Whose Image Are You Bearing?

0:00 I'd like to invite Rabbi Sean up this morning to bless us with what God has put on his heart from the word. Father, I thank you so much for your son who is made in your image. Father, I pray that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart would be acceptable unto you. Father, I pray that we as listeners would be receptive to your word, father, that our hearts and our ears would be open, father, and that we would not allow this word to fall on stony ground or get choked off by weeds. Father, in the mighty name of your shua, I've asked that you would use him mightily. Oh, amen.

0:51 Amen. Thank you, Marcus. If you have your Bibles, you can turn to the Book of Luke for your devices. The Bible's more handy for Shabbat will be in Luke chapter 20, but first I'd like to tell you a story. When I was about 15 years old, I spent a lot of time with my friend Igor. Igor was not his real name, but it was how he was known in our neighborhood.

1:36 Igor was big and known for being crazy and unafraid. Having him as a friend was like having a personal bodyguard. One day I rode my bike to Igor's house. He told me that crackhead Kyle was on his way to pick him up. Crackhead Kyle got his nickname for obvious reasons. He was a friend of Igor's father and was probably about 30 years older than Igor and I. He had an Afro, but it was receding, so we used to call it a half row.

2:25 Igor asked if I wanted to go with them to pick up drugs, even though I was terrified of driving anywhere with crackhead Kyle. For some reason I said yes. I noticed when Kyle pulled up that he had a vehicle that I had never seen before. Igor got up front and I got in the back. I asked Kyle if he got a new car and his answer didn't give me much confidence. He mumbled something and didn't want me to worry about it. At this point, I was fairly confident that I was in a stolen car,

3:14 although I didn't have much wisdom as a 15 year old, I had the feeling that I was in great danger. We were now approaching an intersection at the edge of our town. When Kyle stopped at the red light, I opened the door, got out and started walking back to Igor's house to get my bike. I ignored them as they called out to me and it took me about 20 minutes to get back home. I went to my bedroom and played video games thankful to escape danger, but wondering about my friend Igor. About an hour had passed when I heard someone knocking at my door.

4:02 It was Igor and he was clearly shaken up. He was a tough kid, so it was disturbing to see him frantic and crying. We went to my room and there he told me what had happened. They went to a rundown house. Igor had to wait in the front room while Kyle went to the back with some men. Igor described a woman that was passed out naked on the floor and a baby crawling around the room near her. Igor heard some yelling from the back room and Kyle hurried out telling him, let's go. Kyle had been held up and robbed at gunpoint.

4:51 Igor got back to my house as soon as he could. He was so shaken up that he wasn't ready to go home for quite some time. Why am I sharing this story with you on this peaceful Shabbat? Well, have you ever been caught in a trap? I didn't have much wisdom at age 15, but I had just enough to know that I shouldn't have remained in that vehicle. Honestly, I shouldn't have said yes to the proposition in the first place. However, even though I had made this mistake, God provided a way out of a bad situation.

5:40 Even though I wasn't a follower of Yeshua at that point, there was something within me that told me I was in danger. Maybe this was common sense, intuition, conscience, or even the spirit of God trying to get ahold of me. I'm not sure. However, I'm grateful that I had some small level of discernment that allowed me to bypass that traumatic experience. It is impossible to know what would've happened if Kyle pulled up with two kids instead of one. In aviation, when there is an accident, investigators trace the story back to see what went wrong

6:30 and where it all started. Typically, there is a chain of events that leads up to an accident. Maybe someone got up late and didn't do a thorough pre-flight inspection. Maybe someone ignored some elements in the weather or tried a maneuver In an attempt to save time as a student, I learned the importance of breaking this chain of events through planning, preparation and being willing to make difficult choices to avoid dangerous situations when possible. In Luke 20 verses 20 through 26,

7:18 Yeshua is approaching the end of his earthly ministry. Tensions are high. He's teaching at the temple and certain priests and Torah scholars were trying to catch Yeshua in a trap. Perhaps they were jealous of his influence. Perhaps they thought that he was a false messiah who was leading people astray. Whatever the case, they laid some careful traps for Yeshua in this chapter. Yet Yeshua masterfully escaped all of their traps. Perhaps you're thinking, why does it matter that Yeshua escaped their traps if he was

8:06 eventually crucified anyway? Yeshua could not be manipulated. He could not be tricked. He was one with the Father. He would lay down his life, but it would be on the Lord's terms, not through human manipulation. As we examine these verses, I invite you to ask yourself three questions. One, do your words match your intentions? Two, what are you hiding from the Lord? And finally, three, are you giving God what belongs to him?

