DAY 77 of #100daysofJesus - Render Unto God the Things that Are God's

 DAY 77 of #100daysofJesus

Once again a scheming group of Pharisees and Herodians approached Jesus with a diabolic snare.

Their carefully crafted question was this time: "What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?"

Were Jesus to answer "yes," he would be accused of betraying his heritage, for the people suffered greatly under Roman oppression. But on the other hand, if he to answer "no" he would be proved a threat to the political stability and arrested for insurrection.

But the wisdom of God is greater than that of the devil.

Jesus asked to see a coin, and when one was brought to him, he asked "Whose is the image and superscription?"

"Caesar's" was the obvious response, which he received.

Then the profound response that disarmed the wicked questioners and caused them to leave, marveling:

"Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s."

Two lessons jump out at me here.

The first is obvious - we are expected to obey the laws of the land in which we reside. We should be law-abiding, tax-paying citizens.

The second is less obvious but more important.

What does Jesus mean by rendering "unto God the things that are God's?"

The Roman coin carried the image of Caesar, clearly indicating it was Caesar's. Whose image do we carry on our souls?

"God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

We are all created in the image of God, and this rendering could easily represent our return to our heavenly home to live again with God. Was that not Jesus' mission?

I like how the late prophet Howard W Hunter described this:

"As the coin bore the image of Caesar, so these and all men bore the image of God, their Heavenly Father. They had been created by him in the likeness of his image, and Jesus was to provide a way for them to return to him."

Jesus is our way back. He is our hope and our salvation. His grace and mercy are extended to all, even to YOU and ME. Trust Jesus.

(Matthew 22:15-22, Genesis 1:27, His Final Hours by Howard W Hunter (http://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.../05/his-final-hours))