Gtcotr/ss101324
Matthew 9:1 Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.
The city called His own city is Capernaum. It was called the city of Jesus because Jesus had chosen to live there when He reached the age of 30. A Jewish male was considered to be middle-aged, wise as to the affairs of life, focused on making his own decisions and responsible to take care of his own family at the age of 30.
When Jesus turned 30, He went to be baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, spent 40 days fasting in the Judean desert, returned to Nazareth, preached His first sermon, and subsequently He relocated to the city of Capernaum to call His disciples and begin His public ministry. Jesus stayed with Simon Peter in a house in Capernaum which belonged to Peter’s mother-in-law.
Jesus performed many of His miracles in and around the city of Capernaum. It was in Capernaum that Jesus called one of His disciples who had a job working for the Roman government as a tax collector.
Matthew 9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
The next verse reveals that Jesus had a good relationship with many of the tax collectors in and around Capernaum even though the Pharisee leaders of the Jewish community saw them as treasonous sinners. Who better to get saved than the IRS agents who have come to audit you?
There were two major tax collecting agencies in those days. One was the state tax collectors who worked for the Roman government and collected Roman taxes. Matthew, a disciple and the writer of the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, was one of those Roman tax collectors.
When Jesus was asked a question concerning paying taxes to the Roman government, His reply was:
Mark 12:17 … “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” …
Jesus believed and the Bible supports paying taxes to the government as required by law. (Romans 13)
The second tax mentioned in the Gospels was the Temple tax. It was voluntary but had really been required since the days of Moses. Temple taxes kept the doors open and paid for the daily needs of the Temple. Exodus 31 is but one of the many mentions in the Old Testament concerning the amount of money each man over the age of 20 should give to the Temple for the service of the House of God each year.
On the 15 Day of the month Adar, around February, Temple tribute, (or Temple tax as it was called), collectors would sit in the marketplaces and at the gates of each city and ask men who passed by if they had given their voluntary offering to the Temple yet. Although it was voluntary, it was often given under public pressure. After about 2 weeks of reminding people in public that it was time to give the yearly Temple tax, the collectors would move to the Temple entrance and catch everyone coming through the doors to make sure they had not missed anyone.
As earlier stated, the disciple Matthew was not a Temple tax collector, rather he was as a Jew who worked for the government collecting taxes for Rome. Nonetheless, the idea of tax collecting was no doubt something that interested him. We imagine this because since Matthew is the only one of the Gospel writers who includes an account of Jesus being asked to give a tax tribute to the Temple.
We know it was in February when Jesus was about 31 or 32 years old. Every male over the age of 20 was required to pay a temple tax to the temple in their own city providing they had lived in that city for more than 1 year. Let’s turn to Matthew 17 and read the account Matthew shares:
Matthew 17
24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple
tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
25 He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus
anticipated him saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of
the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the
sons are free.”
27 “Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
The
three most common words used in connection with God and money in the Bible are:
·
Bring
o We bring our tithes to
our local Church
o Tithes hold a special
place in the heart of God and allow the Church to function and accomplish the
Great Commission.
o Following the covenant
of Abraham and Jacob over 500 years before the Law of Moses.
o It is like bringing
partnership dividends to God
·
Give
o Give our offerings to
meet needs and sow seeds
o Helping a neighbor; an
unfortunate or needy person; or a mission project.
o A thanksgiving
offering or as a seed for future harvest.
o The Bible teaches us
to give when we have abundance and when we are in need.
·
Pay
o We pay our vows as
though they were a debt we had agreed to before God.
o Many times I have
promised God I would do something special or extra if and when He blessed me
with something special or extra.
o Vow and be committed to pay what you promised.
As we take a look at the life of Jesus and the lessons He teaches us, allow me to share these few points.
1.
Jesus belonged.
a. His own city …
b. His own local Synagogue/Church
…
c. His own group of
followers …
d. He had a sense of
community. – He knew where He belonged.
e. His friends and
followers knew what He would do.
f. These truths are
important enough for God to include them in the account of the life of Christ.
2.
Jesus cared what others thought about Him.
a. Concerned about causing avoidable offense.
Matthew 17:27 “Nevertheless, lest we offend them …”
·
Offend = Skandalizo = Scandalize
o
To
put a stumbling block in front of and cause to trip …
o
To
cause one to judge unfavorably and unjustly
o
To
make a person distrust and desert one whom they ought to trust and support
o
To cast the wrong image and turn the mind away
o
Jesus was very interested in what people
thought about Him … it is the whole basis of salvation and the single requirement.
o He had no desire to create avoidable offenses …
3.
Jesus saw giving, not as a necessity, but as an opportunity.
o
Jesus
lived a lifestyle of giving.
o
Jesus
followed the word … not because He had to, but because He wanted to.
§ He harnessed His soul
to participate.
§ He was ever the
example.
·
From
water baptism
·
To
the cross
o Even though Jesus was exempted from payment, He never expected less of Himself than He asked of others.
Because
He was God, He gave so as to not belie His nature. It was not from necessity but
rather saw it as an opportunity. What about you? Why do you tithe; why do you
give; why do you pay what you’ve committed to pay? Because it is a godly trait
and a part of your new nature. Embrace every opportunity this week to act like
your heavenly Father.
