There’s this wonderful interaction between Jesus and some spies recorded in Luke 20. These spies have been sent by the religious power brokers to catch him saying something that could discredit him, either in the eyes of the people or the eyes of the law. So they ask him a question about a divisive issue of that day:
“Is it right to pay taxes to our Roman occupiers?”
As he so often does, Jesus avoids the trap altogether and answers their question with a question of his own. Referring to a Roman coin he asks, “whose image is on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they reply.
“Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Luke 20:25)
Boom! The spies are astonished at his response and they realize they can’t trap him in anything he’s said. Jesus wins!
That’s usually as deep as my thinking goes, but Jesus’s response raises another question: if we are to give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s, then what is God’s? Whatever bears his image. Just as the coin bore Caesar’s image, we are to give back to God whatever bears His image. But what bears God’s image?
You do.
In the very first chapter of the Bible, we are told “God created mankind in his own image” (Genesis 1:27). You and I bear the indelible fingerprints of the Creator. We were made by Him and for Him. This means that when it comes to giving God what is rightfully His, all He wants is us - every part of us, not just a small piece.
He’s not satisfied only being acknowledged for an hour on Sunday. He is with us in every moment of every day. He’s not content being invited into certain portions of our lives, the parts we deem spiritual. He wants access to every part of our lives, including how we invest our time and money, and how we work and play and rest.
You are an image bearer of God, a uniquely beautiful representation of His heart in this world. So give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.
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