Some religious men approach Jesus with a difficult question. They ask whether people should pay taxes to Caesar, the Roman emperor. They hope his answer will get him into trouble with the people or with Rome.
Jesus asks them to show him a coin. He points to the image stamped on it and asks whose face it bears. They answer that it bears Caesar’s image. Then Jesus tells them to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God. His answer turns a question about money into a question about how they live before God.
The coin bears Caesar’s image, while human beings bear God’s image. Today, we have the opportunity to reflect on whose image we carry: the world’s and its riches, or God’s image of a faithful disciple.
As Christians, we know we belong to God as his beloved children. Giving ourselves to him means allowing his love to shape our thoughts, choices, and actions. Our response is more than words or worship; it includes how we treat the people God places before us.
Our love for God should be a lived practice that all can witness: we speak honestly, serve with humility and care, and treat those who disagree with us with respect.
Amid today’s politically divisive environment, we must live with the expectation that our actions demonstrate that every person remains someone God created and loves.