The Image of God: Part 2

The passage from Matthew 22 occurs when Jesus has already traveled to Jerusalem.  He has warned his disciples that he must suffer at the hands of the elders and chief priests, be killed, and be raised.  You remember that passage – Peter objects, and Jesus says, “get behind me, Satan.” 

This scripture from Matthew is the first of three conflict stories, all in chapter 22. In these stories, various groups of leaders challenge Jesus.  In our passage today, we find the Herodians and the Pharisees approaching him with a question. Herodians are supporters of the Roman Empire (including Herod Antipas – who had been named King of the Jews by Rome). They supported paying taxes to Rome. The Pharisees, who were committed to Jewish laws, opposed paying taxes to Caesar mainly because of the special coin that had to be used – the coin carried the image of the “divine Caesar” – they saw the use of the coin as a violation of both the first (you shall have no other gods before me) and second (no worship of idols) commandments.  These two groups shared nothing in common except a desire to see Jesus gone. So together, they come up with a plan to trick him.

They ask Jesus, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”  I imagine, like me, they are hoping for a simple answer.  The Herodians hope he will oppose paying taxes – imagine the trouble Jesus would be in – he could then be accused of treason or sedition.  The Pharisees hope he will approve paying taxes – Jesus could then be viewed as a Roman sympathizer, who promotes breaking the Jewish law. 

But Jesus doesn’t provide a simple answer. He asks for the coin and says, “Whose head is this and whose title?” 21 They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”

If I close my eyes and imagine the scene, I can see Jesus, holding the silver denarius that was used to pay the tax. On one side is the image of the emperor, with an inscription declaring divinity of Tiberius. He’s holding a coin that declared a man to be divine – a coin with the image of a god (with a little g). I’m struck by the arrogant pomposity of the coin – here is Jesus, who is God, holding a coin with words declaring that a mere man is god. I wonder what Jesus thought. 

His response “give to Caeser what belongs to Caeser” accomplishes two things: Jesus recognizes that we have obligations as members of society – sorry, but yes, you should pay taxes. But beyond that, Jesus reduces this coin to something inconsequential when he says, give “to God the things that are God’s.”

If we think about this coin that declared Tiberius was god, we can consider the question – what are the things that are God’s (big G). What has the image of God on it? 

Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”

You and I are made in the image of God. God’s image is seen on us. What belongs to God? We do.