Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 17: 22-27
August 14, 2023 | Monday

Today’s Gospel

While Jesus was in Galilee with the Twelve, he said to them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But he will rise on the third day.” The Twelve were deeply grieved.

When they returned to Capernaum, the temple tax collectors came to Peter and asked him, “Does your master pay the temple tax?” He answered, “Yes.”

Peter then entered the house; and immediately, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Simon? Who pay taxes or tribute to the kings of the earth: their sons or strangers and aliens?” Peter replied, “Strangers and aliens.” And Jesus told him, “The sons, then, are tax-free. But, so as not to offend these people, go to the sea, throw in a hook, and open the mouth of the first fish you catch. You will find a coin in it. Take the coin and give it to them for you and for me.”

Today’s Reflection:

Today’s gospel revolves around the payment of a temple tax and its applicability at a time when culture demanded it, even to Jesus and His followers. In deeper understanding, Jesus’ statement of stating “the sons are tax-free” would mean they are free from the obligation because they are “sons” of God to whose temple strangers and aliens should only be burdened with the responsibility. But Jesus also shares their burden by still fulfilling the obligation. Jesus, therefore, shows that even though being supposedly free from this obligation of the world, He chose to share the burden. His coming to the world involves the acceptance of the human order. He shows his solidarity with the world by following the act that culture demanded. /Vulnerasti, 2023