24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”26 “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”REFLECTIONSWritten by Peter LinThis is such a strange story in a seemingly odd place in the gospel story Matthew tells. Having miraculously confirmed Jesus as God's Son in the transfiguration (v1-11), then Jesus' declaration that as God's son he will be killed then raised to life (v22-23), he tells the disciples here to pay a temple tax. The point here is that even though normally kings don't collect taxes from their own children, only others, when it comes to the temple tax, Jesus shouldn't need to pay it because he is God's Son. But because they do not recognise that, he does not want to cause offence, so he pays it. He shouldn't have to, but he does. And just to emphasise the point that he is God's son, he does the fish miracle. This little episode is not really about the need to pay the temple tax, but another demonstration of who Jesus is. He is God's son. So have confidence that Jesus is who he says he is, and follow his word without hesitation. And remember, in heaven, there is no "temple tax" because Jesus has paid it all. ABOUT THE AUTHORPeter is a member of our of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.