8:54 Although we sometimes succeed in fooling others or even tricking ourselves, we cannot trick the Lord. My outline can be found on the you version app, Luke 20 verses 20 through 22, Reed as follows. Now, they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous in order to trap him in his words so that they can hand him over to the power and authority of the governor, and they asked him saying, teacher, we know that you tell it straight and you teach it straight.

9:40 You show no partiality, but teach the way of God according to the truth. Is it permitted for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Do your words match your intentions? It has been said that there is no such thing as a stupid question. However, I'm not sure that that's true. As we see in Luke chapter 20, not all questions are equal. Here we see that spies have been sent in order to trap Yeshua. In his words,

10:28 why were the power brokers so intent upon a rhetorical battle with Yeshua? Did they merely want to show that they were more theologically aware in order to win some of his disciples? No. Their intentions were far more devious. We must remember that at this point in the narrative, Yeshua is in the temple before Peoc or Passover. This is a crowded place. Anything that Yeshua says or does in this public context will go viral. By asking Yeshua whether it is permitted to pay taxes to Caesar,

11:14 they assume that they could land Yeshua into trouble with the Roman government. For instance, if Yeshua said it was not necessary to pay taxes to Caesar in the midst of such crowds, he would've been seen as a political threat and taken out. You cannot trick the Lord. Have you ever been manipulated? I used to have a boss that would present ideas to me. I was beginning at this point to understand that our company was not ethical in our practices. However, she was confident that everything we were doing was right and good.

12:01 At least her words said as much. When she would ask me to do a particular thing, she would simultaneously shake her head yes, in order to get me to say yes to whatever she was telling me. She was very persuasive, but I understood that she was using the power that she had as well as her rhetorical skill to attempt to persuade me to do work which was not ethical. Thankfully, I quit that job after a few months and a few years later, that company was shut down for ethical or unethical practices. In human terms,

12:46 power corrupts Rather than using our power for good, we can be tempted to use our authority in order to abuse others. Set another way, the strong oppress the weak and the weak manipulate the strong wrong. It may be easy for us to think of examples of people trying to manipulate us these days. It can happen in very subtle ways. We may be able to resist the salesman that comes to our door but fail to realize that we are being technologically influenced to think in particular ways and to buy particular products. For instance,

13:35 we must all face this onslaught of people, ideas and products that clamor for our attention and seek to influence us every day. From this passage, we can learn how to navigate traps. Yeshua in his infinite wisdom did not fall for human trickery. However, our wisdom is limited and we are susceptible to manipulation. Yet I shared my story of being a teenager in order to show that all of us have some kind of divine moral compass within if we are willing to acknowledge it. At that time in my life,

14:25 I was not even trying to follow the Lord. However, something told me that the situation was dangerous and I needed to get out as soon as possible. Perhaps it was selfishness or self-preservation. Perhaps it was logic or fear. Perhaps it was God speaking to me even though I did not realize. All I know is that I was saved from a dangerous trap and I'm grateful for it. Yet this passage teaches us something more disturbing as well. Religious people can be dangerous, and

15:10 at this point in history, the priesthood was corrupt. I'm sure that many of these people started out with great intentions or even believed within their hearts that they were pleasing the God of Israel, yet they were doing evil and fighting against the establishment of the Lord's kingdom. There is a difference between what people say and what people desire. While we should not live in fear of human interaction, we must understand that every day people, even good people who claim to be following the Lord will seek to

15:57 manipulate us for their own purposes. Perhaps they are even complimenting us or giving us a gift, but there is a hidden intention. If we're willing to face this reality, we must go one step further to acknowledge this evil within ourselves. Every day you and I hide our real intentions and manipulate one another. What's worse? We even hide our intentions from the Lord and seek to manipulate him. This is silly of course, as God created us and he sees the intention

16:46 within us, discerning people will also have some level of awareness when we try to manipulate them for our own purposes. Sometimes we even deceive ourselves to think that we are serving the Lord when we are just serving ourselves. A faithful friend is someone who can help us to discern when our goals and ambitions align with the Lord's purposes or when they align with our own selfish ambitions. On a lighter note, when I was a teenager, I used to make milkshakes at home.

17:31 My sister was filled with compliments, especially when I made milkshakes. Sean, you make the best milkshakes. Do you think you can make one more for me here? Her intention was not so sinister. She simply wanted a milkshake. However, flattery and bribes are often used for far darker purposes. Listen to the words of the spies in verse 21. Teacher, we know that you tell it straight and you teach it straight. You show no partiality, but teach the way of God according to the truth.

