Scripture
24On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?” 25“Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered? 26“They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” Matthew 17:24-27
Observation
Rabbis were exempt from paying this tax, and so were the priests in Jerusalem. Jesus could have claimed an exemption on natural grounds. He could have claimed an exemption on supernatural grounds in that He was The Son and this was a tax for His Father’s House and King’s don’t tax their own sons. Instead, Jesus pays the temple tax for both himself and Peter in a miraculous way foreshadowing how he would pay the debt for all mankind securing a way for all to enter The Father’s House. What I find interesting is his statement about not wanting to offend. Jesus was not afraid of man and many things He said and did were offensive to the religious leaders around Him. So, why make this statement here? Instead of stirring up controversy to stand up for his own rights he laid his rights down to do what was right for the sake of others. This is what Jesus did over and over again. He was the conquering King paying the price for His own people by laying down His rights. “The use of the Greek word skandalizein leads the theologian Barclay to write: “Therefore Jesus is saying: ‘We must pay so as not to set a bad example to others. We must not only do our duty, we must go beyond duty, in order that we may show others what they ought to do.” This was not the hill Jesus was going to die on.
Application
Wow! I’ve always missed this truth in this story. I’ve always marveled at the sense of humor of our God in having Peter who was a professional fisherman catch their temple tax. This was so whimsical to me it revealed the fun side of my Savior. But, I missed what he was saying about avoiding offense over needless arguments for personal rights. Offense is like an automatic weapon. Once you pull the trigger, it keeps firing. Where there’s offense there’s a fence. The word "offense" is a translation of the Greek word skandalizo (verb) and skandalon (noun), which means a trap or a snare. It’s where we get our word “scandalous”. Will we take up offense or take up the cross? When we are offended we are fighting the wrong battle and friendly fire becomes the norm for all of us. Jesus was giving a way forward and that was about laying down our rights to do what is right. Jesus had every right to not pay the tax, more than anyone else in fact, but that was not the battle He had come to fight. He wasn’t supporting wicked religious system or backing an oppressive Roman government. Jesus was keeping the main the thing the main thing all the way to The Cross. Shouldn’t we as Christ followers do the same? Do I need to lay down my rights as an American citizen. I’d say the moment we become Kingdom citizens those rights come under submission to Christ and what He asks us to do in loving and serving others. Sadly, I feel like we spent all of 2020 using Christians taking up offense and being offensive, but not giving much thought to the witness we were leaving. We “the citizens are free” through Christ so why do act like we imprisoned to every earth bound situation. If God can provide finances through a fish why am I not putting my trust in Him? Has nationalism become the hill we are going to die on? Jesus chose not to die on this hill and instead chose to die on Golgotha laying down his rights and his life for all who were currently killing Him to preserve their own rights on their own hills.
Prayer
“Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!”(Luke 17:1). Oh, Lord forgive me for picking up offense instead of picking up The Cross. We have allowed our message to be diluted by picking sides and taking stands instead of falling to our knees on behalf of those you’ve called us to reach. You say they will know we are Christians by our love and I’ve just seen too much hubris and not enough humility. So, I humble myself and ask You red remind me that anytime I want to fight for my rights I’d ask You if its the right thing to do for that person’s soul and for my own!
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