Jesus on Taxes - Matthew 17:24

 Hi R_____, 

I enjoyed our conversation the other day.  I wound up reading Matthew 17:24ff for my devotions later – the account of Jesus getting the temple tax miraculously from the fish for Himself and Peter.  So I studied it a bit and found Exodus 30:11ff.  It looks like from there that the temple tax was a legit charge for each Israelite adult.  Small, to be sure, and a "flat tax."  But I’m not sure you can make a case from Matthew 17 and Exodus 30 that countries shouldn’t tax their own citizens.

 

I might argue that the temple tax was a church thing, not a civil government thing.  But Romans 13:6-7 also seems to assume that Romans should pay Roman taxes.

 

I could try to say the “two-drachma” tax (the literal Greek) was a Roman tax, not the temple tax, but that looks like a very minority view.  Every Bible translation treats it as the temple tax, either in the actual translation, in a footnote, or in referencing Exodus 30:11ff.

 

What I conclude is that Jesus is not arguing here for a jaded view of earthly taxes, but setting Himself above the temple authorities, and even above Exodus 30, in a way.  He is the true ruler of the temple, the son of the house (see Hebrews 3:6), so shouldn’t be subject to its tax, just as Caesar didn’t tax his own children.

 

The interesting thing is that Jesus includes Peter (and all of Jesus’ followers by extension) as exempt from the temple tax!  Not just Jesus Himself, as the Son of God, but all those united with Him have His privilege.  I don’t think this means Christians should assert that we aren’t subject to earthly taxes or church tithes.  See Romans 13, above.  That would be an “over-realized eschatology,” as they say.  But it may give us a glimpse of what the kingdom of God in its consummation will look like.

As an aside, some speculate that the rest of the disciples besides Peter were under the age of 20 at the time. Peter was the oldest, and the leader/spokesman. Why wouldn’t Jesus pay their tax, since they are all following Him at this point? They weren’t 20 yet, and subject to the tax, the theory goes.