" And when Peter was come into the house, Jesus stopped him, saying, What
Do you think , Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or
tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter said to him, Of strangers. Jesus said to him, Then the children are free."Matthew:17:25-26
Timing
This rather is an acted out parable, more than Jesus using words to articulate a point. The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to place this account in the same chapter as the Transfiguration, Healing and Jesus giving the Second prediction of His death. It occurs in the Fishing community of Capernaum in Galilee.
There are some Biblical Scholars who question the timing of the events as to when this occurrences takes place within Jesus' ministry. There are some who believe that this takes place at the onset of the ministry of our Lord but is placed here in the narrative to emphasis the work of the Cross that Jesus give a prediction of within the same chapter.
This may be in the same way that John places the clearing of the money changers out of the Temple early in his account to reflect Jesus' mission of restoring a right relationship between God and humanity and Jesus' intention of doing away with the "overly religious system" which became bloated with greed and self righteousness in the hands of the Religious Leaders, but the other Gospels accounts place it after the events of Palm Sunday just before the Crucifixion.
Temple Tax
After Jesus and His Disciples arrive at Capernaum, Peter is asked by some if Jesus pays the two Dracham Temple Tax. This tax which was two Dracham , and was intended to be used for the upkeep of the Temple and the livelihood of the Priest who ministered there was, it amounted to two days wages.
"And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tax money
came to Peter, and said, Does not your master the tax? He said, Yes" Matthew:17:24-25a
Peters' answer if translated literally would simply be "yes" or maybe better translated "of course".
After Peters' conversation with the Tax Collectors , he is then asked by Jesus his thoughts regarding who Kings bring taxation upon
"And when Peter was come into the house, Jesus stopped him, saying, What do you think , Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?" Mathew:17:25b
Peter answers "Peter said to Jesus, "Of strangers." (26a)
Jesus answer " Jesus said to Peter, Then the children are free."(26b)
But after this Jesus instructs Peter to pay the tax on their behalf buy catching a fish and fin ding the need amount within its mouth.
"Jesus said to him.“But
so that we may not cause offense, 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.” (27)
Not a Taxing Question
There are some who see this as Jesus endorsement a civil governments right to taxation on its citizen, while there might be a broad application to that , but that is not the real point. Most know the words of Jesus when asked about taxation in a conversation with the religious leaders.After asking to be shown a coin Jesus declared.
"And Jesus answering said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" .Mark:12:17
Taxation is not the point. In that day the Drachma ,that is the coinage used to pay the Temple tax, came to be used synonymously for the religious system that it maintained, when people used the term drachma they meant is as the whole system, it spoke of involvement and participation in short it represented "religion".
Free of Religion
Looking back to Jesus' and Peters' conversation, using the question as to who kings tax, strangers or their children? , Peter answer correctly that strangers are taxed, and Jesus declarers the "Children are free".
Recall that the question which began the acted out parable was regarding the drachma, which maintained the "system of religion" , Jesus only tells Peter to pay the tax to avoid "offense" not to fulfill an obligation. What is Jesus telling us the children are free from? He is saying the children are free of the tax, the tax in question is the drachma tax which maintain the "system of religion" , the drachma being representative of "religion" itself.
This is what Jesus is declaring that the children are free from. Free from drachma. Free from Religion.
Children Are Free
The Greek word that the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to use here for Children is "Huion", it is the same word used to describe Jesus as being the Son or child of God. Here the word "Huion" is found to be in its plural form, by using its plural Jesus is bring forward the idea of being in association with Himself, He Who is truly God's uniquely born Son. This speaks to us that when we come to believe in Jesus , that is, we enter the sonship that He alone truly possess, and when we do, we are then free Children. We are now under grace.The Children are free. Using Children, "Huion", we are being told that we now have a relationship with the Father of our Lord Jesus.
Jesus we are told in the Gospel of John had come to give us the power or right to be come sons or Children of God.
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." John:1:12-13
Religion
The Old Covenant given by God and enjoined with Israel was intended to direct Israel, and any, to their need for the Savior. However , it became in the hands of the religious establishment a burden to the people. They had added additions to the "Law" , and yet, found ways around it for their own profit or convenience. They made it a hard yoke of performance, which most "religions" are. This is what the drachma came to symbolize, this the "Tax" the Children are free from. None can live up the perfect standard perfectly but for Jesus alone. He alone is with out sin. Hebrews:4:15
Freedom
The Apostle Paul ,himself, some years latter advances this idea of being Children and the freedom which we are called to. Paul writing's to the Christians at Galatia in Asia Minor, a part of Modern day Turkey. Paul address this freedom due to certain teachers who had come attempting to graft into Christianity portions of the Old Covenant, that is they were merging works and performance with grace. Paul writes to them and we today about freedom of sonship and being heirs with our Lord by grace. Some were wanting to enter into this type of religion, the very thing that Jesus came to set us free from they were truing to, trusting in their performance, not in Christ alone by grace. They would no longer be free.They would be paying the drachma so-to-speak.
"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Why you are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ". Galatians:4:1-7
Again, the Apostle Paul stresses this freedom that the Children of God are admitted into freely by Jesus
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Behold, I Paul say to you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Christ is become of no effect to you, whoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love" . Galatians:4:1-5
This is the Drachma that all can be free from, to walk in the sonship that is ours through our Lord Jesus Christ alone....freedom that is truly free..when we come to believe in Jesus then the Children are Free....Amen
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion http://www.youtube.com/user/IfItIsNotAboutJesus
Washington,
Pennsylvania.
www.gcfountainoflife.org
The
Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in
Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area
of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela,
Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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