Marked By Our Owner

Back when I was a kid, mom would have me write my name or initials on my toys, games, and jackets to distinguish them as my belongings. This was a good strategy for actually going home from school, sitters', play-dates, parks, school, etc. with what belonged to me and for avoiding fights with kids who wanted to insist that what you brought was theirs since they had one just like it at home. Granted, this strategy drastically decreased the later collector's value but at least it solved some problems. By bearing my mark, the item was identified as mine and, therefore, revealed a little about me.

I was reading in Luke's Gospel this morning and came to a revelation. The section I read was Luke 20:20-26 where some spies for the teachers of the law go to Jesus to try and trick Him by asking about paying taxes to Caesar. The scene ends with the classic "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." I have heard many interpretations of this, usually only along the lines of financial responsibility. However, if you step back to verse 24, then you can see that Jesus asks an important question that provides the true key to His answer.

"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?"

Jesus identifies the money with Caesar - it is his, give it to him. Then He tells us to give to God what belongs to Him. We can take from the context that this means that whatever bears God's image and inscription belongs to Him and should thus be given. Now what bears God's image?

"So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27