Do you like comic books? Some do, and some don't. I believe the most intriguing comic book villain is Two-Face. This villain directs us to our following Wonderfully Weird Command, “Render to Caesar.” A rendering where Jesus, the ultimate good guy, used a two-sided coin to ask the supervillains of his day about Caesar and his face on a coin. Jesus asked them, “Whose image and inscription is on this coin?” they replied, “Caesar’s.” Jesus replies, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s (Matthew 22:21).”
Two-Face knows his dilemma. He lives by the flip of a coin. On one side, if flipped correctly, he lives well; on the other side, he is bad. The sad part is most Christians live like Two-face rather than like Jesus. Jesus’s point with this particular lesson was to give Caesar – humanity, or your neighbor (people) – what is legitimately theirs and give God what is justly His. Jesus’s point implies “The Great Commandment,” which he mentions in a few verses that follow this lesson (Matthew 22:37-39). The study, in no way, implies paying taxes is wrong, just the opposite. It’s an expression directing us to ensure our time, schedule, and money align with God’s priorities first, then humankind. The problem isn’t paying taxes; it’s giving to God what is God’s. Most people fail to do so.
Most Christians, when looking at their calendars and financial records, show their right-of-way towards life, giving to human causes first, then to God. Giving to God’s divine work is secondary, and rendering to human activity is primary. Paying taxes, giving to humanitarian causes, rendering to sports and school activities, and everything else under the sun are priorities. And if there is anything left over, perhaps God gets it. Gets it on a flip of a coin, of course! If it flips on the right side, God gets the leftovers; if flipped otherwise, off to Starbucks or some other human indulgence to render to Caesar first.
When living like a fictional character, Two-face, rather than like Jesus, creates bad habits in a person’s character. The vice or lousy habit developed when not applying the command “Render to Caesar” is murmuring and complaining about everything under the sun. If the lesson is used correctly, the character habit or virtue of Christ formed is gratefulness. This state of appreciation or being thankful is the evidence that Christians are not Two-face villains in the faith but true heroes that render to God what is God’s and gives to Caesar’s (humanity) what is Caesar’s.
Today, choose to become more like the image of God through Jesus instead of becoming like the image impressed on humanity’s money, Two-face. Take action with your money and calendars towards the things of God to gain true happiness and fulfillment in God’s Way. A way that when living out this teaching, “Render to Caesar,” guarantees a life filled with gratitude and appreciation for every penny spent no matter what side the coin lands on.
With much gratitude,