Tax Time (Matt. 17)
It is tax season. Gotta love it, right? Most of us would say, "Not!" as the definition of something that is taxing is associated with the physically or mentally challenging. Bear with me a moment while I share what I came across about taxes today in my reading. I’ve read Matthew 17 verses 24-27 before, and I know I will read them again many times over, but today, they struck me for several reasons—not just for tax purposes. J Matthew 17 relates that while Jesus was in Capernaum, probably staying at Peter’s house, collectors came to try to gather the temple tax from Him. This practice, which no longer strictly enforced at this time, originated in Exodus 30:12-16 where God tells Moses to number the sons of Israel and then tax those numbered from age twenty and upward. This ransom or tax was unavoidable because those who didn’t pay would find themselves beset by a plague. God Himself set the amount, which by the time Jesus is asked to pay in Matthew 17 is a sum equivalent