When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the…tax…said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” …Jesus spoke to him (Peter)…saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” …he said, “From others,” Jesus said…go to the sea and…take the first fish…open its mouth you will find a shekel…give it to them (tax collectors) for Me and for yourself.
Matthew 17:24-27
When Jesus first met Simon, Andrew’s brother, He renamed Simon, Cephas, which means Peter. In our verses today, we see our Lord, Jesus, testing Peter regarding paying taxes because Peter had been challenged by the local tax collectors regarding whether Jesus paid taxes or not. Without consulting Jesus, Peter, in usual fashion, told the tax collectors, “Yes.” Peter was just trying to brush off the tax collectors but, Jesus, knowing all men, speaks to Peter as soon as he enters the house without Peter saying anything first. The query was to make Peter think about what Christians should do about observing earthly government laws and regulations. Then, Jesus miraculously met the government required tax, for both Peter and Jesus, through Peter’s trade of fishing. In Matthew 22, Jesus is being “trapped” by the Pharisees who asked Him if it was lawful for the Israelites to pay taxes to Caesar. In His response, Jesus asked for a Roman coin, which, unbelievably, was given by one of the Pharisees, and He lifted the coin for them to see and asked whose “likeness” was on the coin. When the Pharisees said, “Caesar’s,” Jesus told them to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s. The Pharisees left amazed at how Jesus had dealt with their “impossible” situation they thought would “trap” Jesus. Both of these “tax” incidents are applicable to Christian living today in that, Christians are to obey the laws of the government under which they live, because God has ordained government on earth and He exercises His sovereignty over them all, even when that government is tyrannical as the Roman government was in Jesus’ day. That means laws and taxes, established by the governing authorities, are to be obeyed and paid except those government laws which require Christians to disobey God’s commands or command Christians to do what God prohibits. May Christians today observe and pay homage to their government authorities whose “likeness” is on that country’s currency and observe and pay homage to God whose “likeness” is stamped upon our very souls.
Source: S C Ball February 5, 2023
Leave a Reply