The Reminder
Volume XXXVIII, #15: The Time Jesus Paid Taxes
The Time Jesus Paid Taxes
When we think of taxes and Jesus, the scripture that probably comes to mind is the story in which the Pharisees ask Him if it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. (As a friendly reminder to those of you still dragging your feet before Tuesday’s deadline, Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar.”) But there is another, less familiar, story about Jesus and taxes, and it teaches us a valuable lesson.
In this story, the authorities ask Peter whether or not Jesus pays the temple tax—a tax collected from all Jewish males for temple maintenance. We’re not given much detail, but it’s possible that these officials were simply asking whether Jesus would pay or claim the exemption allowed rabbis.* True to form, Peter answers assertively, but without full understanding. Later, Jesus prompts Peter to think deeper about the issue. “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons, or from strangers?” (Matthew 17:25) Peter correctly answers the latter, to which Jesus replies, “Then the sons are exempt.” (17:26) Peter knew and confessed Jesus’ exalted status (see Matthew 16:16), but failed to draw the conclusion that He was not responsible for paying the tax in His Father’s house.
This is the point in the story where we ask ourselves: What would I do in this situation? Would I tell Peter to go back to the authorities and correct his misunderstanding? Would I refuse to pay the tax because that’s my right—and after all, I have my rights! Plus, it’s not like the Jewish leaders had ever given Jesus the respect He deserved; surely, this was the opportunity to make clear His exalted position. “However,” Jesus says, “not to give offense to them,” and He goes on to give Peter instructions on how to pay the tax (which involves pulling a shekel out of the mouth of a fish).
If you are familiar with Jesus’ work, you know that He was not afraid to ‘offend’ people. He healed people on the Sabbath, knowing that people thought it ‘unlawful.’ He exposed people’s personal problems, and even said things they considered ‘blasphemous.’ That being said, this story about Jesus and the temple tax teaches us an important lesson about the character of our Lord and Teacher: He did something He didn’t ‘have to’ do, for the sake of others. These officials were— based on Peter’s word—expecting Jesus to pay the tax, and so Jesus was going to honor that. But, Jesus might also be doing this for Peter’s sake—to protect Him from appearing dishonest or getting caught in a dispute trying to correct himself. We are speculating to a degree, but the principle is clear. Jesus didn’t have to pay the tax, but He did anyway.
As Christians, this is part of what it means to be disciples (followers, imitators) of Jesus. I may not ‘have to’ stay after worship, but maybe I could get to know my brothers and sisters better, or make a visitor feel welcome. I may feel like I shouldn’t be expected to show up every time someone needs work done, but maybe other people are encouraged when I help out. I may have the right to voice my opinions on social media, but would it offend others, and are there perhaps other, more uplifting things, I could post? In every area of our life, we would probably imitate Christ better if instead of asking, “Do I have to?” we asked, “What about others?”
* Kenneth Chumbley, The Gospel of Matthew, p.318
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