I'm a little perplexed (that happens every once in a while to all of us, right?) In making the commitment to blog every day from now until Easter, today's devotion from "Embracing the Uncertain" has me stumped. It comes from Matthew 17: 24-27. It's a little story about temple taxes. Back in that day, Jewish leaders would collect taxes to help pay for the upkeep of the temple and its services. Jesus and his disciples made their way to Capernaum where the tax collectors came called to Peter, asking if Jesus pay his fair share of the temple tax. Peter and Jesus have a conversation about kings and children and taxes and exemptions and fish with coins in their mouths. Stop me if you've heard this one before.
Actually, it isn't a very well-known text, which is more than likely why I am stumped. In this chapter, we've heard the story of the transfiguration of Jesus, read how he healed a demon possessed boy and he predicted his death and resurrection. Those stories are much more widely read and discussed. These four verses are talking about temple taxes and who should pay them and Jesus telling Peter to go fishing and from the mouth of the first fish, he will find the temple tax payment. We are not told how that all turned out for Peter.
At first, I was a bit puzzled about why this story was placed here. The story seems almost out of place, like it doesn't belong. It comes on the heels of a miraculous healing and the statement of death and resurrection. But closer examination would prove me wrong. The transfiguration story has God telling the disciples that Jesus is His Son - and to listen to him. He overcomes a demon and foretells the future. When the collectors of the temple tax came to ask about Jesus' contributions, things suddenly make sense if you remember that this temple sacrifice was usually paid only once in a person's lifetime.
Kings (and their children) are exempt from paying the temple tax sacrifice. There would be no need for Jesus to pay the tax because he just spoke of the ultimate sacrifice that he was going to make. His death would be the only sacrifice needed to pay for our sins once and for all. So, he told Peter to "throw out your line" (usually the fishermen used nets) and extract the coin from the first fish he caught. Jesus paid the temple tax anyway. The next few chapters report Jesus talking about the kingdom parables.
The devotional makes the point that God's amazing grace is extended to all people. That is one possible meaning for this short text - I wouldn't necessarily disagree. One could look at it that way. I guess my interpretation is too much on the surface. Rather than get the temple authorities all riled up, Jesus dispatched Peter to get a coin (via a miraculous catch of a coin in a particular fish's mouth) and pay the tax - "so that we may not cause offense". It was a grace-filled moment.
This time of year, every person is scrambling to complete tax forms and get it done before April 15th. This story helps us to see that while our true citizenship is in God’s kingdom and we devote our resources to God’s purposes, we still give to earthly powers what is due to help them complete the work they have been selected to do.
What else can one say about taxes and sacrifice?
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