18:16 On the one hand, these words are absolutely true. Yeshua is an honest teacher who is not corruptible. On the other hand, these men did not even believe the very words that they were saying. They only sought to puff up Yeshua in order to manipulate him and destroy him for their own purposes. Thankfully, Yeshua is not gullible. He sees through our stuff, he looks past what we are asking for and sees clearly the intention of our heart. Let's continue to verses 23 through 24,

19:05 but carefully considering their treachery. Yeshua said to them, show me a denarius whose image and inscription does it have, and they said, Caesars, what are you hiding from the Lord? I have a book called Think a Second Time. I've shared this advice with others and often need it myself. We have a tendency to be impulsive creatures. If we are not careful, we will fall into deceit and believe that every dream, every thought, and every desire comes from the Lord and should be acted on immediately.

19:51 This kind of impulsivity leads us into lots of trouble here. Yeshua, the divine Messiah of Israel is fully aware of the treachery of those who are seeking to manipulate him. Yet being aware is not enough. The text says that he carefully considered If Yeshua had to carefully consider things before acting, how much more do we need to stop and reflect before we make a move? God sees the intentions of our heart. However,

20:39 we don't always see the intentions of our own hearts. Have you ever been nicer to someone because you found them physically attractive? Lust is one of our motivating influences that we must be aware of. Have you ever treated someone better because they thought that they could give you money or power or influence? They were well connected. Greed is one of our motivating influences that we must be aware of. Have you ever felt that you deserve more than someone else? Pride is a motivating influence that we must face within ourselves every day. I can continue with this,

21:28 but I think you get the point. Our impulses are not pure and right. We need to carefully consider the steps that we take before we move. Yeshua came as God in flesh. We don't have this benefit. We are flawed. We don't always see things clearly. What can we do? Well, as I said, it helps to stop and think a second time. If you've ever been cut off on the highway or even cut off in a conversation, you know that it is not always a good idea to just follow your instinct.

22:17 It is amazing how a quick impulsive action can lead to consequences that last for years, decades and beyond. So what else can we do? Furthermore, we can pray. Prayer benefits us more than it benefits the Lord. Sounds like a silly thing to say, right? Prayer benefits us more than it benefits God. When we intentionally take the time to bring ourselves before the Lord to seek his guidance, incredible things happen. God speaks to us. Imagine that we grow in humility.

23:04 Many times, situations that we are praying about will resolve themselves without us even touching them. We receive wisdom for the path that God has placed in front of us and discernment for how to navigate the challenges that we all face. Sometimes we find that we may need to wait for a response. God might confirm what we are thinking or God might challenge us in what we are thinking or we may just have to wait for a response. We do not like to wait for things. However, it is often what is best for our character development.

23:56 Honest prayer with others can be immensely helpful. Oftentimes, the very act of sharing our thoughts with someone else will reveal whether we are motivated by the Lord or simply our own desires. Even just the act of speaking it out. Have you ever realized that sometimes how silly some of our ideas seem when they're coming out of our mouth in front of someone else? I've experienced this additionally. It always amazes me how much insight God gives to those who know me well. That has helped me to navigate difficult situations. God has placed people around you for a reason. Even your family and friends.

24:44 Yeshua responds to this trap in a way that is brilliant on so many levels. First, without them realizing and without the use of any force, Yeshua flipped the script. He told them to show him a denarius or a Roman coin. They had a coin and took it out While the currency had changed over time. Surely what was on the denarius, it is obvious from the exchange that Caesar's head was on the coin. It is also likely that there was some reference to Caesar's divine

25:29 status as well. By having his opponent produce a coin, Yeshua subtly displayed to his challengers and all who are witnessing that these men were bearing a graven image of a man presumed to be a God, he already kind of won the interaction without even answering them yet. Next, as is typical, Yeshua answers a question with a that's right. More explicitly, Yeshua answers an evil question. More stupid question with a deeper and better question.

26:19 Whose image and inscription does the coin have? This question of image has deep implications, which I don't think I will fully grasp on this side of the world to come. These coins were created according to the image and inscription of Caesar who is an opponent of the Lord and his purposes at this point in human history. We however were created in the image of God according to his inscription. His word

27:05 not only is Yeshua the living word of God, but his disciples and his followers even today are created in his image and follow his voice. Furthermore, even Yeshua's opponents are created in the image of God. Even the most deranged, wicked people that we will encounter on this earth have been created in the image of God. Though that image has been corrupted through sin, each of us bears this image of our creator.

