When Jesus tells His disciples that He will soon go to Jerusalem in order to die, they respond in a strange way. Not too long after that, they begin arguing about who will be the greatest in the kingdom that Jesus is setting up. When they ask Him to answer the question for them, Jesus changes the question and teaches them a lesson from a small child. The lesson is not what they expected.

What would Jesus do if asked to pay a tax that he was not required to pay? That is exactly the situation that Peter, one of His followers, pushed Him into. Yet, Jesus’ response communicates several truths that go far beyond temporary taxes. Truths that stretch back into eternity and forward into the future.

Do you feel like God is absent from you? Are you feeling spiritually weary? We learn from the Bible that God has not abandoned us. We can find comfort and hope in His strength and kindness, and the promise that he will renew us and enable us to stand firm to the end.

Jesus has overcome this world, its systems, and its temporal ruler, Satan himself. Jesus gives us a model to follow using the resources we have at our disposal. The word of God, taken in context, and with submission to His will.

What is God like? What would happen if we found ourselves in the presence of God? How would we respond? Isaiah gives us just such a glimpse when he encountered a vision of God. This encounter was both deeply troubling and absolutely essential for what God was calling him to do. It has much to teach us today about God and ourselves.