Whose Image Do We Bear?

In Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 22:15-21), Jesus asks, “Whose image is this?” The coin bears Caesar’s image, but whose image do we bear? Created in the image and likeness of God, everything we have, everything we are, and everything we hope to become is a gift from our Creator. How, then, do we give God what belongs to God?

Our first reading (Isa 45:1, 4-6) reminds us that God works in ways we may not always understand. God calls Cyrus, a foreign ruler who does not even know the God of Israel, to fulfill God’s purpose for Israel. The Spirit often works through unexpected people and circumstances.

In his letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 1:1-5b), St. Paul gives thanks for their “work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope.” These words remind us that belonging to God is more than what we believe or say. Faith is revealed in how we live. Love grows through simple acts of kindness, patience, and sacrifice. Hope carries us through difficult times.

Perhaps giving God what belongs to God begins with recognizing the Divine Presence in the ordinary moments of our lives. Each day offers us another opportunity to trust more deeply, love more generously, and live more faithfully. 

Faith Sharing Questions

1.Jesus asks, “Whose image is this?” What does it mean to you personally to be created in the image and likeness of God?

2.God chose Cyrus, a man who did not know the God of Israel, to accomplish what others could not.  When have you experienced God working through someone or something unexpected?

3.What is the difference between believing in God and allowing that belief to shape the way we live?