Remember the passage where the rulers try to trap Jesus by asking Him whether you should pay taxes to Caesar or not (Mark 12:13-17)? The well-known passage is a great example of the profound wisdom displayed by Wisdom Himself. He prompts us, “Have you thought about the debt of the image-bearer?”
Jesus asks the Pharisees and the Herodians whose image was stamped on the coin. To the response of “Caesar,” Jesus posits that whatever has the image stamped on it belongs to the owner of which the image reflects. He then says, “Give to God what belongs to God.”
This implied truth here is phenomenal! It begs the question, “What belongs to God?” Following off of His logic, the answer would be: “Whatever has God’s image stamped upon it.”
All things reflect, though dimly because of the curse, the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-4). But more explicitly, human beings reflect God’s glory because they are all made in His image (Genesis 1:27).
So what does that mean for us? It means that we are not our own. We belong to God as His creatures made by His command. We are in complete dependence upon Him and therefore, we cannot claim any rights of our own. We owe God everything, for in Him we live and move and have our very being (Acts 17:28). All things were created for Him, by Him, and through Him (Colossians 1:16). If God ordains all that comes to pass, then everything and everyone is under His command and who am I to question that?
“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.” (Job 40:4)