MARK 12: 13-17 WHOSE IMAGE DO I CARRY?

Year A, Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel, some people try to trap Jesus with a political and religious question: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Jesus asks for a coin and says, “Whose image is this?” They answer, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus replies, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

This is more than a clever answer. Jesus shifts the conversation from money to identity. The coin carried Caesar’s image and belonged to Caesar. But what carries God’s image? We do. That changes everything. Our money, work, responsibilities, and civic duties matter. But Jesus reminds us that beyond all these things, our deepest belonging is to God.

And that is where daily life becomes challenging. It is easy to give God a small place—an hour on Sunday or a few prayers—while keeping control of the rest of our lives. But God is not asking only for part of us. He desires our hearts, our values, our relationships, and our choices.

This Gospel is not about separating faith from life. It is about remembering who we truly belong to.

Every day we are stamped by many identities—profession, status, success, opinions. But beneath all of that is a deeper truth: we are made in God’s image and loved by Him.

And perhaps that is the real question today—not simply what we give to God, but whether we have truly given ourselves to Him.

Question to ponder today: What areas of my life do I still hold back from God instead of allowing Him to shape them with His love and truth?

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler

Father Leo