When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” (Matt. 17:24-27, NKJV)
Matthew is the only Gospel writer to include this unusual account. His Jewish audience would have been familiar with the customary temple tax. Otherwise, the story seems rather strange and out of place.
A Closer Look
Matthew was more than just a chronicler of historical information. Beyond his particular interest in financial matters as a former tax collector,1 he was above all else a theologian and evangelist. Deeper spiritual truths are imbedded in his narratives. The story of Jesus is told, not in a neat chronological arrangement, but to fulfill this weightier purpose.
Note how the curious paragraph is prefaced in Matthew’s report: “Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.’ And they were exceedingly sorrowful” (Matt. 17:22-23).
The subsequent incident in Capernaum involved the annual levy (dídrachma) expected of all Jewish men 20 years of age and older for the ongoing maintenance and service of the Jerusalem temple.2 Peter was approached by those who collected the customary tribute, asking if his “teacher” (didáskalos), not using the reverential title Rabbí,3 was compliant, to which he answered in the affirmative. More privately in “the house,” perhaps Peter’s own house, Jesus sees this as a teaching opportunity and employs the conventional method of rabbinical instruction by way of questioning.4
Amenability to Taxation
First-century Palestinian Jews were well aware of the Roman “duty” (télos) or “poll-tax” (kēnsos) enjoined on subjugated nations, of which the royal family was exempt. When the Lord says, “Then the sons are free,” does Peter recall having recently confessed to him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16)?
The Significance of the Temple
In the Jewish context, the sacred temple represented the very presence of God.5 But such a privileged state of affairs was conditional. The Lord had persistently warned of the grave consequence of rebellion and disobedience, namely separation from his holy presence, a promise that was kept.6 Nevertheless, after the temple was destroyed in the sixth century BC and then rebuilt seven decades later, it was prophesied that in the future the temple would once again be filled with God’s glory (Haggai 2:6-8; cf. Mal. 3:1).
The Arrival of the Christ
When Jesus came to earth, he “tabernacled” among God’s people and revealed the glory of the heavenly Father (John 1:14-18). He was “God with us” (Matt. 1:23), much greater than the temple itself (Matt. 12:6-8). Whenever he entered its premises, the temple was once again filled with divine glory.7 Sadly, on multiple occasions it was in this very place that Jesus faced opposition, rejection, and expulsion.8
An Enacted Parable
Jesus instructed the former fisherman, even though he was in training to be a fisher of men (Matt. 4:19), to go catch a fish. Now Peter was accustomed to using nets to catch large numbers of fish (Luke 5:2-6), but only one was needed on this occasion and a single hook would do. It is doubtful that the fish and the coin were created for this purpose, so the miracle here seems to have been mainly one of providential foreknowledge. The coin in the fish’s mouth was a silver coin (statēr) worth twice as much as the dídrachma and thus sufficient to cover the temple tax for two people. In contrast to the multiplied thousands of fish Peter had caught on his own in the past, this was the only one capable of meeting the present need.
Lesson to Learn
Jesus, as the Son of God, was already one with the heavenly Father and technically not subject to a temple tax to gain access to his presence. He was the Son of the King, not a foreigner, and should have been exempt. Peter, on the other hand, was obliged to make this payment but was apparently unable to. Jesus then made provision for the full amount, for both himself, even though he did not owe it, and for Peter, because he could not pay it.
Having foretold of his betrayal, sacrificial death, and resurrection, Jesus enacted a parable that prefigures the rest of the gospel story. “He paid a debt he did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay.”9
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes
1 Matt. 17:24-27; 18:23-35; 20:1-16; 22:19; 26:15; 27:3-10; 28:11-15.
2 See Ex. 30:13; 2 Chron. 24:6-9; Neh. 10:32. The dídrachma (double-drachmē) was Greek silver coinage equivalent to a Jewish half shekel.
3 See K. L. Moore, “The Education of Jesus the Rabbi,” Moore Perspective (8 Feb. 2017), <Link>.
4 Cf. Luke 2:46-47
5 Ex. 40:34; Num. 7:89; 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chron. 7:1; Ezek. 43:4-7.
6 2 Chron. 7:19-22; Jer. 7:1-27; Hos. 9:12; Ezek. 10:4-18.
7 From his earliest days on earth (Luke 2:21-49) and throughout his public ministry (Matt. 21:12-16, 23; 24:1; 26:55; Mark 11:11, 15-17, 27; 12:35; 13:1; 14:49; Luke 19:45-48; 20:1; 21:37-38; 22:53; John 2:14-17; 5:14; 7:14, 28; 8:2, 20, 59; 10:23; 18:20).
8 Matt. 21:23, 46; Mark 11:27-28; 12:12-13; 20:1; John 8:59; 10:22, 31, 39.
9 Lyrics by Ellis J. Crum (1977).
Related Posts: Journey Thru Bible Lands: Israel (Part 3), Wise Men From the East
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