A Coin From a Fish (Matthew 17:24-27)
As the old saying goes, there are only two things in life we can count on: death and taxes. And in the case of first century Judea, there were taxes galore. Even the religious establishment, the Temple, had a tax.
Much has been made of this brief gospel interlude through the years . . . Matthew tells it succinctly, with no fuss or muss. Some have taken this account as an affirmation that Jesus was against paying taxes, but the gospel evidence both here and other places suggests otherwise. Others have made of this story a parable about shrewdness. Still others categorize it as a miracle story.
Regardless, Jesus does ask the disciples to pay their taxes, but the end up finding the amount needed in their first catch of the day. The open a fish's mouth, and there is the coin.
Would that paying taxes could be so easy! But, there may be lessons learned.
I regard this narrative as a lesson on expectations. Jesus affirms the disciples and tells them that others are watching. There are always expectations laid upon the church. And it is no fluke that the disciples find what they need to fulfill these expectations when they do what they do best: fishing.
So, the question might be . . . what do YOU do? What do you to BEST? Where can you find the resources and gifts needed to fulfill the expectations that God has placed upon your life?
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