Matthew 17:24-27; The temple, the fish and the tender heart of Jesus

“Then the sons are exempt. However, so that we do not offend them … take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”

“We are reminded again of Jesus’ humility: He who so controls nature and its powers that He stills storms and multiples food now reminds Peter of that power by this miracle, while nevertheless remaining so humble that he would not needlessly cause offense.” (D.A. Carson’s commentary on Matthew)

With His sights set on Jerusalem (16:21), Jesus stops in Capernaum, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is where Peter lives and where Jesus frequents. Outside of what was probably Peter’s house, Peter is confronted by tax-collectors. (Is it mere coincidence that Matthew the tax-collector is the only one of the 4 gospel writers to include this story?)

These tax-collectors are not the dreaded collectors who work on behalf of the occupying Roman government. Rather, these Jewish tax-collectors are gathering the annual two-drachma tax, the equivalency of two days’ wages, as specified in Exodus 30:11-16. This is a “happy tax,” a tax that the Jews are glad to pay since it helps to maintain a national and religious treasure, their temple.

These tax-collectors, no friends of Rome, are not friendly toward Jesus either. They try to use Peter to trap Jesus, probably because they were afraid to confront Jesus directly. They ask Peter, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” (v. 24). If the answer is no, then the unbelieving Jews can accuse Jesus of breaking the Law of Moses. If the answer is yes, then that would discredit Jesus’ claim of divinity: why would God pay a tax? Peter’s answer was succinct: “Yes.” Even so, Jesus has the final word.

Jesus, omnisciently aware of what has happened, talks to Peter “first” (v.25) as Peter enters the house. Peter probably was shaken up after the confrontations outside his home. Jesus senses this and asks Peter, “from whom do the kings collect taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter replies, “from strangers.” “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said (v.26), implying that Jesus and maybe even the disciples did not need to pay the tax.

What Jesus says next is where we see the tender heart of Jesus: “However, so that we do not offend them…” (v. 27) Jesus will pay the tax even though He is exempt. He is more concerned about not offending others than exerting His rights. At other times, Jesus did offend the Jews (e.g., Matthew 15:12) but He is also choosing His battles carefully. Fighting over the temple tax, for a building He loved (John 2:17), was not worthy of a fight. Jesus did not use His deity for His comfort or advantage. Instead, He used His freedom as a way to love and serve others (Galatians 5:13).

And instead of merely pulling out a shekel from His pocket and flipping it to Peter, Jesus chooses to take the long way and work a miracle. Why? When we are directly involved in what God is doing, our own faith is strengthened. Peter’s faith was probably weak at this moment from a series of rebukes (Matthew 16:23, 17:5, 17:17; 17:24). Therefore, Jesus was using this episode to nurture Peter’s faith. And Jesus employed the everyday elements of Peter’s life to strengthen Peter’s faith. The coin was not in a loaf of bread, or buried in a field, rather it was in a fish. Jesus uses a fish to strengthen the faith of a fisherman.

Likewise, when we are weak, when our faith has been tested and found wanting, the Lord will show us His sufficiency. He will call us to obey His Words at our moment of weakness so that we can find Him faithful. If your faith is weak, don’t recoil, don’t hide. Rather obey whatever it is He is calling you to do next. Cast your line in pursuit of the fish of faith. In the mouth of the fish you will find the shekel of HIs trustworthiness.

Even though this Jesus, who calls the stars by name (Isaiah 40:26), who created all things (Colossians 1:16), is infinitely big, He is also infinitely small. He cares about the details of your life and desires intimacy with you, even though you are one of 6 billion people on the planet today. Jesus beckons us: “Come to Me and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) After all, Jesus focuses on His love for Peter by providing enough money to pay the tax, not for the whole community, or even the 12 disciples, but in the words of Jesus, enough to pay the tax “for you and Me.”

Matthew 17:10-23; Jesus, doubt and disbelief

The disciples asked Jesus, “Why could we not drive [the demon] out?” And Jesus said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith.”

“I see doubt as a confirmation that someone is a true believer. If we believed completely, if we didn't have any doubts, we would be incapable of loving God volitionally... If we got to the point where we knew everything about Him and we had no doubts at all, love wouldn't be love. It would be like looking out your window at the tree outside; you'd just take it for granted.” (Chuck Colson in an interview in Slate magazine, October 20, 2010)

Jesus has just come down off the mountain where He was revealed in His heavenly glory. As He is coming down, His disciples ask Him about Elijah (v. 10). Jesus responds by saying that due to people’s unbelief, Elijah, even though he came, was not recognized and he was killed. Therefore the Kingdom is delayed.

Next Jesus encounters an argument between His disciples and the Jewish scribes (Mark 9:14 in the parallel passage). A demon-possessed boy suffers nearby yet no one is able to help him. In clear frustration, Jesus says, “You unbelieving and perverted generation… how long shall I put up with you?” (v. 17) Even in the prediction of His death, burial and resurrection (vv.22-23), the disciples catch only part of the story and miss what He says about His rising from the dead. For, the Scripture says, they were deeply grieved (v. 23).

This passage is not about eschatology, demon possession, botany, plate tectonics or even prophecy. The one thread connecting these three episodes is faith… and the lack of faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). The greatest possession we have, more precious than gold, is our faith in God (1 Peter 1:7). Faith is vitally important because faith is the medium through which God and man commune.

While every believer struggles with doubt, we shall not confuse doubt with disbelief. All believers can relate to the doubts of the father of the boy in this passage when he said to Jesus, “I do believe. Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). John the Baptist, while imprisoned and awaiting execution, has his doubts. He sends a message to Jesus asking if He is “the Expected One or shall we look for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). Jesus never condemns those believers who doubt. In fact, Jesus heals the doubting man’s son (v.18) and Jesus praises unequivocally John the Baptist as the greatest born among women (Matthew 11:11).

On the other hand, disbelief is a poison that kills the life that God extends to us. Jesus refused to do miracles in Nazareth, (His home town!) because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58). Jesus continually lashes out against the Pharisees and scribes for their hard hearts (e.g., Matthew 16:1-4; 23:1-36); He even rebukes His own disciples frequently for their hard hearts (e.g., Mark 8:17-21).

During our earthly sojourn, how do we as believers strengthen our faith? Just as an athlete must eat right and exercise right, so the believer must eat right and exercise right. First we must feast on God and His Word. Romans 10:17 teaches that faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Second, we must exercise our faith. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said repeatedly, “Faith is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the bigger it gets. “ Scripture admonishes us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). To walk implies movement and action, not comfort and inactivity.

It is one thing to doubt; it is quite another to not believe. Doubt brings strength; disbelief brings death. We all wrestle with doubt. Hence we are called to encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13) while both the Spirit and the Lord Jesus intercede for us (Romans 8:26,34). May we all taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8)