Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time, August 12, 2024

Gospel

Mt 17:22-27

As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,

Jesus said to them,

"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,

and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."

And they were overwhelmed with grief.

When they came to Capernaum,

the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,

"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?"

"Yes," he said.

When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,

Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?

From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?

From their subjects or from foreigners?"

When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,

"Then the subjects are exempt.

But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,

and take the first fish that comes up.

Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.

Give that to them for me and for you."

Reflection

I think this Gospel starts out with a pretty morbid tone. Jesus shares some shockingly somber and unbelievable news with his disciples, foretelling his impending death and resurrection. This revelation leaves the disciples overwhelmed with grief and confusion. They understandably struggle to comprehend the necessity of such a sacrifice and what it means for them. When I put myself in their shoes I can understand their disbelief but at the same time I question it because of the many miracles they have seen Jesus perform…whats one more. But when I thought about it some more I realized it was also because of that, they have seen His power and how He is God, how then could they fathom His death, it is unthinkable…unimaginable…simply unbelievable.

Then the question about the temple tax seemed like an attempt to entrap and challenge Jesus’ adherence to religious obligations, basically wether or not He was conforming to Jewish laws and traditions. His response navigates the situation without compromising his divine identity or causing unnecessary conflict. Upon reflection I believe Jesus uses the opportunity to teach a lesson on loyalty and trust. He questions Peter about the practices of earthly kings, who impose taxes on foreigners rather than their own subjects, implying that as the Son of God, he is exempt from the temple tax. However, to avoid causing offense, he instructs Peter to find a coin in the mouth of a fish to pay the tax for both of them. A strange ask, but I am sure Peter did what he was told trusting in Jesus. Ultimately I think this passage shows us how Jesus wanted the disciples to deepen their faith and trust in Him which can be applied to us today as well.