JUNE 6, 2017
8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS (4TH GRADE)
In today's Gospel, the Pharisees try to trip up Jesus. They ask Him if people should pay the taxes to the Romans. The Romans were invaders who not only occupied the nation of Israel, but also taxed them to pay for the occupation! So, the Pharisees figured if Jesus said not to pay the tax, they'd report Him to the Romans as a subversive; and if he said yes, pay the tax, the people would consider Him a traitor.
But Jesus confuses them by asking who's picture is on the coin? And the picture is of Caesar Augustus. So, Jesus tells them to give Caesar what is his, but also to give God what is His!
The word used in Scripture here for "image" is the Greek word "eikon" which is where we get the English word "icon" from. Like the icons on an electronic device, and "eikon" or image is something that represents or resembles something else.
The first place this word is used in the Greek Bible is in Genesis, where we hear that God created mankind in His "image" (or "eikon".)
St. Paul uses the word often, telling us in Romans to be conformed to the "image" (or "eikon") of God's Son. In Colossians, St. Paul tells us the Jesus is the "image" (or "eikon") of the invisible God. And in 1 Corinthians, that we should be transformed into the "image" (or "eikon") of the Lord (i.e. Jesus.)
So, we are created in the image of God, and are called to be conformed and transformed into the image of Jesus. We do this through prayer, grace, the Sacraments, studying Scripture, and by living a life worthy of Christ.
If we do this, then we will be a living image of God and Jesus, and people will see God in our words and in our works.
This is what Jesus means when he says "Follow Me." And we should follow Him all the time, every hour of every day.
