Render - Karen Pourbabaee
“…Then render to Caeser the things that are Caeser’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Mathew 22:21 NAS
Jesus had just triumphantly entered Jerusalem when a group of Pharisees came to ask Him whether it was lawful to give a poll-tax to Caeser. He demanded a show of the coin, a denarius, asking whose image was imprinted upon it. They answered “Caeser”, to which the Lord replied, “Then render to Caeser the things that are Caeser’s and to God the things that are God’s.”
Taxes were nothing new. They existed as early as King Solomon’s time, around 950BC. During Jesus’ time, there were temple taxes, poll taxes, property taxes, taxes on crops and herds, import/export taxes, and taxes on everything bought and sold within Jewish towns. Sound familiar? Taxes were an act of allegiance to the king, a tribute for the king’s protection. When you paid taxes, you identified your king and paid honor to him. But Jesus’ statement had a deeper meaning for us.
In Genesis 1:27, it is revealed that God created us in His own image. Like the denarius imprinted with Caeser’s image, we bear the image of God Himself. And Jesus tells us that day in Jerusalem to render to God the things that are God’s. Render especially means to give in return, to surrender, to submit, to give or pay something owed.
Our lives are like a coin to be spent for the Lord, giving back something owed to The King of Kings. “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans 12:1) Render to God what is God’s. Spend your life for the Lord.
Contact Karen and read more of her articles and books. |
