Castings: October 16, 2026

To whom all of it truly belongs

“Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus does not ask us to divide our lives between the sacred and the ordinary, the heavenly and the earthly. The earth itself is holy, breathed into being by God, walked upon by our Savior, renewed daily by the Spirit. God is connected to our world, always. So are God’s gifts to us. What Jesus does ask us to consider is the claims of earthly rulers and the claims of God.

What belongs to you? What belongs to me? How much will you give to the church, to your retirement investments, to your rainy day fund and your fancy coffee budget? Give to your life the things that you need and even the things that you want. But recognize where all of it comes from and to whom all of it truly belongs. God is the giver.

If we give to the emperor what is the emperor’s and give to God what is God’s, not just with our money, but with our very lives, how might that change what we give, what we set free and how we live?