Friday, July 5, 2024  

---

Today's Scripture
Matthew 22:15–22

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. (NRSV)

---

Reflection

It was a trap. The Pharisees and the Herodians go to Jesus, flatter him, and pose a question designed to cause him to stumble. Should Jesus affirm Rome’s taxation, he will upset his followers. Should he speak against it, he risks being charged with treason. And so Jesus does what he does best and flips their trap into a teaching. With a Roman coin as his tool, he instructs the crowd to give (or a better translation, “give back”) the coin. It is not theirs, but Ceasar’s. Ceasar determines its value and its power. It is under Ceasar’s control and is an instrument of his realm.

But not all things belong to Caesar, for Jesus adds that we should give back to God that which is God’s. And what exactly belongs to God? Us. Our trust. Our commitment. Our very lives. Just as the coin bears the image of the emperor, we bear the image of God. So the coin belongs to Ceasar, but we belong to God. Jesus finds a way out of no way and manages to both affirm the taxation and make it irrelevant. Ceasar’s realm is nothing compared to God’s. Caesar’s realm and power are mortal, limited, and God’s is eternal.

Here’s what Jesus is telling us: Everything we have and everything that we are belongs to God. Our true worth and value are determined not by mortals but by the one who fashioned us with breath and body and being. We are instruments in God’s realm, not Ceasar’s. So sure, give back that which belongs to Ceasar, for it does not matter in comparison to what belongs to God: you.

---

Prayer
O God, everything I have and everything I am belongs to you alone, for you have set my value and worth greater than all the riches of the world. And in return, I offer my thanksgiving, commitment, and awe. Amen.

---

Written by Shawn Fiedler, Major Gift Officer

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email