TRIBUTE MONEY
TRIBUTE MONEY
A Miracle Service
(Matthew 17: 24-27; Exodus 30: 11-16)
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Mt/ 17:27: “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go you to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money; take it, and give unto them for me and for you.”
At a time when our nation is mesmerized by financial threats to our economy through excessive spending, increase in taxes and uncertain security for jobs and investments, Jesus performed a miracle of financial provision which covers all of our concerns for our present and future needs as well as our civil responsibility.
24-27: “And when they had come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Does not your master pay tribute? He said, Yes, and when came into the house, Jesus knew what he was going to say, saying, ‘What do you think Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children, or of strangers? Peter said unto him, then are the children free? Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them go to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you have opened his mouth; take the coin, and give unto them for me and you.”
Moses was commissioned to levy money upon the people by way of poll, so much a head for the service of the tabernacle. This he must do when he numbered the people. This was the tribute money which Christ paid, to not offend his adversaries. The tribute to be paid was half a shekel. The rich were not to give more nor the poor less.
This money in the Old Covenant was for the ransom of their soul. (Exodus 30:11-16: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, “When you take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them. This they shall give, every one that passes among them that was numbered half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (a shekel is twenty gerahs) a half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord. Every one that passes among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord. To make an atonement for your souls. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for your souls.” This census showed 603,550 males above the age of 20, exclusive of the Levites.
(After the exile a voluntary cultic tax of a third of a shekel was adopted (Neh. 10:32). Before the time of Jesus this had been changed to a compulsory half-shekel payable annually by every free male of twenty and over, whether he lived in Palestine or the Diaspora. Refusal to pay would have been regarded as an act of apostasy. After the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 the tax had to be paid to the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus in Rome as a punishment for the rebellion.)
The Lord wanted it settled with Peter that he might be satisfied to the reason why Christ paid the tribute. Jesus discerned what Peter was going to ask him before he walked in to the house. The Disciples of Christ are never attacked or betrayed without His knowledge. Every time satan plans an attack on me, the Lord warns me. I may not always be able to stop the attack, but I am forewarned with instructions of how to deal with it.
Peter knows that Jesus is a Priest and a minister of God. He is almost persuaded that he is the Son of God, so he is asking him, “do you have to pay?” Christ is the Son of God and Heir of all things; and therefore not obliged to pay that tax for the service of the temple. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Temple, the furnishings, the sacrifices and the Tribute Money. Jesus states his rights. God’s children are freed by grace and adoption from the slavery of sin and satan, but not from their subjection to civil magistrates in civil things; here the law of Christ is clear for the Christian. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s “Jesus replied to Peter, “Then are the children free?”
Yes, Jesus was free, but he waived his privilege and paid this tribute—Lest we should offend them.” Jesus considers that if he should refuse this payment it would increase people’s prejudice against him and his doctrine, and alienate them unnecessarily. Pick you battles. Don’t go to battle unless you are sent. Also, know that you are morally and legally righteous before God and man before going into any battle. Never start a fight that the Lord did not send you in to fight. Jesus didn’t hear the battle cry on this one.
Christian wisdom, prudence and humility teaches us in many cases to recede from our rights and righteous indignation, rather than give offense by insisting upon it.
We must never decline our duty for fear of giving offense, but if the Lord requires it of us, sometimes, we must deny our pride of indignation.
Through this great lesson of the ways of Christ, the Lord then made the provision through a great miracle. The miracle was not just a gratuitous act of divine power, but a demonstration that those who do not insist on being right and exclusive can experience God’s blessing in His miraculous provision.
In these days, we may be required to be subjected to civil authorities that deeply grieve our Faith. Let us follow the example of Jesus Christ and seek the Lord for our miraculous provision rather than our have anxiety over our circumstances.
There are a few more things we may observe from this miracle.
(1) Peter was sent to catch the fish by angling. Peter has something to do. He must obey the Lord and he must perform the work involved in catching the fish. In the days ahead, let us be willing to work as the Lord directs us.
(2) The fish came up with money in the mouth. Whatever work we do at Christ’s command brings its own pay along with it. The Lord is the paymaster. We will never have to hit people up for money, poor-mouth, beg, steal, lie, cheat or deceive for our provision.
(3) The piece of money was just enough to pay the tax for Jesus and Peter. Let us not fret about tomorrow, but rejoice that we have the Grace and Provision for today. Let us not distrust God in our present circumstances as a nation. Peter fished for the money, therefore part of it went for his use. Those that are workers together with Christ in winning souls shall be sharers with him in his glory. “Give it unto them for you and me.” This is the principle of the ransom of Peter’s soul and his protection from plagues. Jesus paid it all through his death on the Cross.
Jesus has the power today to ransom his children from the financial plagues and terrors threatened against us by the failures of our government leaders. What Christ paid for himself was looked upon as a debt. What he paid for Peter was a gift to him. It is a desirable thing if it pleases the Lord to bless his children with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the spirit of anti-christ was the government rule over Israel under Rome. Like Israel, our nation was established as a nation under God with the Holy Bible as our moral law. Like Israel, our national leaders no longer honor those moral laws, but have civil law that are contrary to the Holy Bible. Jesus gave us many examples of how we are to minister the Kingdom of God on earth in the midst of civil law that is contrary to the Law of God. Jesus still performs miracles. His Kingdom is not of this earth. We are in the earth, but we are in the Kingdom of God. “On earth as it is in heaven”.
It is of interest that there is a fish found in the Lake of Galilee known at St. Peter’s fish. It is quite capable of holding a shekel coin in its mouth. H.L. Ellison makes the comment in his commentary that since Peter is the only one involved in paying the tribute money, could it be he was the only disciple over twenty?
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. – text references from Matthew Henry Bible Commentary and F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary (H. L. Ellison)