The True Temple

I have to admit that I continue to wrestle with the angle my sermon will take on Sunday. The next reading highlighting Peter in Matthew’s gospel is one I’ve never preached on before. The scripture is Matthew 17:24-27. It’s a bit obscure to say the least and comes hot on the heels of Jesus again foretelling His death and resurrection to the disciples.

When I breezed over this passage planning out my Peter focus for Lent, I assumed that the tax being talked about was the tax to the Roman government, but clearly it isn’t. It’s a tax for the temple, a tradition begun by Moses in Exodus 30. When the census was taken, all Israelite men had to pay a half shekel for the tabernacle, the tent containing God’s presence, that traveled with them. Rich or poor, they all had to contribute.

Hundreds of years later, in 2 Chronicles 24, King Joash asks why the money isn’t still being collected. The only reason Joash was king was because Jehoshabeah, his aunt, hid him for six years in the house of God so that he wasn’t killed along with his brothers as heirs to the throne after King Ahaziah’s murder. So if anyone knew the importance of God’s protection and God’s house, it was Joash. He knew that the people should not take their God for granted but invest themselves financially in honouring God through the restoring of God’s house. He has a chest set out for collecting the tax so that the temple could be restored. Craftspeople are hired to do the work and the extra is used to create utensils and vessels for the house of the Lord.

Jump ahead to Matthew 17 and the temple tax collectors ask Peter if Jesus pays the tax. It sounds to me like a fishing expedition to try to find fault. Peter answers that He does. Like any faithful Jewish man, Jesus contributes, even though, as He says to Peter, it doesn’t make much sense for children of kings to pay. But, He recognizes the need to not offend the convention and sends Peter to catch a fish. In its mouth would be the coin to cover both their obligations to the temple tax collectors.

As I’ve been reflecting on what led up to this story I’m amazed. Moses calls for the people’s devotion to the upkeep and beauty of the tabernacle even as they wandered in wilderness. The men, regardless of economic status, all owed the same to God for their equally valuable lives. King Joash commanded the people to remember to honour their faithful God and to restore God’s house, the temple. And now, Peter is asked if Jesus will also honour God through paying the tax.

This is the same Jesus who says in John 2:19 (presumably much earlier on) “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” These words stir up enormous trouble and are considered blasphemy. Those who heard them did not understand that Jesus was talking about Himself, the temple that holds God’s presence. He was predicting what would happen in His death and resurrection.

So many questions come to mind for me. How much honour should we still show God in our tithes and offerings for the building and maintenance of our houses of worship? At what point is all the money funneled into various projects missing the point of the presence of Christ and ignoring the Risen Saviour among us, the One who comes to surprise us beside a lake or in our homes or workplaces? What is the balance of honouring God through beautiful places dedicated to the Almighty and honouring God through focusing on what Jesus, the living temple of God, did to care for those who were excluded from worship?

Jesus once again provides in what could have been a very tense and combative conversation when the temple tax collectors returned. He knew to pick the right battles on the journey to the cross. He fulfilled the command of Moses and covered Himself and Peter, performing a miracle at the same time. He honoured the tradition of His Jewish faith while pointing to a better way, a way of complete freedom as children of God.

What is the balance like for your own life and your congregation’s life of maintaining God’s house and fulfilling the mission of Jesus? Are improvements made with an eye to greater inclusion of those outside, or to highlight those already inside?

The cross asked everything of Jesus. How much do we allow it to ask of us? As we move closer to it, may we be enlightened to sense and celebrate the freedom we have as children of God as we dedicate ourselves even more to His Son.