1. To pay or not to pay the temple tax

We are reading the Gospels according to the Bible education program and todays’ lecturing part is Matthew 17:24-27. The passage concerns the temple tax, a very rare theme for lesson. Indeed, it is my first time in those 10 years of the service. I wish that we can find there many important points together

The episode begins this way ; - After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?"(Matthew 17:24)

“Temple tax” was a duty imposed on every Jewish men. The collected money was used to maintain the Temple building and supply priests’ needs. It is said that about 800 priests and Levites were serving the Temple in the era. So personal cost alone had been enormous. The annual tax amount was a half-shekel*, which was equivalent to around four-drachma coin. Its origin of the tax is very old and written in Exodus 30:12-13 ; - “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.

In the time of Jesus, most frequently used currencies were Greek and Roman ones and different types of money are noted in variant translations of the Bible: “didrachum”, “denarii”, “drachma” and “stater.” (see the foot note)

A temple tax collector came to Peter’s where Jesus was staying. The real aim of the collector seems to find an excuse to accuse Jesus for the violation of the law. Because of harsh criticism of Jesus against the temple policy, the authority should think that he would refuse to pay it Peter guessed their intention and replied without asking Jesus’ opinion ; - “Yes, he does,” he replied. (Matthew 27:25)

Peter tried to avoid conflicts with the authority. As a matter of fact though Jesus praised spontaneous offerings to the Temple, he was probably against obliging donations.

Matthew continues ; - When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. (Matthew 17:25-26)

That answer logically concludes in refusal of payment. And Peter must look perplexed because he had said to the tax collector, “Yes, he does.” But Jesus, to make Peter at ease, said ; - “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."(Matthew 17:27)

Though Jesus thought that children of God were exempt, he didn’t want to offend ordinary Jewish people. Besides, if he refuse to pay, Peter would be put in difficult situation. Therefore Jesus accepted to pay the temple tax.

note:
– According to The World English Bible*2 the coin found in the mouth of fish was a stater coin, which value 4 denarii. And a didrachma is a Greek silver coin worth 2 drachmas, about as much as 2 Roman denarii, or about 2 days wages. It was commonly used to pay the half-shekel temple tax, because 2 drachmas were worth one half shekel of silver. –

*1 Shekel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekel
*2 World English Bible http://www.bcbsr.com/webversion.html

2. What is the lesson for us?

Jesus rejected the faith exclusively based on rites which were carried out in the Temple. Furthermore he predicted the destruction or the Temple itself ; - “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2)

But, despite the stance, Jesus accepted to pay the temple tax. And the conduct influenced the church of Matthew afterwards. The Temple had been destructed by Roman army in 72 CE. as a punishment of Jewish revolt. So the temple tax didn’t exist when Matthew wrote the Gospel, in around 80 CE. However, instead, Romans collected the same amount from each Jewish man and used it for the temple of Jupiter. Jupiter was the patron deity of Romans. So it was natural that believers of the church wondered whether paying the tax was the same as contribution to idolatry. They should discuss a lot about it. So much so Matthew inserted the episode to advice christians to respect the Roman taxation in order not to offend ordinary persons.

The most important point of today’s lecture is , “We may not offend them,” which shows clearly Jesus’ understanding and sensitiveness to neighbors. We can find a similar case in Matthew 22:15-21. When the Pharisees asked him “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus answered, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

He taught us to distinguish the matter concerning God from secular ones. We are compelled to separate what is fundamental for the faith from earthy issues. That way, we can be flexible and tolerant as long as it concerns secondary things.

The early church unceasingly argued the obligation imposed by Roman Empire. It was also natural that they were not happy to pay any money to the sovereign power. But Matthew tried to convince them of observance of the law of Empire through the teaching of Jesus. Paul shared the same attitude ; - Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.(Romans 13:7)

We find in both of them the principal of “We may not offend them.”

3. As citizen and a christian

Paul gave us another important teaching, 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 ; - “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

It concerns the freedom of christians*1 . The concept is further developed by Martin Luther. Luther thought : As fully forgiven children of God, Christians are no longer compelled to keep God’s law ; however, they freely and willingly serve God and their neighbors.

We understand such a freedom to be the right to conduct not to offend others. It signifies that, if our behavior offends neighbors, we give up the freedom to do so. And the Bible calls such willingness “Love.”

We make offerings in accordance with that freedom. Offerings must not be made as imposed taxes. Because we are not under any legal obligation. We make donations for the sake of the church that we need. for we believe that we can contribute to God’s works through the church alone.

The church was founded by Jesus Christ and symbolizes the kingdom of God built on the earth. The amount of tithe is not small. It might be at price of a part of our daily needs or future savings. So much so, it requires the sincere faith. If it is made under obligation it cannot be offerings. Of course, we will never force those who don’t want to give up one-tenth of the income. However we hope that they pray for the faith which leads them to pay tithe.

To give priority to neighbors’ feeling isn’t the same as to concede easily our own will. It is the love. Jesus didn’t mean that they should pay the temple tax to compromise with Jewish religious authority. The early church payed it not to avoid conflicts with the society. They could keep flexible mind about the tax because they considered it to be a trivial matter for the faith.

Some of Japanese pastors refuse to contribute to communal activities. For each district supports Buddhist temples. Personally I think they are insensible to neighbors’ feeling. Or certain pastors won’t attend traditional funeral due to Japanese religious believing. But such a conduct should make the relatives of the deceased feel sad.

Religious intolerance and inflexibility are not in line with teachings of the Gospels. Our faith must be based on human fraternity and compassion. Jesus told Peter “Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

The point of the passage is not at all the miraculous effect of finding a coin in the mouth of fish. If you think the story was fabulous you don’t have faith. For Jesus wanted Peter to work as a fisherman as he was before to get money for the temple tax. Even if Peter couldn’t get enough soon he could continue till he gained the necessary amount.

We should think about our construction project of a new church building in the similar way. Some might say that it is an unreasonable plan for the congregation of less than 40 members. Because we are about to raise more than 70 million yen. It should be outrageous in common sense. But we strive for the realization with belief in God. God will accord us what we need. We continue asking donations to reach at the goal. It must require certain sacrifices of you. The total sum is so huge. However we are ready to modify the first blueprint if we recognize it as too ambitious. But we will never give up the project itself. We think the construction of a new building is a matter of faith. The project is the challenge of our faith.

In our life, we face sometimes the difficulty to distinguish the essential of the faith from peripheral ones. At such a moment please remember “the serenity prayer"by R. Niebuhr *2. He prayed :
– God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. –

We can understand it this way in the context of today’s lecture:
– We should refuse to concede about the fundamentals of the faith but we are ready to yield on earthy and trivial matters. And we pray God for the wisdom which lead us to distinguish the former from the latter.

*1 the Freedom of a Christian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Freedom_of_a_Christian
*2 The serenity prayer http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html
Reinhold Niebuhr http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhold_Niebuhr