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Doth Not Your Master Pay Tribute?

It was late in the Savior’s ministry. Soon he would leave Galilee and return to Jerusalem where the Jews would attempt to kill him. For now he has just arrived in Capernaum when tax collectors approached Peter asking, “Doth not your Master pay tribute?”

This tribute is a temple service tax. The monies are used to operate the Temple in Jerusalem. They want to know if Jesus pays taxes on His Father’s House. Moreover, why are they asking Peter and not Jesus? Probably because they are intimidated by him.

Peter presumes to speak for the Lord and says “yes.” Then when he enters the house where Jesus is, the Lord rebukes him “saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children or of strangers?”

Peter responds that kings would collect taxes from strangers, not the children of their own house. “Then are the children free,” the Lord declares.

Jesus is the Son of the King, or more perfectly, he is the Son of Almighty God, whose House they are collecting tribute for. Surely he has no obligation to pay for the use of the very House he owns.

Then the Lord does a curious thing. In an effort not to offend them or cause unnecessary conflict, the Lord tells Peter “go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take and give unto them for me and thee.”

Some have dismissed this event as the Lord merely having a bit of fun with Peter, but it is not that. This exchange lies at the very heart of the Messiah’s ministry. Was He the Only Begotten Son of God, or just another son of Abraham subject to Rome? Was he God with power to save, or man, helpless and weak?

Jesus was not like other men and to prove that He would voluntarily pay that tribute in a way that only the Master of ocean and earth and skies could do.

If in the course of daily life Jesus can produce food from air and money from the sea, surely he can help us. Faith!