the temple tax collectors came to Peter and asked him, “Does your master pay the
temple tax?” He answered, “Yes.” Peter then entered the house; and
immediately, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Simon? Who pay taxes or tribute to
the kings of the earth: their sons or strangers and aliens?” Peter replied, “Strangers and
aliens.” And Jesus told him, “The sons, then, are tax-free. But, so as not to offend these
people, go to the sea, throw in a hook, and open the mouth of the first fish you catch.
You will find a coin in it. Take the coin and give it to them for you and for me.”
Reflection:
Jesus discourse on His Passion, Death and Resurrection attests to His
full embrace of human nature. But at that same time, He is still God. That
is why He will resurrect on the third day. He dies as a human, but death cannot
contain His divinity. He will rise up again into new life. His full embrace of our
human nature is further reinforced in the second part of the gospel. Jesus
pays the temple tax. Even though He is the Son of God and technically exempted
from the obligation to pay the tax required for the temple’s upkeep, still
He asks Peter to find ways for them both to oblige. He does not exercise His
privilege as the Son. He acts like any other ordinary human being without
any sense of entitlement. When we are tempted to flex our privileges, let us
remember that the Son of God exercised self-restraint in solidarity with humanity
whom He self-identified.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021