God Asks Hard Things

 

 Matthew 17:22-27

 Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

²² When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. ²³ They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

The Temple Tax

²⁴ After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

²⁵ “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

The grief the Apostles experienced on hearing Jesus's prediction of his death does not mean they fully understood or accepted what he said, judging from the description of their fear and confusion when the arrest and death actually occurred. The same with the paying of the temple tax.  They were not obliged to pay it yet, Jesus makes it possible and they do.  

As we move forward in our spiritual lives, we learn to accept "Hard Things" and very often find ourselves doing what we never expected or thought we could do. Somehow God's grace enables us to carry our crosses, such as living with physical disabilities, or the loss of a family member or friend. God often asks hard things of us but gives us the grace and strength to accept them, learn from them and move forward.  What is he asking of me today?

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, help me to accept and carry out whatever you ask of me today. Amen.