Daily Lesson for November 17, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 17 verses 24 through 27:

24 When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?’ 25He said, ‘Yes, he does.’ And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?’ 26When Peter said, ‘From others’, Jesus said to him, ‘Then the children are free. 27However, so that we do not give offence to them, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.’

It is stewardship season in many churches and a time when we are outright asking for money.

As I told the church Sunday, after nearly 20 years in ministry I'm less skittish when it comes to asking for money now because, for one thing, the congregation pretty much expects it, and, two, because the church -- which I believe in -- does need money.

But it's also easier for me to ask for money these days because I have given up the appeal to obligation, which, whether heavy-handed or soft, is always a form of guilt-tripping and spiritual coercion.

Jesus was not into the Temple's coercive techniques. He believed going to the Temple was a free right of all God's children -- and note in the Lesson today Jesus does say, childREN -- plural. That means not just Jesus, but all have a right to come and belong without pay -- like in a family.

The Temple is expensive. We're always working on ours, because after 70 or so years it's always falling apart. We do need people to give.

Jesus had Peter to give. Peter paid with his profession -- fishing. A coin was found in the mouth of the fish. There's always a coin or two to be found to be made in whatever it is we do. Those who give that coin to the church are much appreciated.

But still, the children really are free. We're free to give and free not to give. When we truly believe we are free then we're free indeed; and we're free to let others be free as well.

Embrace this.

Embrace it for yourself. Embrace it for your neighbor. And embrace for your preacher whose charged with talking about all this too.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.