Luke 20- The Things That Are God's

In this chapter, some of the religious folks are trying to catch Jesus saying something wrong so they can turn him over to the authorities. So they ask him if it's okay for them to give money to the government. I have always felt somewhat comforted when I read the following exchange:

He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

Why is this comforting to me? Because it always reminds me that things like money are not really mine to begin with; our money is inscribed, not with Caesar or Rome, but with American symbols. But people are stamped with God's image, created in his likeness, bearing his inscription. And I find it comforting to know that a government (or bills, or other people) can take the money- just paper and coins, really- but they cannot take what is God's. No one can take what is spiritual, our relationship with God, the joy that can be found through him no matter what the outward circumstances are- no one can take those things from our lives, these things that matter so much more than material things. My self, my life, my being are all stamped with God's image, and I will render those things to him, and not to anyone or anything else.