Jesus pays the temple tax – Concept of other-centeredness: Re-reading & Re-situating Matthew 17: 22-27

 Jesus pays the temple tax – A Concept of other-centeredness

- Edwinraj, SDB

Peter pays the tax by the coin taken from the mouth of the fish

Gospel Passage

Matthew 17:22-27

²² As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, ²³ and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed. ²⁴ When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?” ²⁵ He 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?” ²⁶ When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free. ²⁷ However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea 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.”

There is a tug of war between two realities of the world. There’s a struggle with the sentient and the non-sentient. The other is being innocent and violent. We identify the first struggle with the body of Jesus. Although there was no need for God to give his life as a ransom for the human redemption, yet He took a step ahead to feed the humans with his perforated flesh. He has made the Eucharist, a life-giving moment of sacrifice. More than contemplating the death of Jesus in the Eucharist, it invites us to take part in the life-giving body of the Risen Lord. Jesus, therefore reminds his disciples of the rapid coming of life-giving bread by foretelling his cruel death on the cross.

The foresight of Jesus is broader and far beyond, while the sight of Pharisees and Scribes are blinded with the material. The disciples were not far sighted with this regard. They were just caught up with the inkling of fulfilment of  tradition and the law. They looked for the worldly wealth.

 

In the text of Matthew, we see that, before paying the temple tax, Jesus assumes his tactics with that of the collectors’ questioning the disciples of the enquiry pertaining to the world? About the king and the people of the place – “From whom do the Kings take the toll or tribute? From their children or others.” The answer from Peter is direct – “others”. Jesus did not want his children to treated as slaves. He looks for the relationship of Parent-childrenhood. Jesus was very much sensitive to his disciples. He knew that the disciples were not engaged in any type of work, as from the day when they started to follow Jesus physically. Jesus pays the temple tax, not only for himself but also for his disciples. The method he used to pay the tax was accomplished by taking the first coin from the mouth of the fish to pay the temple tax.

 

Matthew’s writing pinpoints the event of Jonah in the Old Testament, who became the message of repentance for the people of Nineveh – a people belonging to foreign nation. Similarly, the coin took out from the mouth of the fish stands as the message of repentance for the temple tax collectors to repent to newer way of life. By this comparison of Jonah to the foreign nation and the event of taking the coin from the mouth of the fish reminds that Jesus too, extended the kingdom of God even to the Gentiles.

Jesus showed compassion to all creation

For our times, this coin calls us for repentance from our sinful way to a newer person in Christ Jesus. We, like Jesus should show compassion to others. Let us therefore, concentrate on the other-centeredness.