Matthew 17:24-27, The Temple Tax

24 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?”


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 children or from others?”


26 “From others,” Peter answered.


“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “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.”


This is what I call irony…


The tax collector came to Peter and asked “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”


Of course Peter doesn’t go and ask Jesus. The question sounded accusatory so he knew how to answer. Without hesitation He says “yes”. And we find out he wasn’t exactly correct.


But, then, Jesus bailed him out…


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?”


26 “From others,” Peter answered.


“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “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.”


We are "Children of the Kingdom". When God assesses the costs associated with His Kingdom he does not come to us for the necessary resources. If that was true we could buy our way in and feel a sense of privilege.


No, God went directly to His Son. The cost of defeating sin and Satan were laid directly on His shoulders. When we come to faith though, and we don't pay the price, it doesn't mean the price wasn't paid.


To illustrate his point, Jesus performed the miracle of the coins. With those coins, Peter paid his Lords tax...as well as his own.


Peter got off for nothing...


But, to ensure this gift isn't an offense to others, Jesus tells us to live as though it cost us everything. Holy living is never for ourselves. we don't need to prove anything. Its always for others.


So, Peter was right. Jesus did pay. In fact, he paid it all. We surely know that. The question is...are we living as though we do?


Live boldly out there today...

Matthew 17:22-23, Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

 ²² When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered 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.

It’s the second time he said it. If I was a disciple then…instead of now…I’d be filled with grief as well. I also think, if this was going to happen to me, I’d use the 3^rd person as well…just as Jesus did.

People can say lots of things and…oh, well…

But when it’s said again, we call it a “teaching point”.

Let’s allow the grief to remind us of the cost to Him…not us.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 17:14-21, Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

 ¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

   ¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

 ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

 ²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ^[21] (“This kind can come out only by prayer.”)

My goodness! The poor guy was only doing what any loving father would do. He was asking God to heal his son. Should he say “sorry I asked”?  Should he creep away humiliated?

Or, was Jesus speaking to the whole crowd…or even the disciples when he said “you unbelieving and perverse generation”?

“How long will I put up with you?” In Minnesota we call this “treading on thin ice”.

How can I possibly be “bold” when I hear Jesus talk this way…to me?

I was thinking he reserved this kind of talk for the Pharisees…but, if I’m brutally honest, he’s talked to me that way a few times. I’ve heard it in my spirit.

At any rate, Jesus healed the boy…which brings a number of thoughts to mind:

1.   Anytime we humans approach God we need to be wary…since our humanity generally prevents us from clearly understanding the mind of God. When the true mind of God reveals itself we may be surprised. A great deal of humility and deference would be in order. In other words, presuming our desires harmonize with God’s intent might be…well, too “presumptive”. And, of course, God will let us know.

2.   Failing to fully know the “mind of God” is not a sin. It’s part of the human condition. So, it doesn’t make us guilty…or unworthy of receiving something from God. Though, it does make us vulnerable to confusion and disappointment.

3.   The mind of God is not the same as the heart of God. This does not mean the two are in conflict. It simply means they have different perspectives. This distinction is what allows us as parents to intellectually recognize the immaturity of our child’s request while granting it anyway. It’s what the heart does. The two are a perfect blend of mom and dad…in the best sense.

4.   We can always count on God to do “the right thing”. Since God’s holiness infers his response will always be correct, our presumption (or, immaturity) will not deter God from doing the “right thing” no matter what…because that’s what it means to be God. In this case, “the right thing” was to heal the boy.

5.   What do we do when the boy isn’t healed? Usually we intone some worn out mantra like “God always answers:”Yes, No or Later”. As though he can’t quite decide. Or are we able to say “Obviously, my desire wasn’t the right thing?”  

6.   I hesitate to say this, but the wild card here is faith. It seems the thing that touches God’s heart more than anything is faith. So, when God’s mind says “no” and his heart says “yes” faith will always win the day. Unfortunately,  it’s human nature to simply pursue more faith…as though it’s a commodity…and use it as a measure to judge (and compare) the richness of other people’s lives against our own. Faith doesn’t function that way. It exists in our lives as a gift. It matures through the constant nurture of the Holy Spirit. It’s almost like an independent organism living within us. As an analogy, I can’t be more (or less) Norwegian. I am what my parents endowed me to be. Neither can I manufacture more faith. But, I can allow the Holy Spirit to mature the faith that resides in me. In my mind, this is why we are often surprised by God…we didn’t know we had that much (or that little) faith in us.

