Today’s scripture: Matthew 22:15-22 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Tyler Connoley):
Then Jesus said to them, “Whose image 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.”
Recently, a friend transformed this parable for me by asking a simple question: “If Caesar’s image was found on the coin, where do we find God’s image in the world?”
Think about that. Where is God’s image? Well, according to Genesis 1:27, “God created humankind in God’s image.” You and I are where God’s image is found. So if we’re supposed to give the emperor the coins that bear his face, doesn’t it follow that we should give God the those things that bear God’s likeness, namely ourselves?
But what does it mean to give ourselves to God? There’s a beautiful old hymn that I think captures the essence of giving ourselves to God. It says:
O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
When we strive to align our lives with God’s call, when we try to be more godly in our interactions with others, when we love our neighbor as ourselves, we are asking God to stamp God’s image indelibly on us.
Prayer for the day: God, help me live the kind of life that let’s people know I belong to you. Let them see your image when they look at me. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.