To Whom Do We Belong?
Lessons, Proper 24A: Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-13; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; and, Matthew 22:15-22.
The Gospel today presents one of Jesus’ most famous and profound teachings. Confronted by opponents who hope to trap him, Jesus is asked whether it is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor. It is not an innocent question. If he rejects the tax, he can be accused of rebellion against Rome. If he supports it, he risks alienating those who resent Roman occupation. It appears to be a no-win situation. But Jesus refuses to accept the false choice.
Asking for a coin, Jesus inquires whose image and title it bears. The denarius that Jesus was given quite likely carried the image of Tiberius Caesar and the inscription, "Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus." The reverse side identified him as the chief priest of the empire. Every coin was a reminder of Rome's political power and its claim that the emperor claimed not just a sacred status but a divine one. Holding the coin before his questioners, Jesus exposes the assumptions embedded within it. “Who’s head is this, and whose title?” Jesus asked. When they answer, “The emperor’s.” The coin bore Caesar's image and advances Caesar's claims, so Jesus says, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s…” The coin may be returned to Caesar because Caesar has laid claim to it.
But human beings bear a different image entirely. From the beginning, we learn that humanity is created in the image and likeness of God. We are created in the image and likeness of God. If that coin belonged to Caesar because it bore Caesar's image…”[give] to God the things that are God’s.” Our lives — our identity — belong to God because we bear God's image.
While at first glance, this narrative may seem like a simple lesson about civic responsibility, but the issue at hand is not taxes, but allegiance. To whom do we belong? What claims our loyalty, our trust, our hopes, and our hearts?
This question connects directly with Paul’s words to the Thessalonians. Paul rejoices that they “turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.” Their conversion was not merely a matter of adopting new beliefs. It was a transfer of allegiance. They stopped giving their lives to false gods and entrusted themselves instead to the living God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Few of us are tempted to bow before golden statues or worship pagan deities. Yet modern idols surround us and constantly compete for our devotion. Like the gods of old, they promise security, meaning, and fulfillment, but they can never deliver what they promise. The challenge for us is that idols have not disappeared. They have simply changed their appearance.
One of the most powerful idols of our age is greed. We live in a culture that frequently measures success by possessions, income, and accumulation. We are tempted to believe that if we simply acquire a little more, we will finally be satisfied. Yet the desire for more has no natural stopping point. Greed consistently asks for one more purchase, one more investment, one more achievement. It consumes our attention and shapes our priorities. What begins as a useful tool easily becomes a false god demanding our devotion.
Another idol is power. We are often attracted to control, influence, and status. We believe that power will protect us from vulnerability and uncertainty. Yet power has a way of becoming addictive. The more we possess, the more we fear losing it. The kingdom of God offers a different vision. Jesus teaches that true greatness is found not in domination but in service. The Lord who possesses all authority kneels to wash the feet of his disciples.
A third idol is the love of violence. Violence always presents itself as strength. It promises quick solutions and immediate victories. It urges us to strike first, to punish harshly, to overcome opponents through force. Yet the God revealed in Christ chooses another path. Jesus triumphs not through the sword but through the cross. He defeats hatred through love and overcomes evil through self-giving sacrifice. Whenever we place our trust in coercion, aggression, or domination, we are tempted to serve an idol rather than the living God.
There is also the idol of judgment. We live in an age of constant criticism and outrage. We often find it easier to condemn others than to examine ourselves. Judgment can provide a false sense of righteousness. We elevate ourselves by focusing on the failures of others. Yet Christ repeatedly calls us to humility, mercy, and self-examination. The more we delight in condemnation, the more likely we are to forget our own need for grace.
These idols share something important in common. They demand what belongs to God. They seek our loyalty, our trust, our energy, and our identity. They promise freedom but ultimately lead to bondage. They promise life but leave us empty.
This is why Jesus’ words about the coin remain so powerful. He is not simply drawing a line between religion and government. He is reminding us that there are things that belong to Caesar, but there are also things that belong only to God. The danger comes when Caesar, or wealth, or power, or judgment claims what properly belongs to the Lord.
Every one of us must answer the question hidden within the Gospel. If a coin bearing Caesar’s image is returned to Caesar, what should happen to a life bearing God’s image? The answer is that we give ourselves to God. Not merely our Sunday mornings, not merely our private beliefs, but our whole selves. Our thoughts, words, relationships, priorities, resources, and aspirations all belong to the One whose image we bear.
The good news is that this surrender is not a loss but a liberation. The Thessalonians discovered that when they turned from idols to serve the living and true God. In abandoning false gods, they found genuine freedom. No longer enslaved by fear, status, possessions, or public approval, they became known for their faith, hope, and love.
The same invitation stands before us today. Christ calls us to examine the competing loyalties that seek to claim our hearts and to place God at the center once again. When we do, greed gives way to generosity, power becomes service, violence yields to peace, and judgment is transformed into mercy.
“Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” May we remember that we ourselves bear the image of God. And because we belong to God, may we offer him not only our worship, but our very lives, serving the living and true God with faith, hope, and love. Amen.
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