I stayed up late last night pulling together my tax information, one of my least favorite things to do. I just read the GPS readings for today and what would it be: The priests and scribes ask Jesus, Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? And Jesus famous reply, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. Great timing! Heres something Ive appreciated about that text: The question was at attempt to trap Jesus. The people hated paying taxes to Caesar. If Jesus says yes, he risks alienating the masses. If he says no, this further solidifies the case that he is leading an insurrection. In the first case the people reject him. In the second, Rome kills him. He asks the priests for a coin that was used to pay taxes. It was a Roman denarius with an image of the emperor on it. He asks, whose image is on it? The question was brilliant. In Aramaic, the language Jesus and the priests spoke, when Jesus asks, whose image is on it? the word for image was likely the same word used in Genesis noting that God created humanity in his image. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars [the coins with his icon on them] but to God the things that are Gods not only got him out of a pickle on the trick question - who could argue with his logic about coins with the emperors face on them - but his deeper point was that we as humans are made in Gods image - we are the things that are Gods and therefore were meant to render our hearts and lives to God. On Tuesday Im going to pay Caesar his due, but each morning when I wake up I offer to God what belongs to God - and what is that? Our lives, our hearts, our energy, our time, our lips, our thoughts, our influence, our all - which are a gift from him, I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what you will… These next four days we will be called upon to render to Caesar what is Caesars, but dont forget the more important task is to render to God the things that are Gods.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Apr 2014 14:57:55 +0000
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