Give to God What is God's

Give to God what is God's

Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." 

"Wisdom is a wedge against modernity's narrowly instrumental and procedural reason, which runs like the machines we build. . . . It is against modernity's persistent reduction of the natural order into observable parts, which loses the enchantment of the world's hidden structures, moral implications, and wholeness. And it critiques modernity's obsession with dilemmas of moral obligation, which precludes living by virtue of an orientation to the true, the good, and the beautiful." 

Coins to Ceaser and Life to God 

"So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21

First, he says, Give your coins back to Caesar. Concretely, he says, "Caesar's image is on the coin, so give him what is his." We should pay our proper taxes in whatever nation we are citizens of. Jesus affirms the validity of paying taxes to a secular state even when the leader claims to be divine, and shortly Roman officials will wrongly condemn Jesus to be crucified.   

Even if a tax seems unfair or inappropriate, even if the government in question is corrupt, we are still to pay the taxes. When I perform at a wedding, I often am given an honorarium. While it is income, I could call it a gift, but I know the IRS requires pastors to report honorariums. Pay your fair taxes. 

The second part of Jesus' statement is more challenging. He says, give to God what is God's. What is God's? Everything, your very life. In other words,  

Give your life back to God. Jesus asked what image was on the coin. It was Caesar's. As the coin bears the image of Caesar, so we bear the image of God. So, we give back to him our very lives. All we are and have belongs to God. God deserves our total allegiance, our very lives.  

Consider if there is anything you are holding back from God: a habit, an indulgence, money, a relationship, or a vice. Give everything to God, and you will never regret it. He is good. He loves you, and his will is always best. Go all in, holding nothing back.  

Here's what Jesus is saying to us: "Give your coins back to Caesar and give your life back to God." Pay your taxes to the government and give your very life to God. 

[1] Vanhoozer, Kevin J. et al., eds. Dictionary for theological interpretation of the Bible 2005: 846. Print.