Matthew recounts the story in Matthew 22:17-21 where Jesus is speaking with the Pharisees and the Herodians. They are trying to trick Him, but He is still calling them to the Father despite their contempt for him. The following is the short exchange:
“Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
“God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him.” Genesis 1:27 It is the image of God that each man and each woman bears not unlike the coin bearing the image of Caesar.
And as with the coin, which must be returned to the one whose image it bears, so the man or woman, who bears the image of God, must be returned to God. This is the heart of God, to draw back to Himself all those bearing His image.
It is not enough to admire the LORD, we need to render our lives to Him.
Render unto God what is God’s.
