Whom I Represent

When I was a kid, I was always watching different sports on TV.  At that time, I was fond of soccer and the main player who drew my attention with his talent was Zinedine Zidane. I did all I could to get his jersey. I practiced hours a day to play just like him. All my practices with my team were focused on showing everyone that I was like him. When somebody would comment that I was doing some moves the same as Zidane, I was full of joy. 

It is important to consider and understand whom we really represent in sports and life. In Mark 12, the Pharisees are looking to trap Jesus by asking Him if they should pay taxes. They were hoping Jesus would excuse them from paying taxes or at the very least get Jesus in trouble with the Roman authorities. But the text tells us, Jesus knows their motives. He asks for a denarius (a coin) and answers simply, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The thing about that coin and any coin is it always represents an authority: a person or government. A coin has a stamp of a king or ruler or government who has authority in that land.  

If a coin represents an earthly king, what about you? Look around at your fellow athletes and your coaches. Who do you all represent?  The answer is in the book of Genesis. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness,’” (Genesis 1:26). The coin demonstrates the power and authority of an earthly ruler, and our existence demonstrates the power and authority of God, who created us in His image so we must represent Him well.