Suspecting the worst...

When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” (Matthew 17:24 ESV) Jesus and His disciples had been away up north for a time of refreshing and further instruction. As soon as they return to their home base, they are greeted by those looking for something to accuse Jesus of. According to the Old Testament, Jesus, as a man over twenty, was to pay a per capita tax to the temple. Since He had been out of town, He may have missed the usual time for it to be taken. The tax we associated with the atonement that took place at the temple, so this time approaching Passover may have been a common time to pay the tax. At any rate, the way things are stated, the collectors presumed Jesus would NOT pay the tax, because He and the temple leaders did not see eye to eye. Viewing Him as some sort of revolutionary, they expected Him to be a conscientious objector. We must beware the same attitude we can often acquire: always thinking the worse about someone, thinking we know their inner thoughts and motives. As we will see, they were very wrong...