The Bible

 

Matthew 17:24-27 : The Temple Tax

Study

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Commentary

 

Incorporating the New

By Todd Beiswenger


To continue browsing while you listen, play the audio in a new window.

There's an old saying that says, "When the student is ready the master will appear." The idea is that the student must incorporate everything they've already been taught into their life before the next master will come to teach them the next steps. We see something similar in the Word, where Jesus opens the eyes of Peter, James and John to a new spiritual reality, but now they have a difficult time trying to synthesize what they've just been taught with everything they've always believed. (note - Todd offers his apologies for an error; where he mistakenly says in this audio that the "spiritual serves the natural"... he meant to say, "natural serves the spiritual.")

(References: Apocalypse Explained 64, 405; Arcana Coelestia 6394; Matthew 17:14-20, 17:24-27)

Commentary

 

Present

  

It was customary in the representative Ancient Church, and later in the Jewish Church, when people went to the judges, and at a later time, to the kings or priests, to present them with a gift. The people were commanded to do this. The reason for this custom was that the gifts people presented to those men represented the kinds of things mankind possessed that ought to be offered to the Lord when any approach is made to Him. Such gifts are ones that a person offers in freedom and therefore ones that come truly from himself, because his freedom resides in what comes from his heart, and what comes from his heart comes from his will. What comes from his will comes from a desire arising from his love, and this desire constitutes his freedom, or what is truly his own. This should be the origin of any gift made by a person to the Lord when making any approach to Him. This kind of gift was represented by the gifts mentioned above, for 'kings' represented the Lord regarding Divine Truth, while 'priests' represented Him regarding Divine Good. These gifts also served as introductions, which were made to obtain favor.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 5619)