When God Paid Taxes
WEST SIDE'S BUMP FOR THE MONTH
March 2001
Tax season is among us and many heads are being scratched as to
how to properly file all forms and schedules. It seems that just when
you get used to the system, something changes and filing your own taxes
becomes complicated once more.
As hard as it is for the filer to get accustomed to, it's the same
for the assessors that check the files. Of all the things that used
to come around our desks when I worked for Revenue Canada some that
stand out in my memory were all the gag returns that either fellow
workers slipped into your pile or someone thought would be funny to
mail in. You could have returns for a number of individuals ranging
from Satan right down to God. You can imagine the surprise you would
get when instead of noticing the name right away you tried to find
codes for such things as place of employment for God and sources of
income & deductions for Satan.
In the gospel of Matthew chapter 17:24-27, an interesting account
is actually given that relays the time that God did pay taxes.
Some of the leaders were asking Peter if Jesus paid the temple tax.
Before Jesus actually paid it, he showed Peter that of all the people
who ever walked the face of the earth, Jesus was the one individual
who shouldn't have had to pay the temple tax. Why?
The temple was built for him!
What an indictment on the people of his time, that Jesus the person who
the temple was supposed to honour, was forced to pay the taxes on it.
There was something else Jesus was saying in that passage that
many people today still have a hard time understanding. God is not
some big IRS agent who is demanding that sufficient payment be made for
what is owed Him. Jesus told Peter and the world that in regards to
having to make payment, "the sons are free." (Matthew 17:26)
God is not someone who at the end of the day is going to crunch
numbers and see if enough has been paid out of our accounts for the
debts we have incurred. Instead, as sons and daughters of His, He
announces that our debts have been paid in full and we don't have to
worry about coming up short.
I guess one of the problems we have is
the fact that as humans it is hard for us to practice the art of not
holding others to their past 'wrongs' against us (even though we are
commanded to). So it's hard to believe that we truly go free for our
wrongs against God. But, listen again "The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 6:23)
As we wait for our 'assessment' let us realize that when we
became sons and daughters of God by being washed in the blood of Jesus,
we received it already- Debts paid, wrongs forgiven and souls freed.
--Drew Chapados
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