Paying His Own Tax: Matthew 17:24-27

As we move through the gospels looking at miracles, we come to a miracle that is only predicted, but we are left to assume that it actually happened the way Jesus described. While other events are predicted and then described as happening as Jesus had predicted, this event ends before telling us the key disciple involved heads out to follow Jesus’ instructions.

However, while we don’t actually get any resolution with this miracle, the prediction of this miracle contains one of the biggest, most amazing themes in the entire Bible. In just four short verses, we see the gospel message described in a unique and powerful way – all because one of the disciples misrepresents Jesus unintentionally and Jesus gives Him a way to redeem the situation.

This miracle is only described in Matthew’s gospel, and while I wish that Mark, Luke, or John would have included it, I’m happy that it made its way into at least one of the gospels. Let’s read this event together and then discover the powerful theme that it includes.

Our miracle and passage is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 17, and for our episode this week, we will read it from the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 24, Matthew tells us that:

²⁴ When Jesus and his followers came to Capernaum, the men who collected the Temple tax came to Peter. They asked, “Does your teacher pay the Temple tax?”

²⁵ Peter answered, “Yes, Jesus pays the tax.”

Peter went into the house, but before he could speak, Jesus said to him, “What do you think? The kings of the earth collect different kinds of taxes. But who pays the taxes—the king’s children or others?”

²⁶ Peter answered, “Other people pay the taxes.”

Jesus said to Peter, “Then the children of the king don’t have to pay taxes. ²⁷ But we don’t want to upset these tax collectors. So go to the lake and fish. After you catch the first fish, open its mouth and you will find a coin. Take that coin and give it to the tax collectors for you and me.”

In this event, we see a backwards tax being applied to those living in Israel. According to Jesus’ question and Peter’s response, taxes during the first century were paid by those outside of the king or emperor’s family. In Israel, that meant that taxes were imposed on them from outside sources. In the spiritual arena, we also see a tax imposed on the people for the upkeep of the temple.

This was backwards thinking on the part of the religious leaders, because they were to be supported on the giving of tithes and offerings, and not on the secular model of taxation.

However, the most amazing part of this miracle comes when I ask myself the question about where the coin came from to pay the tax?

First off, when faced with this challenge, the easy place to find a coin would have been from the disciples’ cash reserves. It likely had enough in it to pay the temple tax for all of them present. But that is not where the coin originated.

Instead, the coin came from a fish’s mouth, which opens a whole new set of questions and challenges. Think for a moment about how many unrelated events would have needed to align for Peter to randomly go down to the lake, cast out a line, and catch a fish with the exact coin necessary to pay the tax – oh, and succeed on the first try. When we think about all the details that would have needed to happen, this miracle becomes more amazing with each detail added.

This miracle is amazing when we begin to put all the pieces together. Either it was a miracle because God placed a coin in the mouth of the first fish supernaturally after the fish bit Peter’s hook, or one of the most impossible sequences of events would have needed to take place for this miracle to happen as Jesus described it if it didn’t have supernatural intervention after the fact. There is no escaping God’s involvement with this miracle even if we don’t know exactly which method He used to get the coin in the right fish’s mouth.

Since this could have only happened because God stepped in and worked miraculously to get Peter the coin, we must conclude that God paid the temple tax. While on one level, since God owns everything, He is the only one who could pay the temple tax, on another level, the tax that we owe God because of sin is impossible for us to pay on our own. The tax for sin is our lives given in death, and the only way we can escape paying this tax is by being adopted into God’s family.

However, this doesn’t mean that God will wipe our tax bill away, but instead, He files our tax bill under the payment for taxes that were paid through Jesus’ sacrifice. When we are adopted into God’s family, we are freed from the fear of punishment because of our past sin, and we live our future lives giving thanks to God for what He has done for us through Jesus.

The whole gospel of Jesus Christ is summarized in this miracle. When Peter messes up and fails Jesus, it wouldn’t surprise us if Jesus condemned or chastised him. However, Jesus does not condemn him for his failure. Instead, He gives Peter a way out that can only be described as a God-paid, miraculous solution.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As always, continue to seek God first in your life and live your life giving thanks for what He has done for you through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Accept that God paid a debt that you owed and could not pay, and that in return, the best way to say thank you is by living your life for Him.

Always continue to intentionally pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each day. While other people can give you things to think about, a personal relationship with God must be personal, and it cannot and should not depend on the faith or relationship of anyone else.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!