27:52 I cannot help but think of the verses just a few chapters earlier in Luke 15 verses eight through 10. I'll read it to you. It reads, or which woman, if she has 10 silver coins and loses one coin does not light a lamp, sweep the house and search thoroughly until she finds it. When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, rejoice with me. Fry found the coin that I had lost. In the same way I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents

28:40 in this parable. Just a few chapters earlier in the same book, same author, of course, Yeshua compares people to coins. As we bear the image of God, he will seek us out to find what has been lost. These men who are challenging Yeshua are not innocent. In fact, they are trying really hard to get Yeshua killed. They Have murderous intent. Yet instead of retaliating upon those who are trying to manipulate and harm him,

29:26 it seems that Yeshua is able to see past the offense. Even the fact that they were trying to have him killed. Yeshua is able to see past the trap that they are laying. For him, Yeshua is able to see beyond their sinfulness. In the midst of this public exchange, Yeshua is seeking these lost coins that bear the image of God. What are you hiding from the Lord? Let me ask a better question. What are you trying to hide from the Lord? God sees past our stuff.

30:14 You may be able to fool others. You may even be able to fool yourself, but you cannot fool the Lord. What's more is that God sees all your stuff and he still cares for you. You are created in his image and bear his inscription. Even if you've become a lost coin, Yeshua's not going to stop seeking you and when you return to him, there is joy in the presence of the angels of the Lord. Verses 25 through 26,

31:00 R Hiss follows. Then he said to them, well then give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God, the things that are god's, and they could not trap him in his words. In the presence of the people, astonished by his answer, they kept silent. Are you giving God what belongs to him? What is incredible about Yeshua's response is that he both answers their question and doesn't answer their

31:49 question At the same time, they're astonished and put to silence by his response. On the one hand, he answers satisfactorily, give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give God what belongs to God. Seems like a simple response, right? However, Yeshua turns the trap on his opponents. Yeshua seeks their salvation rather than their downfall. In just 11 Greek words, Yeshua answers their question, avoids a deadly trap and gives them and us

32:37 two questions to ponder For the remainder of our days, the first question that his statement causes us to ask is what belongs to Caesar? Now, everyone living under Roman rule would have to face this question within. I'm sure that they were aware of the government's expectations, so this wasn't their real question. What does Caesar expect? I may not prefer to pay taxes, but I do. There are lots of things expected of me that I would prefer not to do. However, they're my responsibility and there are consequences for me should I

33:26 fail to do them? Yet they all knew and they weren't wondering whether they should pay taxes to Caesar. They probably already had their minds made up about that question. If they sincerely had tax questions, they would've gone to their guy. We've all got someone who answers our tax questions, right? They knew that they were not being sincere and Yeshua clearly knew it too. However, he could have just defeated them publicly and left them wounded, but instead he invited them to ask a better question

34:13 that would guide them towards truth, what belongs to God. Since these spies were pretending to be righteous, in all likelihood they were pretending to beat said, or as we would know, sad addresses, they were masquerading as something that they were not. Yeshua was also aware of this and without publicly exposing them as spies, he challenged them to consider their ways. The brilliance of Yeshua's answer is that it simultaneously

34:58 silenced his opponents, challenged their perspective and made an appeal to them, and everyone who witnessed his response still challenges us today. What belongs to God? Well, what doesn't belong to God? The universe is his creation and we are made in his image. It all belongs to God. Yet, in some way, God has given us the ability to withhold that which belongs to him even though it is his. He shares it with us and invites us to participate with him in his

35:46 creation and acts of redemption. Being created in the image of God forces us to face at least two realities. First, we are created beings. We are not the Lord. We do not control the world, other people or even our own destiny. We have been created for a purpose that we may or may not know. We have been created for a purpose that we may or may not agree with. That's plenty right there to wrap our heads around. However, it doesn't stop there. We bear the image of God.

36:35 God is all knowing we are not. God is all powerful. We are not. God is full of compassion and kindness. We are not. God is full of truthfulness and justice. We are not yet as bearers of his image. We experience a measure of his wisdom, strength, compassion, and truth, and if we choose to serve him to die to our own selfish ambitions and seek to please him and live according to his guidance, he will empower us by the ruka, kadesh,

37:20 the spirit of wisdom and truth, to go deeper in our relationship and experience his fullness in greater measure. That's the choice that he gives to each of us. We can also choose to walk in opposition to the Lord and his purposes for our life. However, when we make that choice, we should also understand that we are walking contrary to what we were created for. When we surrender hisself to his service, paradoxically, we become the fullest expression of ourselves.

38:06 In conclusion, you cannot trick the Lord. He might allow you to walk with a mask, but he can see through it. He knows you better than you know yourself. As I close, I invite you to consider these three questions. One, do your words match your intentions? Two, what are you hiding from the Lord? Or better said, what do you think you are hiding from the Lord? And three, are you giving God what belongs to him?

39:30 Messiah, Yeshua. Amen.