Hello everyone, welcome back! My name is Elise Brooklyn and this is Scattering Flowers, a podcast where we scatter flowers of faith.
Today is Monday, August 12th and we will be reading Matthew 17, 22-27.
Follow along in your Bible if you have one.
Now let’s read Matthew 17, 22-27.
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him and he will be raised on the third day.
And they were greatly distressed.
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went to Peter and said, Does not your teacher pay the tax?
He said, Yes.
And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him, first saying, What do you think, Simon?
For whom do kings of the earth take troll or tribute, from their sons or from others?
And when he said, From others, Jesus said to him, Then the sons are free.
However, do not give offense to them.
Go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.
Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.
In today’s reading, we hear that Jesus didn’t have to pay the temple tax because he is the Son of God.
He was so exempt.
He didn’t have to, but because he didn’t want to offend anyone, he was willing to pay it.
When a king rules a country, his children do not have to pay taxes.
He did not have to pay the taxes as he was the son of the king of heaven and earth.
Jesus told Peter to cast the fishing hook into the sea and take the first fish that comes up, open its mouth and take the money and gave it to the pay and the temple tax.
Now that’s a miracle.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear Jesus, thank you that we can be sure that if we obey God, he will provide us with everything we need to serve and to do good works.
Help us to remember to do as you want us to.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
I’ll be back tomorrow scattering more flowers.
See ya!