Cast for a Fish

As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed. When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.” Matthew 17:22-27

On the eve of Thanksgiving, when many are trying to get somewhere, it seems appropriate to talk about the gratitude we have and the overwhelming blessings we have in our families and in our communities. We may worry about how the feast tomorrow might go, and how the family will or will not get along, but we are all, in so many ways blessed with abundance. Our best response to all we have received,  is to live a life of kindness, honoring all, even those who tax and offend us.

Jesus is making his way to the final drama. His disciples want it to be like it always was. And they want him to use superhero powers to squash the demands of the religious leaders. Instead, he suggests they be kind and inoffensive, paying the tax through a coin from the depth of the sea. Among themselves they could rejoice in the miracle, but he wanted them and us to be humble and kind in all of our interactions. God invites us to see the blessings, even in paying taxes, and the miracles that abound in our daily lives.

Today I ask God to open my eyes to the miracles around me. May we live our lives with kindness and humility, honoring even those who demand too much and who push all of our buttons. May God's love be known in this world as we joyfully participate and lovingly engage the people around us.