So, when we are encouraged to “come boldly before the throne of grace” the boldness derives from our willingness to receive “the right thing”. Only then can we truly be satisfied with God. Of course, this is all very good. After all, do I want the best my human heart and mind can come up with? Or do I want the best God’s perfect heart and mind can provide?

I’ve seen my best…its dubious.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 17:1-13, The Transfiguration

 ¹ After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

 ⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

 ⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

 ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

 ⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

 ¹⁰ The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

 ¹¹ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. ¹² But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

This is Jesus saying “OK, I told you who I am. I told you what I’m here to do. I told you that you’re in this with me. In case you have any questions…let’s go up the mountain. I want to show you something .”

What a show! There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

And the coup d ‘grace? God, Himself declares His affiliation with Jesus. Not just any god, but “THE GOD!”

Like going to council...no wonder they didn’t want to leave…

I’ve had occasional glimpses of that mountain over the course my life. Rather than regret their passing, I choose to be thankful for the opportunities. They empower me to keep serving. I suspect I’ve also seen Elijah a few times over the years and confused him with John the Baptist. Such are the nuances of human life.

I pray that in such experiences we will all hear our Savior say “Get up. Don’t be afraid.”  It’s that voice that ultimately assures us…not the experiences.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 16:21-28, Jesus Predicts His Death

 ²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

 ²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

 ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

   ²⁸ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

And after that, nothing was the same…

Once Jesus declared his divinity this ministry began to take on a focus and intensity that it had not yet seen. He no longer seemed content to heal people and say “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

He made it clear he had come to die...and rise again.

Resurrection? Great! Death? Not so much!  

Of course we disciples are along for the ride. “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done”. Perfect!

But, that’s only half of it. Christ’s ominous words are sobering.“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it”. Less than perfect.

So much for the grassy hillsides where Jesus fed lots of folks…and lame people got to walk again.

We find our eternal destiny is joined inextricably to the historical accomplishments of our Savior, Jesus. In reality, if we are not joined with him in this life, we will not be joined with him in the next life. This includes both the good and the bad that life brings our way.

A lot like our marriage vows… I, ____, take you, Jesus, to be my (Savior). To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

Let’s remember this when we’re living with the worse/poorer/sickness part.

Live boldly out there today…  

Matthew 16:13-20, Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

 ¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

 ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

   ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

 ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter,^[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[c] will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Please bear with me here…

The King James Version (Textus Receptus) is easy. Τίνα με λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἰναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. In other words, “who do men say that I, the Son of Man am?”

Alternatively, most of our modern translations derive from a combination of Greek texts (primarily Westcott-Hort), which says τίνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, or, “Who do men say the Son of Man is?”

A little more ambiguous…as though he may not be referring to himself.

I’m tempted to go with the Textus Receptus because in verse 15 Jesus asks λέγει αὐτοῖς Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι, or, “who do you say that I am?” Both versions are the same.

So, KJV allows for this parallel structure:

1.   Who do people say I am? (v. 13) “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets”.

2.   Who do you say I am? (v.15) “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,”

Given Peter’s answer, I’d say he either understood the conversation as presented in the KJV. (You know, “if it’s good enough for the Apostle Peter…)

I bring this up because many scholars say nobody regarded the term “Son of Man” to have either Messianic or apocalyptic overtones until the Christian era. Generally true.

Except, of course, Jesus did…

Which brings us to the point of today’s passage: the “Son of Man” (at least in this context) and the “Son of God” are one in the same.

I realize this isn’t new thinking for us, but it’s important in that it confirms the important doctrinal tenet that Jesus was man…and God.

 So…Jesus took this opportunity to confirm what his disciples already suspected: He was God.

Though, it’s nice to hear it “from the horse’s mouth” so to speak.

After dealing with the Pharisees yesterday, do we need any more proof?

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 16:5-12, The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

 ⁵ When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. ⁶ “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

 ⁷ They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

 ⁸ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹¹ How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“Garbage in…garbage out.”

The most well intentioned efforts all go to waste if the best ingredients don’t go into them. Bad yeast (because it affects the entire loaf)…results in bread that is worthless...fit for the garbage.

“But…it looks and smells like good fresh bread!”

What’s true in the kitchen is also true in life…

It’s a reminder that we should be careful about who we listen to. Prayers, meditation, intimacy with God…are all ingredients that will make our lives tasty and nourishing to ourselves and others.

Much of the stuff that passes for “wisdom” these days is anything but. It might sound good. It might make sense. It might tickle our personal preferences. But…it’s really just garbage if it isn’t leavened with the “right stuff”.

A life absent these ingredients is meaningless and empty. Although, it doesn’t stop a lot of people from trying.  

We know who they are…

Live boldly out there today…