Whose Image Do You Wear? ~ Matthew 22:15-22

Next time you’re out shopping, be on the lookout for all the products containing celebrity images.  You won’t have to look very hard…

In the world of marketing and advertising, it’s called “the cult of celebrity”—and for good reason.  All this celebrity merchandise exists so that you can transform yourself into the celebrity’s image.  This is their message to you: “Buy these things and you’ll be cool, you’ll be fashionable; you’ll be prestigious…  Everyone will see that you have good taste; that you’re a true gourmet…  People will envy you and want to be like you.  You’ll feel really good about yourself.”  But that celebrity name doesn’t come cheap.  It’s not just the product you’re buying…  You’re buying an image.  You’re worthy of that image if and only if you can afford the high price it commands. 

So it begs the question: if all you want in life is to be like that celebrity, has that celebrity become your god? 

If that celebrity image is more important to you than the item it’s attached to, has that celebrity’s image become your god?

Back in the time of Jesus, there was another celebrity who wanted everyone to worship him like a god—and that person was the Roman Emperor.  Every coin contained his image, along with the inscription “Caesar, son of god.”  By law, every adult was required to pay to Caesar the annual poll tax, using the coin that bore his own image.

This presented the Jews in Jesus’ day with some significant dilemmas.  Graven images owere strictly forbidden by the Ten Commandments.  Jews were to worship God and God alone.  So was it a sin against God to pay taxes to the Emperor?  Was it a sin to have these coins with the Emperor’s image in your possession?  These questions provided Jesus’ enemies with the perfect trap for him.  If he says it’s lawful to pay for taxes to Caesar, he’s guilty of blasphemy.  On the other hand, if he says that it’s not lawful, he’s guilty of treason against the Empire.  Both of these crimes were punishable by death.  

But when Jesus says “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to God what is God’s,” he’s doing far more than just embarrassing his accusers with a clever answer.  He is revealing God’s will.  Since the coin has the emperor’s image on it, paying the tax is simply giving back to the emperor what’s already his.  God’s will was for the people to pay their taxes.

The more important thing that Jesus said was to give to God what belongs to God.  To state it simply: we are created in God’s image.  Therefore, we give ourselves to God—because we belong to God.

This is good news to a world that defines self-image by what we own…  This is good news for those who can’t pay the high prices to buy the designer brands and celebrity merchandise the marketplace says you must have to really be somebody… 

As a person made in God’s image, you are absolutely loved by God.  There can be no question.  In God’s sight, you are precious.  God doesn’t see you only for your shortcomings and your failings.  God doesn’t see you only for your sins and look upon you with anger or disgust.  To see how much you are worth in God’s eyes, look no further than the cross.  Jesus paid the price to redeem your life from sin and death.  From the moment we are created, God gives us these treasures—all at no cost.

No other god gives anything to anyone without a price. 

Caesar demands worship in the form of his unjust taxes.  He robs the poor to fill his own pockets.  The gods of mammon are no different.  They take our money and make us cool—that is, until something new and different becomes cool—or the celebrity does something scandalous.  They take away our individuality to make us into whoever want us to be.  They take away our self-worth if we can’t afford to buy the stuff they say we need to be somebody.  These gods take—and give nothing of lasting value or significance in return.  Worship the gods of mammon and you’ll find you can never have enough, even with all the money in the world. 

The gods of mammon take our money and our dignity—but God takes away the sin of the world and nails it to the cross.  Our God takes our sorrow and our pain.  Our God takes away death and gives life. 

When Jesus tells us to “give to God the things that our God’s,” he is speaking of our obligation to God.  Because God loves us so much, we ought to love God in return.  But we must never think of this as a grueling and burdensome duty, like paying our taxes.  We’re giving ourselves to the God who gives us all that we need; who hears and answers our prayers; and whose Son gave his life on the cross for our salvation.    It is in celebration that we give to God what is God’s.  It is in celebration that we surrender our pursuit of worldly treasures and prestige.  It is in celebration that we go forth to serve God by serving our neighbors.  It is in celebration that we tell others of God’s amazing love that is at work in our lives. 

God’s generosity towards us transforms us into generous people.  That’s what happens when you hear the Gospel and receive Christ’s body and blood at the table.  Generosity is what happens when we come together as one Body in Christ.  God gives us the faith to see just how rich we are.  And God nourishes us with grace so that we can live out God’s generosity in our everyday lives.  Jesus Christ has taken away the sin of the world and forever conquered death, but God uses ordinary people like us to do awesome and powerful things in this world. 

Regardless of whether you have much to offer God—or little, God will use your gift to do things for you and for others that are greater than can ever be imagined.  Simple people and simple gifts are God’s instruments for healing this world.  Whatever it is that we give or that we do, God will do even greater things.  You won’t be the only one to be blessed.

So as we prepare for our annual commitment Sunday next week, this is a time for us to all be in prayer, asking God to lead and guide us in how we can give of our time, our talents, and our treasures to shine forth God’s love in the world.  But we all do this, not just by God’s command, but by God’s invitation.  This is God’s invitation for you to see God at work in your life.  It is God’s invitation for you to witness God’s healing power at work.  It’s an invitation to live in celebration of all God’s blessings, and share that joy with a world in need.  It’s an invitation to be rich with all the treasures of serving Jesus.