PODCAST
Divine Imprint
December 5th, 2022
Colossians 1:15-21
When Jesus is handed the currency of taxation, staring at it, He asks, “‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’” (Matthew 22:20-21).
It appears the implications are simple. Pay your taxes. However, any “expert in the Law” understood the weight of this response. Ultimately, at stake is the image. Attributing too much authority to the image of something created is the essence of idolatry. The coin may bear the image of Caesar, but Caesar bore the image of God. The currency is inconsequential. It’s a question of authority and submission, creation and Creator, temporary thrones or an eternal kingdom.
We are often tempted to render our lives and our likeness to our preferred Caesars hoping they might save us. We must be reminded that the currency of their thrones and the legacy of their leadership is temporary and often forgotten, but the eternal kingdom of Jesus will remain.
Author: Jeff Stark
