Render to God

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him. Mark 12:13-17

The day dawn warm and muggy but with great joy as our granddaughter Lilly and her dad Adam arrived. Surrounded by loving family it is impossible not to know what is most important in life. These are truly the blessings of God. This is where my heart is, among the loves of my life and their loves.
Loyalty and honor come easily when we are loved and accepted and come very hard when we are tested and abused.

Jesus was being put to the test all the time by the leaders of the faith community. They were more concerned about their position and their control than they were about their faith and compassion. They knew that Jesus saw through their arrogance and false compassion. They were truly selfish and greedy people. They wanted to trip him up but he knew love's truth and stood solidly in the strength of God. They could not shake that firm foundation built in love at the beginning of time.

Today I ask God to help me do all the necessary tasks without missing any moment to celebrate the love in my life. May I render love where love has been given and give God the glory in everything. May we all render love to God and neighbor and let go of all worry and greed so that God's love can flourish among us today.