Given July 2007

This will begin a series of posts relating to instances I have found in the Bible that seem crazy to the world but are business as usual for God, Jesus, and should be for us, His people.

You might be thinking that, yes, paying taxes is crazy.  It seems our government is placing an ever-increasing taxation burden on us but it was the same in the time of Jesus.  (Matthew 17: 24-27).

There was an annual tax all males twenty years and older had to pay called the Temple Tax and if you didn’t pay it, you were breaking the law.  When Jesus and His guys came into Capernaum, Peter was approached by the tax collectors asking if Jesus paid the tax.  They were always trying to “catch” Jesus in something.  Peter said, “Why sure He does.”, but when Peter went back to the house, before he could say anything, Jesus asked him, “Peter, does the king tax his own people or the ones he’s conquered?” (v. 25).  The point was that the citizens should be free but, to keep from offending them, Jesus told Peter to do this, “Go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” (v. 27).

Do you think Peter thought that was crazy?  Go catch a fish, (Peter was a fisherman you know), and get our tax money out of his mouth, the EXACT amount!  Well, it may sound crazy to the world but whatever Jesus says, do it!