Thursday, January 05, 2012

Jesus Didn't Have To, But He Did

Matthew 17:27 KJV
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

After Peter had told them that Jesus paid the tribute Jesus confronted him and gave reason why he (and I think the implication is Peter) were free from paying this tribute. They were not spiritually obligated to pay it.

But they did pay it.

Jesus said that to avoid offending them they would pay the tribute.

Too many in modern Christianity are focused on what they can do and what they don't have to do. They accuse those who teach standards of right and wrong of being legalistic. But their selfish desire to get their own way has blinded them to the fact that we aren't saying a person has to do these things. We are fully aware that doing faithful Christianity is not a requirement of salvation and that certain actions we encourage Christians to avoid are not "cardinal sins".
• What we are practicing is the example of our Lord, who was free from the tribute but gave it anyway for the sake of another.
• We are practicing the example of the Apostle Paul who said that to eat certain meat was completely lawful, but he would not eat it anyway so as not to be a stumbling stone to another.
Christian liberty has come to mean Christian self centeredness in our day.

And it is time we look to others and place some standards in our lives for their sakes.

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