EVEN after hearing the voice on mountain, Peter did not always remember that although Jesus was a Man upon the earth He was not to be classed with other men.
That night Peter had made the great mistake of wanting to make three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. And now he made another mistake, for when some men came to him and asked, “Doesn’t your Master pay tribute money?” he answered, “Yes.”
Now it was a right thing for Jewish men to give their money towards the service of God in the temple, and right that all should give, whether rich or poor. But it was not a right thing to ask Jesus to give this money, because the temple was the house of God, and Jesus was God’s Son.
When Peter was come into the house, before he had time to tell the Lord about it, He said to him, “What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?”
Peter knew quite well that kings do not make their own sons pay tribute, so he answered, “Of strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, 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.”
The piece of money that Peter found in the fish’s mouth was a drachma. It was just twice as much as the men had asked for, and it paid for himself as well as for Jesus.
What pleasure it must have given God that His own well-beloved Son was willing to pay tribute money in order that poor ignorant men, who did not know who He was, might not be stumbled. Love seeks not her own; and because Jesus loved those poor Jewish men, He gave up His right to be exempt from the tax they paid, and He paid it for Peter as well as for Himself.
ML-02/29/1976