Taxes....

Taxes....

We have just came through a season of taxes...some of us pay taxes every quarter and others only once a year...but it is still a trying time...I wish for a tax form that I can say, "I agree with this tax or not and pay the appropriate amount"...the politicians may get a rude awakening if that were to happen for everyone...they would find who really supports what..and maybe some of the "pork" would be eliminated or budgets may be more balanced...no more soap box....

I have always wondered why the disciples and others aren't more astounded by the fish containing the tax money..but that isn't recorded..they just pay it and go on with life..like you get fish with money everyday...wouldn't you just want to fish all the time the see if more money could be found, like opening an oyster for pearls?

Another miracle for that time only...

The words that are so telling..."but so that we may not cause offense"...in others words, let's do what is right or expected...not causing trouble ...

Mark 9:42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

There are many other references to stumbling in the Bible..sinners stumbling because of unbelief, others stumbling in spiritual and literal darkness, stumbling over the Cornerstone who is Christ...

But, this one doesn't want to offend...that they might believe...

Thank YOU for the funds You do supply for taxes..but, more than that..help me not to offend anyone along the way...that others may be saved.. By seeing YOU...

Matthew 17:24-27 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple 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 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.” 

"When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?”  Matt. 17:24 (NASB)

The two-drachma tax was a religious tax imposed by the Jewish religious leaders on the population. The tax was used to support the temple in Jerusalem. Originally, the tax of a half-shekel of silver was imposed to support the tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 30:11-16). The tax was unchanged when the temple was built; however, it was temporarily reduced to one-third shekel by Nehemiah while the exiles were returning to Jerusalem because they were poor (Neh. 10:32). 

According to Flavius Josephus the half-shekel was equivalent to two drachmas[1]. It was called the two drachma tax, even though there was no single coin worth two drachmas. So, the question, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” refers to a tax worth two denarii or two days wages.[2] In Jesus’ day the tax was approved by the Romans. That means the Jewish religious leaders were free to collect the money during the month preceding the Passover.[3] However, the Jews were free to pay it or not pay it.[4] Consequently, it was collected before Passover by men who went throughout Palestine.

Therefore when Matthew says “those who collected the two-drachma,” he refers to these tax collectors who caught Peter. One or more of these men approached Peter and asked does your teacher pay the tax? This implies that at least some in the population had connected Peter and Jesus together. We will discover in the next verse that Jesus was not walking with Peter. Peter was either walking alone or with some or all of the disciples in Capernaum when he was asked if his master paid the tax. Matthew 17:25 reports that Peter answered, “Yes!’

He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” Matt. 17:25 (NASB)

When Peter walked into the house Jesus spoke first and asked, “What do you think, Simon?” about the tax. Peter must have been surprised. Yet, this was not the first time Jesus knew men’s thoughts (Matt. 9:4; 12:25) and would not be the last. We can imagine Peter taking a moment to respond after that surprise. Jesus’ question was terrific. His question can be reworded as, “Who pays taxes (customs or pool-tax), the sons of earthly kings who impose the taxes to raise money for their families and the kingdom or strangers?” Since kings imposed taxes to support themselves, their families, and the kingdom the answer is clear. Why would a king tax his own family? The answer is, strangers pay the tax and not his flesh and blood sons! To tax his sons would be taxing the very ones he is trying to support. Therefore, the answer is simple. The king taxes strangers. 

Peter answers correctly, “Strangers . . .”

When Peter said, “From strangers,”  Matt. 17:26 (NASB)

Then Jesus replied, “Then the sons are exempt.” Now how does this apply to Jesus and Peter? Are one of them or both of them sons? If so, of whom? The obvious conclusion is that Jesus was exempt since He was the son of God. Peter knew that too! Earlier he had stated that Jesus was the son of God when Jesus asked him, “Who do people say that I am?” (Matt. 16:16). Jesus was the Son of God (2 Cor. 1:9; Heb. 4:14; 1 John 5:5). So, Jesus was exempt from paying the tax since the God the Father rules over everything (Eph. 4:6)." Neverthirsty.org