Matthew 17:22-18:6 KJV (22) And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: (23) And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. (24) And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? (25) He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? (26) Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. (27) Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an 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. (1) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (2) And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, (3) And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. (6) But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Coming into Capernaum saw the Lord questioned about something called "tribute money".
Exodus 30:12-16 KJV (12) When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. (13) This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. (14) Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. (15) The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. (16) And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. So it was ATONEMENT money.
It was only exacted for each man that was above 20 years old and above.
(1) And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, (2) Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; (3) From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. (4) And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers. This was a tax. What is a tax? Governments require taxation from the people to support the presence and services of a government.
Now temple tax was not a secular governmental tax.
(8) And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. God would dwell among them. Why would they want God to dwell among them?
(12) When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. In other words, we need to pay money to a government that it might be there for various reasons.
Hear that again carefully. In order to have GOD IN OUR MIDST, something had to be done about our sin.
God is no respector of persons. So this is what Jesus was questioned about. And Jesus makes a wonderful statement to Peter after asking Peter the question of who pays taxes in a secular government -- peasants or the king's children.
...for Him. But something powerful occurs in the very next chapter. Matt 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? AT THAT SAME TIME...
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Put two and two together and realize that JESUS IS IMPLYING HE IS A KING'S SON AND FREE FROM TEMPLE TAX DUE FOR SIN, AND WE CAN BECOME A CHILD IN THE KINGDOM AS WELL! He spoke of ENTERING the Kingdom of Heaven by becoming as little children. WE CAN BE FREE!!! John 3:5 KJV (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We become like little children in a very literal way WHEN ARE BORN AGAIN OF THE WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT. What does that mean?
1 Peter 1:18-19 KJV (18) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: This is a reference to the TEMPLE TAX OF SHEKELS. And being royal children means we SHOULD NOT FEEL TAXED.
(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? How can we be sinners if we are dead to sin to no longer live in it? That lie will make you feel rotten and think God only tolerates you due to your sin. And this sort of false thinking will affect the way you think about yourself. Do you think God merely tolerates you? Matthew 18:4-6 KJV (4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. (6) But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Jesus cares so much for one person who like this little child and born again into the kingdom that if anyone offends them the severest wrath of God will come upon that person one day. So much for "God only tolerates me." Matthew 18:7-14 KJV (7) Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (8) Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. (9) And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. (10) Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (11) For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (12) How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? (13) And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. (14) Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. He is so concerned and loving for his children that anything that would offend you is something He tells you to cut off from your life.
Hebrews 10:17-19 KJV (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Confidence is far from the TAXED feeling people have who do not know the truth. Psalms 66:18 KJV (18) If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: How can you even pray if you know Jesus does not hear your prayers if you sin, when you believe you do no t even know if you sinned, and you believe you have to sin every day? You will know when you sin if you have a real relationship with Jesus!
1 John 2:1 KJV (1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: Romans 6:1-2 KJV (1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? These scriptures would not exist if we could not stop sinning. Some people think of the question how long can they go without sin as though it was "How long can you hold your breath?"
Imagine someone telling you that your father died.
Romans 8:5 KJV (5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Whatever you MIND will be what you act upon. But if you believe you MUST SIN then you will start doing it since you accepted that idea.
(3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. You do not get closer to God by good deeds.
Romans 10:3 KJV (3) For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. We are sons of GOD! 1 John 3:1 KJV (1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. It's the way you think. And if you think you must sin and think of yourself as filthy, you will not care when you do sin.
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