The Miracles of Jesus Part 28: The Temple Tax Found in the Mouth of a Fish
Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus uses His creation in a unique way to pay a tax for Him and also for Peter.
“When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” He *said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in 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 you and Me.””
Matthew 17:24-27 NASB1995
This next miracle is quite unusual, but it shows the incredible power and control that Jesus has over His creation. It is documented only in Matthew, at the end of the 17th chapter; it seems appropriate that the former tax collector, disciple and author of the first Gospel would record this miracle, being involved with money and taxes.
The group has come back to Capernaum. Peter is asked by the collectors of the two-drachma tax (also called a temple tax in other translations) about whether nor not Jesus pays that tax. Here’s an explanation of the tax from Gotquestions, the Bible answer site run by Got Questions ministries:
The temple tax was required of Jewish males over age 20, and the money was used for the upkeep and maintenance of the temple. In Exodus 30:13–16, God told Moses to collect this tax at the time of the census taken in the wilderness. In 2 Kings 12:5–17 and Nehemiah 10:32–33, it seems the temple tax was paid annually, not just during a census. This half-shekel tax wasn’t a large sum of money, but roughly equivalent to two days’ wages. According to the tractate Shekalim in the Talmud, the temple tax was collected during one of the [three] Jewish festivals: Passover, Pentecost, or Tabernacles.
Peter tells the collectors that Jesus does pay the tax and then has a conversation with Jesus about the subject (the collectors did not ask Jesus personally). Jesus, being the Son of God, declares Himself exempt from the tax, but believes it would be best not to offend the religious leaders with something this insignificant. He tells Peter to go to the sea and throw in a hook and reel in the first fish he catches.
It is assumed that Peter follows through, fishing with a line, although he is a veteran net fisher from boats on the Sea of Galilee and probably feels strange doing the shore fishing. He finds a shekel coin in the first fish he catches, which is sufficient to pay the temple tax for both him and Jesus (a shekel is worth four drachmas).
Commentary from David Guzik from Enduring Word talks about the significance of even this small miracle:
Take that and give it to them for Me and you: Jesus trusted in the miraculous provision of God. It’s not every day – or any day – that someone catches a fish and takes a coin out of its mouth. But Jesus used God’s provision to pay His taxes.
“Thus the great Son pays the tax levied for his Father’s house; but he exercises his royal prerogative in the act, and takes the shekel out of the royal treasury. As man he pays, but first as God he causes the fish to bring him the shekel in its mouth.” (Charles Spurgeon)
We don’t know why Jesus did not tell Peter to provide enough to pay for all the disciples. Perhaps it was implied or understood. Matthew Poole argued that this tribute at this time was only required of Jesus and Peter because it was the collection from the city of Capernaum, and only Peter and Jesus were at this time residents of Capernaum.
Yet He did pay for Peter; as a foreshadow of the work of redemption for all men. Jesus, who did not actually owe the price, paid it nevertheless – and at the same time, with the same price, paid for Peter as well.
I love the last comment - Jesus did not have to pay the tax, but He paid the same price and paid for Peter as well, foreshadowing His death on the Cross for all of us.
In researching this miracle, I found one of the disturbing things that is part and parcel of “secular” information sources that we have available to us in this Internet age. Wikipedia, in their story about this miracle has the following statement: “The story ends without stating that Peter caught the fish as Jesus predicted.” So the secularists that write about Christian events on this “world encyclopedia” try to plant seeds of doubt in readers’ minds by stating that there was no proof the miracle really happened. If you read other stories on their site about miracles, they cast doubts in many overt and subtle ways on the authenticity of the Bible accounts, so beware. We as believers must be cautious and discerning in researching God’s Word and the fact that it is documented in Matthew the way that it is should be good enough to believe that the fish was caught and the tax was paid from the miracle shekel. I usually use Christian sources that I trust, but I looked up the reference on Wikipedia to see if there was a good work of art for the lead-in.
Oh, one more fun story about the shekel from the Times of Israel. In 2012, a second temple shekel struck during the first year of the revolt against the Romans (approximately AD 66) sold for $1.1 million dollars! Here’s a picture of that famous shekel:
So what did we learn from this miracle?
