Sermon(Mt 17:24-27): Christian’s self identity

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025252922

 

>> 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.” (Mt 17:24-27) <<

 

You must look at yourself with normal eyes. You must see yourself objectively. If you have a strictly objective view on yourself, you can have a right identity of yourself. Those who are confused in their identity are susceptible to mental diseases. If you accept a false religion, you can have a severe injure of self identity. Some people say that they had been animals or princes of some kingdom or other before they were born. Some people of India think they were born as the members of a certain social class, and live all their life as the fate determined them, giving up all intention of improving their life actively. They think they are happy people even when they live a life of low class until death because they were born low class people. How harmful thought and self identity! If you are born a man, you must have man's spirit and bravely improve your own life. If you are born a woman you must have woman's spirit and try to be a beautiful and virtuous woman. That is a beautiful and good life in God's sight. We must break away from foolish superstitions and live boldly with the right view of life that we've learned at school.

 

Likewise, those who have believed in Jesus Christ, the Savior, and become Christians should have a firm Christian identity. They can live a sound Christian life with such identity. In today's text of Bible, Jesus teaches us what kind of self identity we should have as a Christian. When Jesus and his disciples came to Capernaum, the half-shekel tax collectors asked Peter, "Does not your teacher pay the tax?" Here, the half-shekel was the temple tax (Ex 30:11-16). Every male Israelite from 20 years old and upward should pay half a shekel (for the atonement of his life) to the temple for the maintenance of the temple. Every one, whether he is rich or not, must pay this tax, and it is a kind of the ransom for his life. Half a shekel was not a large amount of money. So anyone could pay this equal tax without distinction of rich and poor. The tax collectors asked Peter if Jesus his Master had paid the tax. At that moment Peter said, "Yes, he has. He is not such a man as ignores that tax." Peter came to Jesus; and before Peter asked him about the tax, Jesus asked Peter, "What is your thought, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?" Peter answered, "From others." Then Jesus said, "Then the sons are free."

 

With these words Jesus teaches us that we Christians are not 'others' but 'children' with God. My brethren, you are not strangers but God's children. Therefore Jesus said Peter didn't need to pay the temple tax. Jesus is saying that you're not true God's children if you offer money to God with a real thought that you are paying tax to him. Nevertheless Jesus told him to look for a shekel for Peter and himself and to pay the tax lest people should think Jesus and his disciples to be godless when they saw that Jesus and his disciples didn't pay the tax in those socioreligious circumstances.

 

To make it clear that those who believe in Jesus are children of God, Jesus found the money for the temple tax in a very special way. Jesus told Peter to go fishing for small sum of money, open the mouth of the first fish, take a shekel from the mouth, and pay it for the temple tax. This money was paid not as a real temple tax but as a nominal temple tax. It would be a real tax if Peter worked for money and paid the tax with the money. Of course, Jesus and Peter might have had no money at that time, so Jesus could not but give such an order to Peter. But it's not likely that Jesus gave so strange and complicated an order to Peter just in order to gain one shekel. Jesus fasted for 40 days, but he didn't make a stone a loaf of bread to eat, because such an act was too undignified for the almighty Son of God. Therefore Jesus' command to pay the tax with the money taken from the mouth of a fish caught by fishing tells us how meaningless the temple tax is for Christians. Jesus did not use his omnipotence to perform the miracle at that time, in order to show how frivolous Devil's advice was that he should use his omnipotence to make a stone a loaf of bread. Now Jesus worked the miracle to catch a fish with a shekel in its mouth, in order to show us how meaningless it is for Christians to pay the temple tax, regarding the God as a stranger.

