They brought one to him and he said to them,
"Whose image and inscription is this?"
They replied to him, "Caesar's."
So Jesus said to them,
"Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
Because God's inscription is on Caesar. Caesar, like all of us, is made in the image and likeness of God. There is no private secular realm which is beyond God's rightful influence. It's true that we do pay taxes and respect legitimate civil authority. But we do so only with reference God. Even the government can't compel us to compromise our values or do that which God forbids.
We need to remember God's rightful claim on all of us. When we don't we risk dividing our lives into spheres that are exempt from God's rule. Perhaps, like Tobit, we fall on such hard times that we exempt ourselves from the responsibility to be moral and decent.
So she retorted: "Where are your charitable deeds now?
Where are your virtuous acts?
See! Your true character is finally showing itself!"
Even when times get tough, when we are sick and doctors can't seem to help, still we are made in God's image. Still we are meant to reflect his glory. Still we are meant to live in virtue and in love. However, when we forget our dignity it becomes almost impossible to act in accord with it. We need to remember our dignity and to remind others of theirs. We are made in the image of God! We are made to reflect the divine glory to the world. We do not live to show our own image alone, but his. When we remember our purpose it begins to become possible to live it. We can't live virtuously just because we want to. But because it is what God wants it is possible.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
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