17 And Jesus said to them, “Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at Him.
-Mark 12:17
Jesus’ injunction in the above passage is often used to exhort Christians to pay their taxes to the government and their tithes to the church. While this is an obvious lesson to be learned here, the deeper point Jesus was making is immensely powerful and challenging.
Because the question the Pharisees asked had to do with taxes and Jesus answered with a reference to a coin, many who study this passage never move beyond its financial implications. To access the full meaning of Jesus’ teaching here you must go a bit further and consider Jesus’ use of the word “image”. One of the most meaningful events in Scripture is recounted in the book of Genesis as God created Adam in his own image. The ramifications of this creative act are extremely far-reaching. As image-bearers we share a bond with our creator that separates us from both angels and animals. The image of God impressed upon us both provides us with intrinsic value and signifies God’s ownership over our entire lives.
Another way that Jesus’s instructions could be worded might be “render unto Caesar that which bears his image and unto God that which bears His image” In other words, pay your taxes to the government but dedicate your entire being to God. Your life, your family, your finances, your work, and your will.
While Scripture directs us to give financially to God’s work, the architect and creator of the entire universe doesn’t actually need our money. What God truly desires from us is the total surrender of our lives to him.
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