Matthew 17:24-18:9
“Notice what you notice.” Three short vignettes today from Matthew – the temple tax, becoming like children, and temptations to sin. Two of these are also covered in Mark and Luke, but only the temple tax is covered in Matthew. Later Jesus again deals with taxation in Matthew (the former tax collector) and quiets the Pharisees with His famous line, Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. (Matthew 22:21) So let’s focus on the tax item.
I’ve always been amazed at Jesus’ knowledge in this incident. How did He know that there was a coin in some fish’s mouth and that this particular fish would be the one to bite onto Peter’s hook? And did His Father or the Holy Spirit so intervene in our world to make this outcome happen? This item has amazed me possibly more than any other bit of knowledge that Jesus possessed while He was on earth. And when it all happened as predicted, the disciples in turn must have been astonished! How could Peter ever fail to believe?
So, is Jesus, His Father, or the Holy Spirit now acting in our world in similar fashion today? If we pray for a particular outcome (“if the Lord wills”) is there in fact Divine Intervention on earth that brings about that outcome (“in His will”)? A coin in a fish’s mouth is a small item in our great big world. What would happen if we were to believe for really big items??!! Unreal…!!
Slava Bohu!