Matthew 17:27 New International Version (NIV)
27 “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.” Tue. July 28 - Matthew 17:27 I believe Jesus had a great sense of humor. Just imagine being Peter in this situation. Jesus told you to go down to the Sea of Galilee where you are a fisherman by trade. Normally you would fish with a net, but this time just throw a line in and catch a fish. When you catch that fish, open its mouth and you will find a coin to pay the “temple tax.” Peter probably thought Jesus was sending him on a wild goose chase! But notice the very last part. The coin that Jesus says will be in the mouth of the fish is exactly twice the amount of the “temple tax.” So, it will conveniently cover the tax for Jesus and for Peter, too. In other words, Jesus is going to “pay” the cost for Peter, but Peter will have to have faith that what Jesus is telling him is true. This brief lived out parable is a glimpse into our own relationship with Jesus. He covers our “cost” and pays the debt for our sins and all we do is trust his words of forgiveness, mercy, and love. As Paul said, to many people that seems “foolish!” (1 Cor. 1:18).