And He said to them, ‘Pay back the things that are Caesar’s to Caesar, and the things that are God’s to God.’
Luke 20:25
The sagacity of Christ filled the air. Everyone had a speechless moment as His words sunk in. But maybe there is a message here that still gets missed.
The word translated here ‘pay back’ does have that meaning. In the Greek, aπόδοτε is from a verb that means not simply to give or pay, but to ‘give again’ or ‘pay again’. For the concept concerning the Denarius, this makes immediate sense. The coin was minted by Caesar, so give it back to him.
But, for the other part, the meaning is often missed. Pay back to God the things that are God’s. Humanity bears the image of God according to Genesis 1:26-27. Jesus is literally saying that since humanity was minted by God, each person owes themselves back to God.
Heavenly Father, I know I owe all to You! But I so selfishly hold onto myself. Thank You for Your mercy! By Your grace I hope to give more and more of me to You. Thank You for Your Truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.