Sunday Thought 73

As I sat down and worked on my taxes this past Friday evening, I must admit I grumbled and complained. But then I read this story and was thankful that I don’t have to pay a “church tax”!:

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes – from their own sons or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth, and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Jesus did not need to pay the temple tax – he was the son of God. But he chose to pay it so he would not offend. Jesus will talk about this again in Matthew 22:21 –  ”Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

I guess if Jesus can pay taxes then so can I!