Sermon Tone Analysis
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Freedom and Responsibility
Introduction: Election day is coming up, and America could not be more polarized (maybe more polarized than we have ever been?).
We may think, “I am a citizen of Heaven, and earthly politics don’t matter.
Wrong!
Jesus expects us to be responsible and functional members of our society, and in America that means participating in the democratic process: voting!
A Test
Rejection Theme in Matthew’s Gospel
Setting: Back to Capernaum (Jewish or Gentile context?)
Tyre and Sidon: Canaanite Woman’s faith ()
Gentile Area: Jesus doing mass healings ()
Gentile Area: Feeding the 4000 ()
Back to Galilee: Pharisees and Sadducees test Jesus (vv.
Back to Galilee: Pharisees and Sadducees test Jesus ()
Back to Gentile Area: Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees ()
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Peter’s confession of faith ()
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Jesus foretells his death ()
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Take up your cross ()
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Transfiguration ()
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Jesus heals a boy with a demon ()
Back to Galilee: Jesus foretells his death a second time (vv.
Back to Galilee: Jesus foretells his death a second time ()
Back to Capernaum (home base): Testing and teaching about tax ()
Main Idea: We are free in Christ, but we must be responsible citizens of this world.
A Test: To Pay or Not to Pay
A Test
(vv.
24-25a)
What kind of tax was this?
Probably a regional Roman tax, though possibly the temple tax.
Tyre and Sidon: Canaanite Woman’s faith
Why did they go to Peter?
Tension between the religious leaders and Jesus, or respect for the Jewish teacher?
Peter assumes an affirmative answer
Gentile Area: Jesus doing mass healings
Tax: Didrachma (half-shekel)
Gentile Area: Feeding the 4000
A Test: : To Pay or Not to Pay
Why did they go to Peter?
What kind of tax was this?
Back to Galilee: Pharisees and Sadducees test Jesus
Tension between the religious leaders and Jesus, or respect for the Jewish teacher?
Why did they go to Peter?
Back to Gentile Area: Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees
Peter assumes an affirmative answer
Peter assumes an affirmative answer
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Peter’s confession of faith
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Jesus foretells his death
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Take up your cross
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Transfiguration
Caesarea Philippi (Gentile Area): Jesus heals a boy with a demon (
Back to Galilee: Jesus foretells his death
Back to Capernaum (home base): Testing about tax
The Deeper Meaning: To Pay, But Why?
(vv.
25b-26)
Going into the house, Jesus pulls Peter aside (Jesus might have overheard the exchange, or had divine knowledge of the exchange)
Jesus gives Peter a lesson: Sons don’t pay tax (benefit vs. responsibility)
The sons are free
Freedom and Responsibility
(v.
27)
So as not to offend them: offend who?
The Jews?
The Romans?
Miracle: Catch one fish, find a coin
I think the meaning is in the miracle: The miracle seems so strange and mundane.
God provides a miracle for the purpose of paying tax?
That seems so petty.
Jesus’ exemption from tax (Recognizing who Jesus is)
His submission to pay (Recognizing what Jesus did)
God’s supernatural provision in order to pay the tax (Trusting God to provide for us because of our position in Christ)
We might ask the clarifying question: How do we normally pay tax? God enables us to work, He provides for us, and then we pay tax (tithe?) out of our increase.
Thus, our paying of tax is always based on God’s supernatural provision.
Thus, we are surprised by Peter’s finding a coin in the mouth of the fish, but we probably shouldn’t be surprised.
God’s provision in this instance is utterly unique.
It is fitting that God’s unique provision would be for God’s unique (one and only) son.
The principle, however, is the same.
Jesus trusted (and likewise Peter) that God would provide for him so that he could pay the (mundane) tax.
So also we are called to trust God that He will provide for our needs so that we can pay tax (or contribute meaningfully to society).
Miracle
A Stater is a Shekel, which is 4 Drachma, so it is enough for Peter and Jesus
What about the other disciples?
Freedom and Responsibility
(v.
27)
After the miracle, Peter pays the tax for both Jesus and Peter
Miracle: Catch one fish, find a coin, pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter
What about the other disciples?
So What?
All decisions are made on the basis of what enhances the gospel, and Christ’s ambassadors are to surrender their “rights” for its sake.
Thus, is the point Christological or “submission to government?”
Or Both?
What does it mean for us to be in the world, but not of the world?
Or to be citizens of Heaven and exempt of the requirements of Earth, yet sojourners on Earth and subject to the human government systems?
as part of God’s mission to the world, believers will forego their “rights” and place themselves under obligation to the world’s system.
Why Not Allow Yourself to be Wronged?
See
Submission to Government: ;
Church: If this is about the church (Jesus paid the temple tax, although he was free not to because he is the Son of God), what do we learn about our responsibility to tithe?
Yes, we are free, we do not have to do anything.
Yet, if we do not regularly attend church, or tithe, we are neglecting our responsibility of being in the world but not of the world.
Or, we might rephrase the point this way: If non-believes measured the truthfulness of the gospel message by the way that they see us giving back to God, would they believe that you are truly saved?
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