Scripture: Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13); 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22
Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema, Worship Leader
The video’s first 2 minutes are a little scratchy but ok after that.
18 October 2026, 21st Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24A
I confess very time I hear this reading, the first image that comes to mind is Snoopy as the Flying Ace shaking his fist muttering, ‘Curses! Foiled again!’ The authorities were foiled as they tried to trick Jesus into saying something that would allow them to arrest him.
As tempting as it is to follow that path, it’s not where I’m going in today’s reflection. As I thought about Jesus asking to see a coin, I began to ponder what it means to use coins, and what they, and other types of currency, represent. We learn about coins from a very young age, often as they are discovered on the floor, under a cushion, on the ground, in a pocket, or in a jar. Coins reflect a society’s relationship with wealth and fortune, from the humble (and disappearing) penny to the gold-colored dollar. (The color comes from the alloy in them; there is no gold there.)
Coins can be experienced with our senses – you can see them, feel the images and markings on them, hear them rattle, smell them, and yes, they have a taste. This little container I’m holding has coins of different colors, sizes and shapes, with different values and from a few countries. They all have things in common –an amount of value, something to identify the country, and the image of a person. Most of us sitting here have grown up feeling comfortable with the heft of coins in our pockets and the bulk of folding money in our wallets.
But as online services have changed and grown, we’re more at ease with the idea of managing our money virtually, using it and moving it from place to place without ever touching it. If we lose our bank account log-in, it’s annoying, but our accounts and money can be recovered. Then there’s cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. A digital currency, crypto requires some tech savvy and can be risky. Ownership is controlled by a key – a long string of characters the owner receives at acquisition. Lose the key and you’ve lost your investment.
With so much money flowing back and forth, in and out at a simple touch or tap, it has become more difficult to define our relationship with money. When was the last time you counted out a ten, a five, some ones, a dime and a penny or two? We have a mental picture of the numbers when we press ‘pay’ at the terminal, but do we see the exchange happen? Do we really comprehend the cost and the value of what just took place? Do we feel the sense that we have traded treasure – our cash or currency – for other treasure – something we wanted or needed? Or is something missing from these transactions? Do they feel automatic and impersonal? Unsatisfying? Are we so inured to cashless, touch-free, anonymous virtual transactions that we fail to comprehend the value of the exchanges we make?
When Jesus answered the question from the men the Pharisees sent, he didn’t try to skirt the issue of paying Roman taxes. Jesus simply told them that only the emperor’s currency would satisfy the emperor, and that he was more interested in God’s currency, in giving to God what God was due.
God’s currency is not found in a jar, a wallet or pocket. It’s not counted out, added up, stored in a bank, or exchanged at a terminal. It doesn’t require a password or a key that can be forgotten or lost. It doesn’t have to be insured, and it’s definitely not impacted by exchange rates, inflation or interest rates. Unlike touch-fee transactions, God’s currency is real and tangible and can be measured by our senses. God’s currency is found in sharing gifts of time and presence. It’s found in hospitality and community, in intentional gathering and connecting. It’s found in sharing meals and play, in quiet times and times of grief. God’s currency often comes out of a place of truth and vulnerability, from listening and hearing and accepting other people’s truths. It comes from creating safe and loving spaces where each one of God’s cßhildren can honestly and faithfully shine forth the image of God that lives in them. God’s currency is found in recognizing that image and honoring the needs and dignity of each other. God’s currency isn’t regulated or limited; there is no supply chain problem with it. Where God’s currency is found, there is only abundance. God’s currency is the blessing of Holy Currency.
We are going to hear more about Holy Currency in the weeks to come. If you were able to attend Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton’s visioning session in September, you will likely remember hearing the term. As used by the Kaleidoscope Institute, Holy Currencies describes ‘a holistic model for stewardship . . . to create . . . sustainable ministries,’ using, besides money, the Holy Currencies of ‘Time & Place, Gracious Leadership, Relationship, Truth, and Wellness.’ As they describe it, ‘these currencies flow and recirculate to form a Cycle of Blessings which empower congregations to strengthen their internal relationships as well as reach out and connect with . . . their neighborhoods.’
If you could mint a coin of God’s currency, what would it look like? What image would it bear? How could you use it? There’s a picture on your bulletin of three coins. I invite you - take your bulletin home. Think about your coin. On one or two or all of the coins, draw an image of God’s currency. In the space around the image, jot down a note about how you could use that currency to give back to God what has been so generously given to you.
Thanks be to God! Amen!