27)
And it is used again in Genesis 5:1: “This is the list of the descendants of Adam. When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God.”
And again in Genesis 9:6: “… for in his own image God made humankind.”
So what is stamped with the image of God?
Or what contains the image of God?
We are. All of us. Every last little minute part and tiniest thought belong to God because they were created in the image of God.
So we have to pay taxes, but we also have to give the whole of our lives to God.
A friend of mine, Brian Stoffregen, said it this way:
Some may give God their minds,
but have hearts far from God.
Some may give God their hearts,
but are unwilling to learn from God in the Word
Some may give God their muscles,
but are unwilling to bring their bodies to worship or education classes.
Many give God 1 or 2 hours a week,
but God wants all 168 hours a week.
Many give God 2% of their income, perhaps think about 10%
but God wants 100%.
We have to give the whole of our lives to God.
aSacredRebel 