 

But the temple tax is an article of the law of the Old Testament, and Jesus who came to fulfill the law didn't abolish the temple tax without cause. Why did Jesus abolish the temple tax? Because Jesus paid the penalty for all sins of the saints by his suffering and death on the cross so that they need not pay the ransom for their life. I can say this because the temple tax was originally the ransom for the life of the adult Israelites. Just before this episode, Jesus said to his disciples. "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day. (Mt 17:22, 23)" Yes, my brethren! Those who believe in Jesus as the Savior need not additionally pay the temple tax. Because Jesus has paid the eternal price of our life already. He who believes this gains the eternal life for nothing, without paying additional price of his life. Another reason why Jesus abolished the temple tax is that Jesus himself is the cornerstone of the temple, and we Christians are the bricks of the temple, and all form the true temple building. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16)” “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own. (1 Cor 6:19)” “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:19-22)” The temple tax at that time was for maintaining the visible temple. But now the believers constitute the temple. Jesus and his disciples had formed the temple already. They are not people of new era if they pay the temple tax to other temple while having a true temple. I'm saying this not to insist that Christians should not offer up money to God at church but to let you know that Jesus' abolishing the temple tax is not against the law of the Old Testament. Jesus never forbade tithing, thanksgiving and the feast offerings. Of course, today if a church needs money for church building, all members of the church should take part in the fund raising.

 

The important question is that Jesus, the Representative of God the Father, abolished the temple tax. By Jesus' abolishing the tax, our relationship with the God has become not that of paying and receiving tax but that of Father and children who are free from tax. > For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" ... (Rom 8:15)< >And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir. (Gal 4:6-7)< The good news for us is that not only have we been exempted from the temple tax, but we as God's children have inherited his entire wealth from him. "It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom 8:16-17)" "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:29)" So we have changed from servants to children of God thanks to Jesus. We must pay the temple tax if we are servants. But we do not have to pay it because we are his children. (We call the clerics the servant of God for some reasons. There must be no misunderstanding about it.) We've become children out of the position of servants thanks to Jesus. He who believes this will inherit the eternal kingdom of God with Jesus.

 

Children of God? Then we must make ‘Jesus the only Son of God’ our model. Jesus loved God the Father and man. We, too, like Jesus must love the Father and others as ourselves. Jesus thoroughly obeyed the Father in order that his will might be fulfilled. Jesus even died to fulfill his will. We must obey the Father like Jesus. Jesus advised his disciples not to worry about the necessities of life, especially about food and clothes. He said to us that we should seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness. Jesus didn't try to seek glory from people but lived only for the glory of the Father. He didn't take an easy, wide, and comfortable path the Devil showed but took a narrow way. We should follow him.

 

Maybe Peter might feel uncomfortable because he must first ask Jesus, "Lord, have you paid the temple tax?" Knowing Peter's mind, Jesus first said to Peter (Mt 17:25). "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?" In subsequent conversations, Jesus gave Peter the right teaching, and worked a miracle to find a shekel to pay. My brethren, Jesus knows all your circumstances and thoughts even when you do not say them to him. My brethren, lay down all your heavy burdens before him. And have rest in him. Just do what he has ordered you to do, and thank God always and just obey him. And he will do all on behalf of you.

 

A miracle takes place to those who do not doubt but 100% obey God like Peter. How much common sense and experience did Peter have to give up until he went to the sea and opened the mouth of the first fish he caught? So far Peter has never seen a fish with something in its mouth. Furthermore, how can a fish with a coin in its mouth bite the fish hook and be caught? My brethren, do not doubt but be obedient! A servant works in a sense of duty, but a son obeys his father in love and respect. A servant earns only as much as he worked, but a son receives his father's entire estate. Our burden is lightened when we obey God. When Peter obeyed Jesus, he got the money to pay. Some people obeyed Jesus at the wedding feast in Cana, and the wine shortage problem was solved. Our financial burden is relieved when we willingly pay the tithes, and God gladly gives health, peace and all blessings to us if we keep the Sabbath, the Lord's Day. If we obey God and bear our cross, we'll enjoy the fullness of the love of God, the greatest and holiest love in the world.

 

May God bless you, God's children, with the spiritual blessings of heaven and the rich blessings of the earth.

 

Chong Tack Kim

                                      - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -