Our study
last week of Luke 20 focused on submitting to authority. This was a tough lesson for me to prepare
because it hit a little too close to home.
After the
long journey south from the Sea of Galilee, Jesus had finally arrived in
Jerusalem. He presented himself as King/Messiah.
The religious authorities interpreted that act as one of blatant blasphemy. He
paused briefly to weep over the city, grieve their spiritual blindness, and
predict the coming destruction of the city (19:41-44). Then, King Jesus boldly
purged the Temple of its shameful exploitation and condemned its leaders for
mutating God’s House from a place of prayer into a robbers’ den. Jesus had
drawn His line in the sand. “What are you going to do about that! What are you
going to do with Me?”
We
discussed that we tend to have a problem submitting to authority, some
authorities are harder than others to submit to, and there are areas in our
lives that we choose not to live under God’s authority. Even though we may never find it easy to
always submit to God’s authority, we can fully submit our lives to Him. That is good news.
Jesus
asked for the coin that bears the image of Caesar and said give to Caesar what
is Caesar’s, but give to God what is God’s.
He called on all people to give to God that which bears (or carriers) God’s
image and likeness. The coin bears the
image of Caesar, but God’s image is stamped on us.
Here is my
challenge to you this week:
1.
Believe
that you are made in God’s image and that you belong to God
2.
Ask
God to show you areas in your life that you are giving to Caesar that you
should be giving to God (time, use of spiritual gifts, your role as spouse or
parent, money, etc.)
3.
Submit
to the authority of God as His image bearer
Be
Intentional.
Travis
