11th August 2014 Daily Reading & Meditation. St Clare, Virgin (Memorial) Reading : Ezekiel 1:2-5; Psalm 148:1-2,11-12,14; Matthew 17:22-27 Does not your teacher pay the tax? Gospel : Matthew 17:22-27 22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day. And they were greatly distressed. 24 When they came to Caperna-um, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, Does not your teacher pay the tax? 25 He said, Yes. And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others? 26 And when he said, From others, Jesus said to him, Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and 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 me and for yourself. 1st Reading . Ezekiel 1:2-5. 2 On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), 3 the word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was on him there.4 As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber. 5 In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form. Reflection : Matthew 17:22-27 For the second time Jesus warns his disciples about what is to come: his suffering, death and resurrection. Once again the word ‘delivered’ or ‘handed over’ (Greek paradidomi, paradidwmi) is used. It is a kind of refrain running right through the Gospel and applied to John the Baptist, to Jesus, to the disciples and the giving of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. We are told that the disciples are overwhelmed with grief over what Jesus says. Whether that is purely out of sorrow for Jesus or whether it represents their disillusionment, is hard to say. This was not the kind of end they were expecting to the coming of the Messiah. The second part of today’s reading is a peculiar scene, only to be found in Matthew. The collectors of the Temple tax want to know whether Jesus pays it or not. Peter assures them that he does. And on entering the house Jesus asks Peter : “Do kings collect tax from their sons, that is, their subjects, or from foreigners?” “From others,” replies Peter. And, in fact, the Romans did collect tax from their colonised peoples and not from their own citizens. In that case, Jesus says, the sons, that is, he and his disciples, should be exempt from paying the Temple tax. After all, the Temple is God’s house and Jesus is his Son and his disciples are his brothers, sons of the same Father. They should therefore be exempt. But to avoid giving scandal and misunderstanding, Peter is told to catch a fish in whose mouth he will find a shekel, enough to pay for both of them. A half shekel was levied each year on all Jewish males of 20 years or older. It was for the upkeep of the Temple. A half shekel at this time was roughly equivalent to two days’ wages. This passage seems to reflect a dilemma of the early Church. A double dilemma. Should Christians who are Jews continue to pay the Temple tax? Should Christians in general have to pay tax to a pagan government, especially one whose emperor claims to be a deity? The first dilemma solved itself in time, especially with the destruction of the Temple (which had already taken place when Matthew was written). The second dilemma took longer. The problem seems to have been solved by the principle laid down elsewhere by Jesus: Give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor and to God what belongs to God. This should be a lesson to us, that we should seek to obey the laws and customs of the land in which we live, assuming, of course, that there be nothing unlawful in the eyes of God in them, in order not to put any stumbling blocks in the way of nonbelievers. Our Lord’s example in this case deserves the attention of all who profess and call themselves Christians. There is deep wisdom in those five words, ‘lest we should offend them.’ They teach us plainly that there are matters in which Christ’s people ought to sink their own opinions, and submit to requirements which they may not thoroughly approve, rather than give offense and ‘hinder the Gospel of Christ’. We must pay so as not to cause bad example. In fact, we must go beyond our duty in order that we may show others what they ought to do. Ask yourselves, do you evade unpleasant responsibilities or obligations? As said however we have to discern what is legitimately required of us by our governments and make our contribution to the needs of our society while at the same time not compromising on issues where universal principles of truth and justice are at stake. Civil disobedience is sometimes not only a right but also a responsibility. Note, it is significant that Jesus also paid Peter’s atonement money, not just His own. He was soon to pay for the atonement of all of us, at much greater cost. “Far greater and deeper truths lie slumbering down below. They are such as these: the glorious freedom of the Son, His coming under tribute for our sakes, and the clearance of Himself and us by the one payment which He Himself provided” Lord Jesus, your death brought true life and freedom. May I always walk in the freedom and power of your love and truth and reject whatever is contrary to your will for my life. Psalm 148:1-2,11-12,14 1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children! 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 02:08:03 +0000
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