They say there are two things you can count on in life: Death & Taxes.
And this may be true.
But what is a larger claim is the love of Christ for that,
which is me and you.

Long before income-tax season, God gave his people a commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” And in today’s Gospel, his Son gives us another saying that has echoed through the centuries: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
Here is a line worth remembering when you sit down with your tax return: Caesar wants his share of your income; God wants the whole of your heart. The first can be calculated with a calculator. The second takes a lifetime.

We seem to need reminding about idolatry because it is not merely an ancient problem involving statues and temples. Around A.D. 200, the Christian writer Tertullian described idolatry as the great sin at the root of humanity’s estrangement from God. He said, “The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgement – is idolatry.”[2] An idol is anything we allow to take the place that belongs to God alone.

Matthew’s Gospel emphasizes the sovereignty of God, and there is an interesting detail in this morning’s story: Matthew himself had once been a tax collector. He understood accounts, obligations, and what people owed. Yet this encounter is about far more than money.[3] The coin presented to Jesus bears the image of Caesar. In the Roman Empire, that image represented more than currency; it represented the authority of a ruler who could be honored in ways that blurred the line between political loyalty and religious devotion. For many Jews, the Roman poll tax was a painful reminder of their subjection to a foreign power. The Pharisees and the Herodians saw an opportunity to trap Jesus. If he opposed the tax, they could accuse him of defying Rome. If he supported it, he risked alienating those who resented Roman rule. Their question was designed to leave him with no good answer. But Jesus saw through their deception. He asked them to show him the coin and then asked, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” Jesus replied, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus refused their trap. He acknowledged earthly obligations without surrendering to Caesar the place that belongs to God. And in doing so, he raised a much deeper question: The coin bears Caesar’s image, but what bears the image of God? The answer takes us straight to the opening chapters of Genesis, where we learn that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. The coin bears Caesar’s image; you and I bear God’s.

So when Jesus tells us to render to God what belongs to God, surely, he is asking for more than a check in the offering plate, a percentage of our income, or a few hours of our time. Our money matters, and so does how we earn, spend, save, and share it. But God does not want to reduce our relationship with him to a financial transaction. He calls us into communion with him.

A professor of mine who taught Systematic Theology categorized the ancient Jewish culture, he called the “Three P’s”. A successful life was based on these three, fundamental priorities for one’s life: Property, Prosperity and Progeny. Good and beneficial, it would seem, to square away a home, a physical place that provides security and peace for you and your family but is it possible to become consumed with the renovation project, the building, even indulgence to make things more splendid or simply more efficient, that it too becomes an idol. Then, the easiest entrapment is the pursuit of prosperity. Justifying a savings account build up for retirement, drawing the line so hard, that you leave little to share with those near you or those calling out in need, could be an idol as much as it would be to buy the Lamborghini to demonstrate your wealth, or extravagant clothing. The most difficult to conceive as an idol would be your progeny, but a parent can be so enthralled with the development of their own child, they clear the path of anyone else’s child getting in the way. The competitive nature for your successors to be on the top of the pyramid, sending them to the greater college, giving them positions of employment when not best qualified, all take the shape of an idol.

God asks us to offer not merely what we have, but who we are: our minds and hearts, our gifts and weaknesses, our ambitions and fears, our relationships and choices. He wants to shape how we treat our families, speak about our neighbors, use our influence, and respond to those in need. He wants more than a place on our Sunday calendar. He wants to be at the heart of our daily lives.

And remember, this giving begins with God. Before we render ourselves to him, he has given himself to us. He sent his Son to share our human life, bear our suffering, and give us hope. He gives us his Holy Spirit to guide and sustain us. We do not surrender our lives to earn God's love; we offer ourselves in response to the love he has already given us.

So perhaps the question Jesus leaves us with is not simply, “What do I owe?” but, “To whom do I belong?”
Caesar may receive the coin that bears his image. But God calls for the people who bear his.
When tax season comes around, remember: Caesar may have a claim on your income, but God has a claim on your whole life. Render to God what belongs to God. Offer him not merely a portion of what you possess, but the fullness of who you are. For the gift God desires is not simply your having. It is your being.
Therefore, render unto God what belongs to God, and that, beloved, is you.

[1] The Rev. Jon Roberts
[2] David Bercott. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishing, 1998. p.350.
[3} Matthew 22:15-22