Whose Image?
A Roman denarius, circa first century AD
“Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
But detecting their craftiness, he said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”
“Caesar’s,” they said.
“Well then,” he told them, “give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” - Luke 20:22-25, CSB
εἰκών. Eikon (as English readers would read it) is the Greek word for image. As I explored a little in the message yesterday, it has a rich Biblical meaning. Here is a small excerpt from Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary on eikon:
“…of man as he was created as being a visible representation of God, 1Cr 11:7, a being corresponding to the original; the condition of man as a fallen creature has not entirely effaced the "image;" he is still suitable to bear responsibility, he still has Godlike qualities, such as love of goodness and beauty, none of which are found in a mere animal; in the Fall man ceased to be a perfect vehicle for the representation of God; God's grace in Christ will yet accomplish more than what Adam lost; (b) of regenerate persons, in being moral representations of what God is, Col 3:10; cp. Eph 4:24; (c) of believers, in their glorified state, not merely as resembling Christ but representing Him, Rom 8:29; 1Cr 15:49; here the perfection is the work of Divine grace; believers are yet to represent, not something like Him, but what He is in Himself, both in His spiritual body and in His moral character…” -pgs. 318-319; emphasis mine
The immediate application of Jesus’ question and response session with the ‘two-faced’ men approaching Him is changed by our understanding of the work of Divine grace. Jesus’ point to the religious elites that day in the Temple was that they would stop robbing God of what they owed Him. That would not exclude honoring the beloved son (see Luke 20:13) but, they had no appreciation of what we now know. Who could of understood the reality of all the cross and resurrection would do to our image bearing? Only Jesus had true insight in the moment. Only He knew that as believers, we would be representing “…not something like Him, but what He is in Himself.”(see above) It isn’t then just that I have an obligation to government and God. It is that I am wholly God’s. That I am being made like the Son. That I have the high calling of imaging God to other image bearers, some of whom have the responsibility but have yet to experience the grace available to them through Jesus’ redemptive work. I would argue, (esp. in light of 2 Corinthians 3-4) that we are under constant transformation so that we might become better image bearers. This is to our benefit- because it is our becoming what God intends for us to be; but it also benefits those around us. For they begin to see in us what they were created to be- what is stamped on every strand of DNA in a human being. Namely this: Image Bearer of God. I pray that God helping you, you are able to bear His image, more and more, as you are shaped by the Holy Spirit.
Questions for discussion and application:
· Is there any part of your relationship to the government which does not ‘give to Caesar the thing’s that are Ceasar’s?’ How will you change/grow to correct this short coming?
· In your relationship with God, how do you remind yourself that you are not your own?
· Reflecting on your story, who in your life was an exemplary image bearer of Jesus? What can you learn from their life/example?
· In what way can you remind yourself that you are an image bearer?