From the Gospel according to Matthew

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.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Rights of Children

This Gospel has always seemed strange to me. What does the passion of Christ have to do with paying taxes? The key is that Jesus is talking about His “duties” as the Son first and then about His “rights”. Jesus is God and comes to give His life for us. How incredible it is that He submits to all our laws. He humbles Himself and submits to humanity. Truly astonishing.

But today, let’s focus on the scene where Jesus demonstrates that He receives the coin from the King Father through a fish and shares it with Peter. It’s a way of telling Peter (and through him, all of us): “Hey! You are also children of my Father, and you have the same duties and therefore, can participate in the same rights as I do.”

Indeed, being children obliges us to follow Christ and surrender our lives into the hands of men, but as children, God also gives us the opportunity to share in the rights of the Son. Concerning our earthly debts, we need not worry; God will provide. Husbands and wives, children of God, embrace the duty that God grants us to love like the Son, so that we may first be resurrected in our marriage and then in our lives. Incredible!

Applied to married life:

Sara (Ramón’s mother): Your wife doesn’t deserve you. She’s never appreciated you. Why don’t you come and stay with us for a few days and take a break from her?

Ramón: You offend me by criticizing my wife. Besides, you don’t understand that my mission is to give myself to her, just as my Master did, even when His sacrifice wasn’t appreciated.

Sara: I’m sorry, Ramón, but I’m your mother, and it hurts me to see you suffer. I think you should teach her a lesson, maybe she’ll finally wake up.

Ramón: No, Mum. I know you mean well, but my place is with her. I’m grateful that God gives me the opportunity to love like Him so that I can be His son. He will take care of me, you’ll see.

(And during that difficult time, God made that husband a little more holy.)

Mother,

in these situations, I trust that you will also be my Mother and will not fail me. Teach me to be a child in the Son. Amen.