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A Fishy Tale – part 1, 20FEB

I can’t believe that I NEVER heard this fish story before – maybe I have been living under a rock but wow – never heard it!… Simon Peter is asked if his teacher (meaning Jesus) pays a certain tax – so Peter says yes (whether he thought about it or not) – Jesus later said (privately) to Peter: ‘we don’t really have to pay as we are children not strangers – but let’s pay it anyway so that we don’t offend them – and just go down to the shore and the first fish you pull in will have the coin in his mouth – enough for paying for me and for you’…

SAY WHAT?  WOW !!!  Matthew 17:24 – never heard it – that’s so fishy… and a thousand questions: why does the fish have to have the coin – why make it that elaborate and not just find a coin under a rock nearby? hmmm…

This story is only in Matthew and I am so very appreciative of these Michael Card books – (I even bought extra sets of them on ebay for $5 each so that I could lend them out – what a great way to methodically step thru the 4 gospels…  cool…)

Matthew 17:

24 When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, “Does your teacher pay taxes?”

25 Peter said, “Of course.”

But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. “Simon, what do you think? When a king levies taxes, who pays—his children or his subjects?”

26-27 He answered, “His subjects.”

Jesus said, “Then the children get off free, right? But so we don’t upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us.”

I’m will take some of my own time wrecking my brain about this fish story – but I read ahead to some of the interpretations – I shouldn’t even be writing at this late hour – i am tired – but I write anyway and I appreciate the many interpretations that I read – turns out that there are so many non-agreeing messages for this set of scriptures – I don’t even want to give you some of those fabulous answers – they all sound plausible… but even the different translations seem to have a different take – Michael Card is no exception – I like his explanation but I am not going to share that yet either…

What I will say is that all I read never questioned that Jesus could do this – no one doubted …  Jesus is sovereign… the rest is up for interpretation- especially the facts left out of the story!!!

I’m going to let this one root around in my head and hope it does in yours too – and then when I am rested I will revisit and share the many explanations of the story – and new insight that I have already starting in my head…

It is always good to give your brain a chance to think – to catch your brain on this hook of scripture – to fish for your own answers – maybe Jesus sent Peter to the fish to give some time for Peter to think…

What do you think this story gives for some meaning in your life? 

Part 2 of a Fishy Take – a Fishy Tale –  coining soon – coming soon…