The Meaning of Money

What did Jesus mean when he said, “Show me the money”? 

And Jesus said, “Show me the money.”

You can find it in today’s gospel reading.

Actually, he said, “Show me the coin.” So to get into our text, let’s talk about coins.

The first national coin was minted in 1776, fully authorized by the Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin provided the basic design for this pewter dollar, inscribed with the word fugio — Latin for “I fly.” This word was paired with an image of a sundial, to depict how “time flies.”

Franklin must have anticipated how money would fly away someday — at the gas pump.

According to mental_floss magazine (September-October 2007), the coin also bears the odd phrase, “Mind your business.”

What’s that all about? Sage advice to the small businessman? The words of a cranky mint worker, telling outsiders to buzz off?

Hard to say. What’s clear is that this sassy slogan hasn’t hurt the coin’s value. A Continental Dollar could be...