…the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him (Jesus) in his words. (asking) Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.
Mark 12:13-17
We all know the scripture because we’ve heard it a million times (yes I’m exaggerating) but we usually hear it in context of money. If we give the government their money, we should also give God (through the church) his money- tithes, offerings, etc. But, I doubt if that is the real meaning. After all, the context here indicates the money is Caesar’s because his image is on it. Caesar had this money manufactured for him as the currency for his people and had his own face stamped on it as proof of his kingship.
God didn’t have any money manufactured for Himself. We are all made/ formed by God (Gen. 2:7) for His pleasure (Rev. 4:11), as His people (Ps. 100:3), and we ‘are stamped’ in His image (likeness) (Gen. 1:26) perhaps also as proof of His kingship (Ps. 47:2). So if we are His, then logically it is us we must render to God. (Render means to return; pay back; surrender; yield; give up the command or possession of; to give for use or benefit.) This means the item (us) was God’s to begin with and now we must pay us back or return us to Him.
Not only are our bodies and spirits God’s, but our minds and hearts- after all, He did make those as well. Mt. says, “Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind.” We have His word written in our hearts (Rom. ; Heb. -16), All men bear God’s image and “superscription”/ inscription (something written to communicate knowledge; a title) and one day, as the priests of old (Ex. 28:36), believers will carry His name on us (Rev. 3:12; 22:4). We are God’s and we are to render to God what is His.
As Asaph said,
Vow, and pay (render) unto the LORD your God:
let all that be round about him bring presents unto him
that ought to be feared.
Ps. 76:11