Payin' Taxes... Gone Fishin'

by Fred Alberti, Crosswalk.com Manager of Communities

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"

Matthew 17:24

This is another of my all-time favorite stories. Jesus and his disciples are newly arrived in town and right away Peter is asked by the tax collectors, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"

Not wanting any trouble, Peter responds, "Yes, he does."

I imagine Peter made a bee-line for Jesus thinking along the way, "Crud, I need to find out how Jesus intends to pay the temple tax."

Perhaps you are of the sort that has put off your yearly tax to Uncle Sam and are now scrambling to get things done. Don't you wish it was as easy for you as it was for Peter?

What was Jesus' solution?

"…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 17:27)

"Peter, I want you to go fishing."

Are you sometimes approached by circumstances that seem impossible to resolve?

Peter may have been concerned over how he was going to pay his own tax. In either case he knew where he had to go - the Master to get the answer.

Peter's solution required him to work in obedience to Christ's instructions. He couldn't just sit there and expect the solution to fall into his lap. Rather, he had to go out there and start throwing the line.

Don't expect the solution to your problem to just fall out of the air. Look for the uncommon solution and expect there to be some work. The solution that the world would say is impossible just may be the solution that Jesus had planned all along.

Listen for the Lord's leading… he may be instructing you to do some of your own fishing.

Intersecting Faith & Life: After paying your taxes go fishing. While waiting for a bite consider all the ways that the Lord has provided for your needs.

Further Reading

The Christian Tax-Payer

Tax Poem

Duty Calls

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