Miracle of the temple tax in the mouth of a fish: Jesus uses His creation to provide a temple tax for Himself and for Peter, hoping to avoid controversy for this minor issue with the religious leaders. Using secular sources like Wikipedia for stories of the miracles of Jesus should be avoided or used with caution, because of their tendency to cast doubt on the Word of God.
My next devotional examines a miracle where Jesus heals a blind, mute demoniac; this is documented in Matthew and Luke and Jesus declares His power over demons in the passage in Luke.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord: Your provision comes to us many different ways, as described in this miracle of the temple tax. Please help me be discerning in my research so that I honor your Word as I write these devotionals. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Gotquestions.org is an on-line resource for answering questions about Bible subjects and is run by the Got Questions Ministries.
The Miracle List:
Water to wine: Jesus can overcome time, He creates beauty and abundance, and He shares in our joy.
Healing of the official’s son: Jesus can overcome space (distance), He does not need to see the person He heals, He has infinite power, but He also wants us to believe without signs and wonders.
Casting out of the evil spirit in the synagogue: The authority of Jesus is recognized by the demons and He triumphs over evil and silences it.
Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law: Jesus does not need crowds to demonstrate His power and He has compassion about the needs of one person, even if those needs seem smaller and only worthy of a couple of verses of scripture.
Healing and casting out demons of many in Capernaum (at Peter’s house): Jesus has compassion on all who come to Him and has no conditions that He places on giving them His mercy. He can heal instantly with a light touch and again demonstrates authority over demons and silences them.
Miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus demonstrates His powers over His creation, He once again brings abundance, and He teaches humble fishermen that their task of bringing souls to Him is the most important thing they can do. They must follow Him.
Cleansing of the Leper: Jesus is willing to heal us, is compassionate towards those who suffer and can instantly cure a dreadful and feared disease. We must have faith when circumstances seem hopeless.
Healing of the Centurion’s Servant: Jesus came so that anyone who believes on His name is saved, Jew or Gentile. One of the most humble and devout persons that He encounters during His ministry is a Roman Centurion who cares and loves a servant who is sick or paralyzed. Jesus has instant authority over this illness, again eliminating space (distance) as a barrier to healing; He also marvels at this man’s faith.
Healing of the paralytic passed through the roof: Jesus demonstrates His ultimate authority as the Son of God to forgive sins and to heal a condition that seems irreversible. He can sense and read the hearts and thoughts of others. He turns a major disruption into a lesson on forgiveness. The friends of the paralytic show tremendous faith in how they solve this problem.
Healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath: Jesus can instantaneously heal a chronic condition, restoring a hand to full function. The man he heals exhibits great faith in His ability to heal and obeys Him. Jesus also challenges the assumptions and rules that have taken the place of faith and wisdom in the hearts of the Pharisees and Scribes. His anger is righteous; their rage is murderous.
Raising of the widow’s son from death: Jesus is filled with compassion for the suffering and grief of others. He has power over death and can restore us to joy and hope in the face of a hopeless situation. His endless grace and the power of His word are sufficient. We are to spring into action, serving Him and bringing His hope to the hopeless.
Taming the storm on the Sea: Jesus has the unlimited power to tame nature and He calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee instantly. His disciples, after seeing one miracle after another before this, are struck with memory loss when this crisis hits and forget that He is the Creator of the Universe and creation will obey Him. Jesus is there in the storms of life for those who believe on His name.
Casting demons into a herd of pigs: Jesus has the ultimate authority over evil and demons must have His permission to even enter into animals that immediately die. Demon possession is a real thing, but is likely rare and would not occur in a believer who is under the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not get so comfortable with evil surrounding us that we are fearful of holiness and good. Jesus wants us to tell others about His power and healing and to be without superstitions.
Healing of a woman with a bleeding disorder: Jesus knows when His healing powers are used and, with great love and compassion, tells this daughter of the Kingdom that her faith has made her well. Casual contact with Jesus doesn’t save us. We are saved by coming to Him with everything (sins, sufferings, distractions, hopes, and belief). Jesus cleanses and revives us!
Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead: Jesus, the Son of God, has power over life and death. His power is infinite - healing can come from a touch of His garment or a touch from His hands. His compassion is infinite. His words can bring a person back to life and He knows for those who believe that death is just sleep. Just as in His time, our age is filled with mockers and scorners and we must pray for those lost souls.
Jesus heals two blind men: Faith and persistence leads to miracles. Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those who are suffering and recognize Him as the Messiah, by healing two blind men who follow Him.
A mute demoniac is healed and speaks: Jesus has ultimate authority over evil and easily casts out a demon, allowing a man to finally speak. The Pharisees are not impressed and accuse Him of being a demon. As He continues His ministry and healings, He laments the lack of harvesters.
A man is healed by Jesus by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath: Jesus homes in on a man among the many who has hopelessly waited for healing in the pool for 38 years. He asks him if he wants healing, then tells him to stand, take up his pallet, and walk. We are all waiting for something, but we should stop waiting and be actively seeking Him in our everyday lives through our worship and prayers. Human-made rules and rituals can separate us from our Creator, who is working to sustain us and His creation.
The feeding of the 5000+: Jesus is compassionate and involves his believers in provided abundance. Nothing is too meager or small for the Lord to use in a big way. The disciples continue to look for worldly answers to solve problems and He points them, once again, to His supernatural abilities. People are physically hungry and God’s resources should not be wasted. The Word is also needed to feed the masses spiritually.
Jesus walks on water: Jesus again demonstrates mastery over creation by walking on deep waters. His disciples don’t initially recognize Him, but when they do, Peter wants to join Him (Matthew account). Peter walks in faith a short distance, then is distracted by a worldly fear (the wind). Jesus grabs him to help home and asks him why he has so little faith and is full of doubts. The disciples declare Him the son of God.
Healing the many in Genneserat: Jesus has absolute power over Nature and over sickness. He heals many, often just from their touch of His garments. The crowds recognize Him but do not know Him.
Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Gentile: Jesus travels to a Gentile region and the only recorded act there is His response to the deep faith of a Gentile woman, who even turns aside His gentle remonstrations. She is the only person who is told directly that her faith is strong. The healing is once again a remote and instant casting out of the demon in the woman’s daughter.
Jesus heals a deaf and (mostly) dumb man: Jesus uses His supernatural healing powers in many different ways. He has compassion on this man and sighs heavenward when seeing the suffering in front of Him and uses unique healing techniques. He instantly heals this man’s hearing and speech, leaving many astounded.
The feeding of the 4,000+: Jesus can provide sustenance to those who are hungry for His word. He again miraculously creates adequate real food for thousands who are listening to Him, while also having to deal with the blindness and deafness of His disciples, who cannot put the big picture together and think outside their narrow worldly boxes of “reality”.
Jesus restores the sight of a blind man near Bethsaida: Jesus uses natural and supernatural methods to restore the sight of a blind man, giving His disciples a lesson in overcoming spiritual blindness.
Jesus heals a man blind from birth: Once again, Jesus demonstrates His mastery over His creation and can cure a congenital defect, a blindness that has been there since this man’s birth. The man’s story enrages the Pharisees, but he grows in faith and courage from not knowing Jesus to worshipping Him (and probably becoming a member of the larger entourage).
Jesus heals a boy with an unclean spirit: Jesus returns with Peter, James and John from the Transfiguration and is greeted almost immediately with a worldly issue: A boy has a vicious unclean spirit that throws him into regular convulsions and keeps him from speaking and his father is asking for help. The disciples have been unable to cast out the unclean spirit. Jesus sighs at their unbelief. The father believes but also asks for help for his unbelief. The powerful demon is cast out and the boy is now spared. This type of demon requires effective prayer and the faith of a mustard seed, which the disciples still lack.
Miracle of the temple tax in the mouth of a fish: Jesus uses His creation to provide a temple tax for Himself and for Peter, hoping to avoid controversy for this minor issue with the religious leaders. Using secular sources like Wikipedia for stories of the miracles of Jesus should be avoided or used with caution, because of their tendency to cast doubt on the Word of God.