As we read Matthew 17:24-27 we see Jesus’ response when confronted by others to pay a tax (to the temple, not Caesar) from which He is actually exempt. Jesus is very aware of creating a stumbling block for others and puts less emphasis on claiming His right to not pay.
24 On 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! 27 However, 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.”
My first observation is that it appears the collectors of the temple tax wasted no time in coming to find new visitors and ask them to pay the tax. There is no record here of a welcome or greeting of any kind but rather the focus is clearly on collecting their money.
Peter is caught off guard and appears to fib when confronted with the situation, as he was not sure how to respond. It is worth noting, that if the Bible were a false record made up just to convince people Jesus was God then the disciples and followers would not honestly document so many times when they responded in the wrong way and made mistakes. These parts of scripture actually proclaim loudly the truth of the Biblical text.
When he approaches Jesus, likely trying to figure out how to broach the subject, Jesus already knows what happened and brings up the subject Himself. Just one more example indicating He is God and not just man.
At this point it is worth noting that the temple tax was deemed a measure of atonement for sin. As Jesus was free from sin, He could have rightly refused to pay it. Additionally, Jesus makes the point that God does not tax Himself anymore than a King taxes himself and thus Jesus would again be exempt.
However, Jesus was aware that refusing to pay the temple tax may stumble some and discourage them from following Him. The greater purpose directed Him to pay the tax even though He was exempt.
We also see that Jesus could have easily paid the tax without having this discussion with Peter. We see at the end how easily Jesus provided money when needed… and in such a memorable way. It was not about the money. Jesus wanted to use this as a teachable moment for Peter and His other disciples and eventually all who read the Bible for generations to follow.
Each of us should reflect… when we decide whether or not to do something, do we only consider what is best for us or do we also consider how it may affect others? (e.g. Jesus paid the tax not because He was required to but because He did not want to stumble others.)
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