What Matters to God Is Every Human Person

When God came into the world, not much of the world mattered to God. He came as a homeless child laid in a manger in a barn. Yes, the wise men brought gold, incense, and myrrh to the child, but the gold did not go far. How do we know this? Because we find Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the Temple and offering two turtledoves which was the offering of the poor, the offering of those who could not afford a lamb. Jesus grew up poor. He sent his apostles out in poverty, without a second tunic and no money bag and no pouch. What matters to God are not the things of this world.

What mattered to God was Lazarus the beggar who slept at the poor man's gate. What mattered to God was Zacchaeus the tax collector  who was lost in sin. God cared about Mary Magdalene out of whom he cast seven demons. What mattered to God was the man born blind from birth whom he healed. The woman caught in adultery whom he saved and told to sin no more. The daughter of Jairus whom he raised from the dead and gave back to her family. The thief on the cross whom he brought into paradise with him when he died.

At one time, Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees who showed him a coin and asked him if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Jesus said, "Show me the coin," and then asked whose image and likeness were on it. When he was told that they were Caesar's, Jesus said, ''Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." Caesar's coins bear Caesar's image, and God's people bear God's image.

We are made in the image and likeness of God, and we are what matters to God. God wants what is God's. He wants the lost sinner, symbolized in Jesus' parable of the lost coin and the lost sheep. God loves us and he came to save us. What matters to God is every single person. He wants every single person to be rich in grace, virtue, fortitude, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God wants every single person to come to salvation, because he came to redeem everyone made in his image and likeness.

God did not pay attention to the things of this world. God paid attention to us for we are made in his image and likeness and we belong to him.

--Father David Mary Engo, FBM