SCRIPTURE:
“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?’ ‘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?’ ‘From others,’ Peter answered. ‘Then the children are exempt,’ Jesus said to him. ‘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.’”
Matthew 17:24-27
OBSERVATION:
Jesus’ lesson to Peter exampled the matter of doing what would be right as a witness to others even though collecting the temple tax from Jesus would seem ironic based on the question Jesus asked about whether taxes are collected from the children of rulers, whether it is the early Kings or the one and only King. What was interesting is that Jesus called Peter by his prior name … Simon. I thought that his reference had an importance as it seemed that Jesus was sending Peter a message to think carefully before he spoke by referring to his prior name, that He would not only think and respond with the heart and mind of who he was, but who he had become in Christ.
APPLICATION:
This scenario speaks to be in how we as pastors and leaders need to be wise in our decisions of matters both inside and outside of the church in relation to government agencies and authority. Although we enjoy non-profit status and other non-profit considerations, it is so important that we keep abreast of current changing regulations, laws, and codes that come before us. We’ve already seen and experienced how laws can and do affect us as we were sued on our school use for weekend services years ago, and how we still are careful in stewarding the use of our God-given ministry center. I believe like Jesus taught and exampled, we need to be wise and prudent in our compliance. We will often need to example the heart of Christ in a helping hand and being a witness as we stand for Christ and His principles but also be discerning when we are being pressed upon unfairly in and by the world.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please grant and give me wisdom in prudent compliance so that in my life, as a pastor, as a leader, and steward of your blessings and provision, that my decisions will be prudently compliant in matters of regulations, laws, and codes, and still exampling your heart, but not falling to undue pressure in, by, and of the world. May my compliance be a witness to my confirmation of who I am, who we are, and who we stand for in Jesus’ name.
