Matthew 17:22-27

²² As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men,

²³ and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And the disciples were deeply distressed.

²⁴ When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the double drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the double drachma tax?”

²⁵ He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the land take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?”

²⁶ Then when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

²⁷ However, in order not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a stater.^[1] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

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death and taxes

Tax anxiety always comes at the very worst time. It was that way for the disciples as

well. They had just been treated to yet another prediction by Jesus that he would be brutalized and murdered in Jerusalem. They were deeply distressed. Then tax time happened. Such news made it even harder to do one’s duty and contribute to the temple tax. It would be temple officials who would soon send Jesus to the cross. The disciples would be sorely tempted to organize a tea party.

Jesus handled the whole tax season quite well. He showed Peter that they really didn’t need to pay the tax, because Jesus was a king, and the disciples were his sons: they were exempted. But their kingdom’s time had not yet come, so, just so they did not offend anyone, Jesus would pay the tax. He had Peter withdraw the funds from an unusual bank: a fish’s mouth. Later, the apostle Paul would encourage the Roman Christians to pay their taxes to Caesar as well.[2] Paying our debts is a way of showing that we are believers.

LORD, we choose to respond to stressful times like you do. We will pay our debts, and trust your sovereign power to meet our needs.

[1] A silver stater was equivalent to four Attic or two Alexandrian drachmas, or a Jewish shekel (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

[2] Romans 13:6-8.