Matthew 17:14-27
Today's Passage: Matthew17:14–27
Matthew 17 records Jesus showing his full glory at the Transfiguration witnessed by Peter, James, and John. Our passage today juxtaposes that display with the absolute failure of those around Jesus to recognize him and his mission.
Consider Jesus’ words in verse 17 and following with the display of his glory at the Transfiguration, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? … if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed.”
Many modern believers think, if not say, “If I could see Jesus, I would believe.” The truth, however, is that we would believe and act just like the disciples (or the religious leaders). Even the most faithful, those who’ve seen the most evidence of Jesus’ glory, fall miserably short. Jesus rebuked them, but if I were him, I’d probably be fed up.
Instead of being fed up, Jesus shared the plan, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” Note that Jesus didn’t declare his death burial and resurrection because they were so great—he declared it on the heels of failure. Jesus didn’t leave heave, take on flesh, and die for humanity because we deserved it. He was faithful when we were faithless.
Finally, the final vignette isn’t just about how Christians should pay taxes. As one commentator noted,
In Matthew 17, Jesus showed his full glory. Then, the disciples illustrated their own faithlessness. Jesus declared his sacrificial death. Then, Jesus was asked to fund the maintenance of the Temple. Jesus came to pay for the sin of mankind—instead, he was asked to pay taxes…on his Father’s house. This encounter reminds me of Jesus’ words to the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
In the midst of the holiday season, I think it’s fair to examine the depth of our faith to make sure it is appropriately proportioned to Jesus’ unfettered glory. Additionally, which payment of Jesus do we desire most often, gold or grace? Are our conversations with Jesus more about fulfilling our wants and desires or are they the words of those desperately seeking their Savior?
Written By: Tyler Short
Matthew 17 records Jesus showing his full glory at the Transfiguration witnessed by Peter, James, and John. Our passage today juxtaposes that display with the absolute failure of those around Jesus to recognize him and his mission.
Consider Jesus’ words in verse 17 and following with the display of his glory at the Transfiguration, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? … if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed.”
Many modern believers think, if not say, “If I could see Jesus, I would believe.” The truth, however, is that we would believe and act just like the disciples (or the religious leaders). Even the most faithful, those who’ve seen the most evidence of Jesus’ glory, fall miserably short. Jesus rebuked them, but if I were him, I’d probably be fed up.
Instead of being fed up, Jesus shared the plan, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” Note that Jesus didn’t declare his death burial and resurrection because they were so great—he declared it on the heels of failure. Jesus didn’t leave heave, take on flesh, and die for humanity because we deserved it. He was faithful when we were faithless.
Finally, the final vignette isn’t just about how Christians should pay taxes. As one commentator noted,
“The two-drachma tax was a Jewish tax that every male Jew between 20 and 50 years of age had to pay toward the maintenance of the temple and its services (Exod. 30:13). There was no two-drachma coin in circulation at this time, so two adults often went together and paid one shekel that was worth four drachmas…[In 17:25-26] Jesus turned this inquiry from the tax collector into a teaching situation for Peter and presumably the other disciples. Jesus changed the tax from a religious one to a civil one to make His point clearer. The principle is the same in both cases, but it was easier to illustrate in the civil arena of life.
Jesus’ point was that as the sons of kings are exempt from the taxes their fathers impose, so He was exempt from the taxes His Father imposed. He meant the temple tax. The temple really belonged to God (Mal. 3:1). Jesus was teaching Peter the implications of His deity. He was not teaching Peter to fulfill his civic responsibility.”
In the midst of the holiday season, I think it’s fair to examine the depth of our faith to make sure it is appropriately proportioned to Jesus’ unfettered glory. Additionally, which payment of Jesus do we desire most often, gold or grace? Are our conversations with Jesus more about fulfilling our wants and desires or are they the words of those desperately seeking their Savior?
Written By: Tyler Short
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