Matthew 17:24 – 27 ESV 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?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will fins a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”
This is a whimsical little story. Jesus could have told Judas Iscariot to go pay the tax for everyone, but instead, He sent Peter on an unusual errand to get the money. We can only theorize as to why Jesus did it this way but it does highlight that God provides for our needs in often unexpected ways.
I remember one time in China; my wife had to be seen by a specialist in Beijing. While we were sitting in the hospital waiting room my wife started talking to a very distraught man. His son was receiving treatment that day for a serious illness. My wife asked if she could pray for him and his son and the man agreed.
A few weeks later we needed to travel internationally but didn’t have sufficient funds to buy the plane tickets. We must have exchanged contact information with the gentleman from the hospital because while we were praying about the money, he called and said he wanted to buy us plane tickets, where did we want to go. This man wasn’t even a Christian. During my nine years as a missionary, I witnessed God’s amazing provision repeatedly.
This passage also shows how God directs events and makes things happen according to his plan. It is conceivable that God miraculously put the coin in the mouth of whichever fish Peter happened to catch. More likely however, is that God caused someone to lose that coin in the sea. Then He caused the fish to come and swallow it. Finally, God directed that fish to be exactly where Peter was fishing and to take the bait.
It is important that we act when God directs us, even if taking such action doesn’t make sense. Obeying God is always the right thing to do as a matter of course, but we may never know how a seemingly insignificant action can fit into God’s plan down the line.
Lord, I thank you for the many ways You provide so generously and abundantly for me. Thank You also for letting me be a part of Your work, even when I don’t know what I am doing or what the significance is.