Kingdom Sonship
When I was reading this passage from the Gospel of Matthew 17:24–27 (ESV), I came across one of the most important words of the last month of April: tax.
You will find that even Jesus paid tax. That’s strange, right? Jesus, the God of the universe, pays tax? It’s like someone possessing your land for free, and then when you appear, they ask you for tax.
However, Jesus is not bothered about how the money is circulating, because provision will make its way through, for Jesus and His people. The Lord will provide. He will take care of everything, tax, GST, and all the other bills.
Even in Jesus’ time, there were many kinds of payments:
Roman Government Tax: God allows it and calls us all to abide by it.
Gospel of Matthew 22:21 “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”Temple Tax: Gospel of Matthew 17:24–27 “Jesus says to Peter, “sons are free” (Jesus is God, so not obligated), yet He still pays.
Local Ruler (Herodian) Taxes: Gospel of Luke 19:8 Zacchaeus repents and restores what he took unjustly.
Trade / Customs Taxes:
Certainly, there would have been trading taxes in Jerusalem and Capernaum.
It’s real that somehow, we all get bothered about money. It’s critical; everything runs on it.
I remember some time ago, a friend of mine, after work, told me to join him for a quick round of making money. He took me to a casino. I don’t go to casinos, not even for fun. Since my friend was super enthusiastic about making money to buy another iPhone, he confidently told me that he would make money quickly and be able to buy a new iPhone. So, I went with him to see how it went.
Within his first two attempts, in about ten minutes, he made $1000. He told me, “See Ankit, I told you. Now I can buy an iPhone and give it to someone I want.” Now, do you think that’s how we tackle the worry about money? Should we all go to a casino to take care of our needs?
Did you know that there’s great demonic work in the realm of money? Satan can give you money or make you rich. Some artists attract people and money very quickly. That attraction comes at the cost of being in alliance with Satan. There’s a power pull behind it. However, Satan and his alliance are going straight into hell. Certainly, all those influential artists who have sold themselves to Satan will go with him if they do not repent.
Satan offers riches, money, or fame, but in the end, he will destroy you.
Satan even tempted Jesus. He took Him to a high mountain and told Him that if He would bow before him, he would allow Him to be rich and influential in Jerusalem. Now this sounds bizarre. How can Satan offer Jesus anything? He is the God of the universe, and through Him all things were made, and all things belong to Him.
Well, the answer is simple. Satan has some power on the earth for a time. God allows this real drama, and at the same time, He wants us to conquer this drama and escape the trap of Satan’s bait, while also redeeming others.
This also means that we won’t sell ourselves or do anything and everything for the sake of making money. I’m concerned about youth and young adults. Sometimes they choose evil ways to make money, not knowing that the money is going into a dark pit. Eventually, they won’t get anything out of it. There will be no peace, joy, or longevity in it.
Therefore, we must all turn to Jesus and put all our trust in Him, believing that He will take care of us. God will provide.
1. Do we pay taxes? (v.24) In this episode, Jesus quickly lets Peter know that they should pay the temple tax, no conflict, no revolution, no resistance. Just the tax, along with a miracle.
Peter might have thought, “Lord, what are You doing? These synagogue people are not good religious leaders. Then why must we pay a temple tax to them?”
But the Lord didn’t revolt or push back. He paid the temple tax. Similarly, the kingdom sons are called to follow what Jesus taught. So, should we pay our taxes? Yes, we should. But this is not the main point in this episode.
2. Do we feel lost? (vv. 25–26) From verses 25–26, we see Jesus initiating an interaction with Peter, helping him to look beyond the matter of tax and see the deeper truth, the truth about our kingdom identity.
Jesus pointed out that we are not just “others”; we are “sons” and daughters of the Most High. Through the sealing of the Holy Spirit, we know we don’t worship God from afar, we are very close to Him. The temple is now in you. God lives in you.
How, then, can we feel lost? Even when it comes to our personal needs and provision, when God is close, we don’t have to feel lost about anything. Jesus’ death on the cross has made this access possible for all who believe, follow Him, and trust Him in everything. They are the kingdom’s sons and daughters. We are not subdued by worry, even about paying taxes. We are actually called, in love, to support the work of the kingdom.
Great news is that none of us has to pay temple taxes. At the same time, we are called to give to the church, cheerfully, lovingly, and generously, for the advancement of His kingdom. This is for the church and ministers of the gospel, not under compulsion, but with the understanding that the Lord will provide even as we give. We see that in the next verse.
3. Do we lose expectations? (v.27) Jesus did something amazing, He provided the temple tax through a fish. Now, we can’t just buy some salmon, check its mouth, and expect to find a gold coin. But God can do amazing things and provide miraculously for all of us.
We just need to trust in Him and give our lives to Him, knowing that He is God and that all things were created through Him. Therefore, we should not lose expectations under financial pressure. Instead, trust in God. Do the right thing. He will provide, for your giving, your GST, and all your needs.
Don’t make an alliance with the enemy by doing anything unethical for the sake of money. Instead, give your life to God and trust that He will provide. A simple prayer we can pray over and over again:
“Lord, you are my provider, and I will not lack anything that is good.”
Psalms 23
