Tax

“The collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, ‘Does not your teacher pay the tax?’ He said, ‘Yes.’” (Matthew 17:22).

Coronation of the Virgin (Fra Filippo Lippi)

I run a bookkeeping business.  And one thing that I tend to spend quite a lot of time looking at is tax.  Now, I used to give tax advice in previous work that I did, but I do not do that any longer.  But whether I am giving advice about tax or simply looking at the tax calculated, there is one thing that is for sure, and that is that people really really do not like paying tax.

And this is not something new.  After all, there was a lot of talk about taxes in Christ’s time.  There were Roman taxes – that were hated.  There were Jewish taxes and they were not that popular either…

And in every single case, Christ – who is God and therefore certainly had no obligation to pay any taxes – chose to pay those taxes…

 “The collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, ‘Does not your teacher pay the tax?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?’ And when he said, ‘From others,’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then the sons are free. However, not to give offence to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.’” (Matthew 17:22-27).

Saint Peter did not wait to check with God whether He would pay the taxes to worship in His own Temple.  He knew that Christ would set the right example.  And the right example is that He would not give offence to them…  In other words, Christ would not set a bad example, since His mission is to set the example of the perfect Son of the Father…

And it occurs to me today that as I approach each activity in my life – in my work, in my dealings with others, in my contribution to the world – I am called to offer the same example.  I am asked to not give offence so that others can observe me and therefore make a decision about how to proceed with their lives.

And I have been thinking about that today as I have been thinking about my own life and it occurs to me that I am lacking – I am severely lacking in the purpose and attitude that God requires of me as a child of His.

For I am called to not give offence and to set an example for others.  And God Himself showed me that – twenty centuries ago – when He chose not to give offence over something as annoying as tax…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.