Coin collectors make a hobby of understanding every part of a coin – its size, place of origin, the mineral content, how old it is, and what each word and image on it means. To understand our Gospel today, it helps to know a little about the ancient view of coinage. For instance:
- Coinage was a sign of power. When anyone conquered a nation, the first thing he did was issue his own coinage. That and that alone was the final guarantee of kingship and power.
- Also, where the coin was valid as currency, the kings’ power was held. This power could be measured by the geographical area that used his coins.
- Then, because a coin had the king’s head and inscription on it, it was held to be his personal property. The Roman coin proclaimed that the emperor was divine; this clearly offended the Jews.
- Lastly, the pagan imagery used on coins violated the Jewish rules against making images and idols. But since they had to use these coins in their daily dealings, the way some Rabbis and Jews got around not violating their law was to not even look at the coin.
So, it was not without a bit of cleverness that Jesus even asked his questioners, the Pharisees and Herodians, to bring him a coin. This alone caught them off guard. Then Jesus demanded that they look at it. As soon as his opponents identified the image and inscription as Caesar’s, Jesus had the solution…since the coin belongs to Caesar, it should be returned to him.
The coin had Caesar’s image on it, so it belonged to Caesar. Caesar was owed one denarius for tax purposes. We are created in God’s image, so we have God’s image on us. Our whole being belongs to God for God’s purposes. God always has the priority, and to God we surrender ourselves, our loyalty and our service.
Jesus’ point is a pronouncement about the significance of God’s kingdom. He reminds his opponents of what really counts --- returning to God the things that belong to God.
If we are made in God’s image, we need to reflect that to others. Kindness shown to others, forgiveness offered to someone who hurt us, food we share with the hungry, all image God’s ways.
Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.
