In Whose Image

We have been pummeled in recent days with campaign rhetoric, media spin, half-truths and other examples of tortured logic, all in the good cause of seeking the victory of one candidate and the defeat of another. What wins that have occurred seem to have come too often at the defeat of solid reasoning and glimpses of truth. But all’s fair in love and war, and politics seems to fit into both categories. Lest we think this is proof of the deterioration of Western culture, we might notice the Pharisees were employing the same tricks in the time of Jesus. It’s a proven strategy: if you wish to embarrass your opponent, ask him a question that cannot be answered without displeasing somebody. This juxtaposition of taxes to Caesar and reverence for God seemed ideal for their purpose. If Jesus sides with the orthodox Jew, as he is expected to do, he will be in trouble with the Roman governors. On the other hand, if he sides with the Roman authorities, which is the expedient and politic thing to do, the Jews will be offended. Either way, Jesus will be discredited.

His reply, coupled with a bit of showmanship, seems like a simple trick of slipping through the thicket of opposing opinion. It is not really an answer. Today’s politician uses that tactic all the time. Don’t like the question asked you? Answer one you do like. “Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and unto God what belongs to God.” Very well: Jesus has demonstrated he is an obedient citizen as well as a legitimate son of Abraham. Put down your spears and your stones, folks: this man out-foxed you.

Unfortunately, for too many of us, this easy answer isn’t as easy as it looks. On first reading, it merely proposes we live in a society of divided loyalties and it is appropriate that we support both. Yes, we can have our cake and eat it too, if you will. However, if you push that logic very far, you find yourself in a divided world where God gets his divine due and Caesar gets his. So who gets the 54 inch flat screen TV and who gets the BMW? Well, that’s not too hard to answer. What would God do with either of them? Caesar can have the sales tax, we’ll keep the BMW.

But there’s a deeper issue here, and both Jesus and the Pharisees knew it. The question isn’t just about taxes, it’s about loyalty. Who comes first: Caesar of God? I enjoyed the days when Ken Jennings racked up a $2,500.000 prize winnings at Jeopardy. I really hated to see his winning streak come to an end. And part of the fun was to hear him freely acknowledge that 10% of his winnings were already ear-marked for his church. He didn’t question it; he didn’t seem to be trying to find loopholes that would allow him to keep a little more of his gains. His church was, no doubt, watching each day’s performance and tallying its share by the time the last commercial came on the air. Some might point out that, at two and a half million, he could well afford to give his ten percent to his church. It may have been a handy write off. That’s beside the point. I enjoyed the smile and the sparkle in his eye that suggested he had no problem paying God his dues.

There are others, however, who find such decisions foolish. Come on! That’s a lot of money. Let’s be practical here. God’s kingdom is not of this world. God does not need our shekels. Have we not already been told “The love of money is the root of all evil?” The church should have no accumulated wealth. It’s not good for it. God wants cheerful hearts, not soiled money bags. Others counter, “That may well be, but there are light bills to pay, repairs on the roof, salaries for the employees, and that takes money. Trying to decide what belongs to this world and what to the next isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Besides, dividing the world into two realities tends to marginalize God and make the religious life totally separate from this world. We are strangers on this earth. We belong to the eternal city of God. We don’t have to worry about this world and its needs. I still remember calling on the pastor of another church in the town where I lived to ask him about a possible donation to the community United Fund. His look of shock was a revelation. He quickly corrected me by telling me he and his church did not participate in such endeavors. In other words, their loyalty was to another world and not this.

I have trouble with this “two world” notion. In the very first chapter of Genesis, we are told God created this world and pronounced it good. Whatever else we may think of the manner in which this creation took place, I think we are on respectably solid ground when we affirm God made us and blessed what he made. I see nothing here suggesting we are now to despise and neglect it, use it up, and throw away the heritage of future generations because “This world doesn’t really count. We should only be concerned about escaping this earthly realm and do our best to deserve a blessed eternity in the life that is to come.” If that were really true, why on earth did God create this world in the first place?

No, this two-world concept is too divisive, it puts God too far out of our world, especially as we learn more and more about the vast reaches of the universe. I want to look again at this vignette of Jesus. We see him take a coin and ponder it for a moment and then ask “whose image is this?” The answer is clear: “Caesar”. The image of Caesar is etched on a coin. Have you stopped to think where God’s image is etched? Ah, intriguing question. The answer was read in our scripture this morning. The first chapter of Genesis, the creation story, says plainly “Let us make human beings in our own image.” The image of God resides in you and me.

Granted, theologians will quickly point out that we have fallen from that original image. We have not kept the image polished. The only one who clearly reflects the Image of God is Jesus Christ. And that point is well taken. However, the faith of the Christian adds, “Christ restored that image in us.” However we look at Jesus’ life and death, this much is clear, we have been cleansed, we have been redeemed, and we have been given the status of children of God. This may be adoption, we may not have deserved such a name originally (although I have long believed there was more of that original image in us than we’re usually given credit for), there’s no question the prodigal child has been welcomed home, the broken relationship has been mended, we now live free men and women, beloved by God and now channels of God’s love that reaches out to all the world.

The Image of God is stamped on us. We don’t “look” like God: heavens, who dares claim what God really looks like? We wear the image of God in our capacity to be like God – that is, we can reason, we can enter into relationships with one another, we can empathize, we show compassion, in a word, we LOVE. That is the important sign of the Image of God. The First Epistle of John declares this truth most clearly. “God is love, and when we love we show God”. It’s that simple and that clear.

Now hear Jesus’ answer: “Whose image is this?” Ah, render Caesar the respect and support to which he is entitled, but render to God what belongs to God. And that something is far bigger, far more important, far more powerful than mere coins. We render to God what belongs to God when we give yourselves to God.

When you approach the Joash chest this morning, you will be performing a symbolic act. You will be giving as the widow gave. Your promise to support God’s ministry through the ministry of this church is sealed with this visible token of your giving. But I hope it will be a moment for you to consider the greater gift: your life, your being, the essence of all your hopes and dreams, of your creativity, your unique view of the world, your imagination, your passion, all that makes you completely and entirely you.

Because, finally, ultimately, completely we do belong to God. Amen