Give God His Due: Our Lives

The Pharisees are trying to trick Jesus into helping them with a false dilemma. 

This could’ve gone two ways. One is that he would’ve been seen a traitor and would have gotten into trouble with the authorities. Instead, he gave a memorable response.

When asking whose image is on the coin, everyone said that it was Caesar. Christ then reminded them to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. 

So what belongs to God? Our lives. Since the effect of Original Sin, it has enticed us to withhold some part of ourselves from God. Yet, St. Paul reminds us, “You were chosen by God out father.” Even the Prophet Isaiah reminds us, “I have called you by your name, though you knew me not. I am the lord and there is no other.” 

We can accomplish this by being missionary disciples. St. John Paul the Great said, “all Christians share responsibility for missionary activity… Through holiness of life every Christian can become a fruitful part of the church’s mission.” 

We owe our lives to our creator and that is God who loves us.  We do this by living out our ultimate call since we were welcomed into the church; being missioanry disciples. 

It is fitting that we see an example set out by St. John Paul the Great, yet it still resonates to a new generation of Catholics.