The
fish and the four-drachma coin
Scripture:-
After Jesus
and his disciples arrived in Capernaum
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 children or from others?” “From others,”
Peter answered.
“Then the children are
exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not
cause offense, 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.” Matthew 17:24-27
Observation:-
“Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple
tax?” The accusation posed by the tax collectors lingered in Peter’s mind as he
returned to see his Master. Emphatically, he had replied “Yes, he does.”
Incredibly, before Peter could say a Word, the Lord spoke first “What do you
think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes? From
their own children or from others?” Others, of course. Peter agreed
thoughtfully. “Then the children are exempt! But so that we may not cause
offense, go to the lake and catch a fish. Open its mouth and you will find a
four-drachma coin for your tax and mine.
This is a curious passage indeed,
concerning coins in the mouth of fish and some fuss over a two-drachma tax. But
what was this two-drachma temple tax about? Apparently, this practice was
brought down from Old Testament times when half a shekel was charged as a
census tax on all adult male Jews. Later this tax was used for the upkeep of
the temple. In any case, the Lord uses this opportunity to remind Peter that He
is indeed the Son of God, and charging him a tax was akin to a king taxing his
own children. In any case, the Lord arranges for Peter to pay this tax so as
not to cause offense.
Now, we clearly see from other Scripture,
that the Lord was never shy to cause offense, time and again, offending the
Pharisees and Teachers of the Law to the core by sharp words and rebukes. However,
in this case, the Lord saw fit not to cause offense. Ultimately, we can learn
from this that there is a time and place to cause offense and not to cause
offense. For some, like the Pharisees, it is necessary to speak out bluntly
against their wrongdoings, especially when they were doing so much damage by
their exploitation of the poor and foreign Jews and their false humility and “righteous
acts” which were an abomination to God. In the case of the temple tax
collectors, they were just doing their job, collecting funds to upkeep God’s
temple. They could not comprehend yet that Jesus was the Son of God. Therefore,
in that instance, foregoing His Sonship right not to be taxed was the correct
thing to do for their sake. Later, Paul adopted a similar stance, in some
cases, becoming all things to all people so that perhaps some might be saved,
yet also in other cases, standing up bravely to condemn evil with authority
regardless of the offense caused.
Pertaining to the curious story of the
fish with the coins in its mouth, there were apparently some old Jewish stories
about God blessing pious people by enabling them to find precious things in
fish. Hence, the Lord could have humorously produced this miracle to emphasize
to Peter His Sonship again, and also reminds us how God is able to provide for
our needs, even in the most unusual ways.
Application:
Praise our Lord Jesus, and remember that
He is truly the Son of God. Although He became fully man, just like us, He is
also fully God. Praise our Father in Heaven that He saw fit to also extend that
privilege of sonship to us, that we might also become part of His royal family
through Jesus Christ.
Pray to the Lord for wisdom to know when
to waive our rights so as not to cause offense but also to stand up for what is
right, even if it causes offense. Remember that God gives wisdom generously to
all without finding fault, praise His holy name!
Thank God that He indeed provides for all
our needs. Though we may be facing insurmountable problems, financially
perhaps, trust God that He is Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider. He will provide
for all our needs, albeit in even the most unusual ways. Praise His Holy name!
Prayer
We praise thee, Lord Jesus for You are
the Son of God, seated at the right hand of our Father in Heaven, Holy and
Righteous in all Your ways. We thank thee, Father in Heaven, that You saw fit
to make us Your children as well, giving us sonship through Jesus Christ.
We beseech thee for wisdom, Heavenly
Father, to know what is right to do as we live our lives. Give us the courage
to stand up for what is right, when it is time to do so, yet also humble and
meek to waive our rights, when it may cause offense unnecessarily. Blessed be
Your Holy name!
We thank You, Father in Heaven, holy
Jehovah Jireh, for You provide for all our needs, physical, financial,
spiritual. You meet our needs in every way. We entrust our lives, our families
to You. In Jesus name, Amen.
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