The Fishes’ Mouth

11. February 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Our chapter today closes with the following verses.

 

Matthew 17:22 When they came together in

Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.  24 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?” 25 ”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?” 26 ”From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 ”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.”

 

In our text today, it simply shows us how Jesus was obedient even to the laws of the land though he really was not required.   The text opens up with Jesus discussing with his disciples that he would soon be betrayed into the hands of men.   He went on to say that not only would he be betrayed but that they would kill him.  Jesus also told them that it would only be a brief three day event because on that third day, he would rise again from the dead.   I’m not sure if the disciples heard the resurrection part or if just the fact of Jesus dieing was too overwhelming that they could not receive the good news of the resurrection, but the text says that they were filled with grief.

 

When Jesus and his disciples get to

Capernaum the tax collectors of the two-drachma tax came to the disciples to ask if Jesus paid the temple tax.  The drachma was an ancient form of currency which historians compare it to about 38US dollars.   So the temple tax was two-drachma or in our understanding equivalent to $78 US dollars.   To give you a perspective, in the ancient biblical world historians report that a skilled worker was paid one drachma a day and unskilled laborers would be paid ½ drachma a day.

 When Peter comes into the house, before he can even say anything, Jesus asks him his opinion.   He says Peter, what do you think?   From whom do the kings of the earth collect taxes from? Is it their own sons or from others?   Peter responds that it is from others.   Jesus says then the sons are exempt.    Jesus was obedient to the laws of the land and would not offend them and told Peter to go the fishes mouth and he will draw a 4 drachma coin which was enough to pay both his tax and Peters.

Jesus was a model citizen.  He obeyed the laws of the land as long as they did not cause him to go against God’s laws.   Being a good Christian is being a good citizen and following the laws of the land as long as they do not violate God’s laws.   Let me give you an example so people can be clear.   During the apostle’s lifetime, there was a season when they were beaten for preaching the gospel.  Had they obeyed the laws of the land then they could have spared themselves the beating.   They clearly said that they would rather obey God than men and they even considered it an honor to be beaten for the gospel’s sake.   It was against the law during that season to preach Jesus, but the disciples stayed true to what God had called them to do.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

 

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