24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? 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.”
The irascible Southern Baptist pastor/provocateur Carlyle Marney once said that if he ever left the ministry it would probably be because he could no longer in good conscience tell people they needed to give to the church. That was his way of asking people to give to the church while at the same time confessing his own ambivalence about the whole church fundraising enterprise.
Here's something Jesus said that is worth sitting with for a while to let the implications hit home: "The sons are free."
That should have pretty much ended all stewardship sermons based on coercion, manipulation, and guilt forever. The sons are free.
But there are questions I have. Who are the sons; are we all sons (and daughters) of the king or is there only one child? And who paid for whom and why? Did Jesus pay for himself and for Peter because to not pay is offensive in itself, or simply because Peter had said they would pay and not paying what you say you'll pay is offensive? Or did Peter pay for Jesus -- after all, Peter's the one who had to work? And in the end didn't Jesus pay it all? And, importantly, where do I get one of those fish?
Well, the answer to that I know; except for me it's not a fish.
No comments:
Post a Comment