Julius Caesar Divine Image Essay

Whose Image? / Divine Image

In the days of Jesus there was a debate concerning taxes, some things never change. The basic tax was a denarius and imprinted upon it was an image of the Caesar. The inscribed words were “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Emperor.” By the way Tiberius was an immoral man, even by Roman standards, and his coinage could be deemed offensive, especially since only the Caesars and their ilk considered themselves divine. This week’s sermon was “Whose Image?”

I hate to tell you this, but Jesus does not deny governmental tax claims. Nevertheless, in whose image are we created? To whom do we own our greatest fidelity and loyalty? Is it our country and/or our jobs? Jesus indicates that we are created in God’s image

For example, compare the oohs and ahhs a powerful and famous person gets to the oohs and ahhs a poor homeless person gets. With whom do you think God stands?

Each and every human being is created in God’s image, and God’s inscription is upon each and every human being; but, how often do we fail to recognize that? When we see a troubled child, do we see God’s image? When we see a person with a mental handicap, do we see God’s image? When we see a person struggling to make a living, do we see God’s image? When we see a person wasting his/her life away, do we see God’s image? When we see our national enemies, do we see God’s image? When we see a poor child refugee, do we see God’s image? When we see the personal enemy down the street, do we see God’s image?

To be in the divine image is a gift given at birth; yet, when we deliberately and maliciously injure or harm another person or group of people, we deface God’s image within ourselves and others. We deface God’s image and we say mean and ugly things about others. We deface God’s image when we look down upon anyone. We all have been guilty of defacing God’s