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"O
my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am
God, your God! I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings
you constantly bring to my altar. But I want no more bulls from your barns; I
want no more goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. Every bird of the mountains and all
the animals of the field belong to me. If I were hungry, I would not mention it
to you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. I don't need the bulls
you sacrifice; I don't need the
blood of goats. What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to
fulfill your vows to the Most High. Trust me in your times of trouble, and I
will rescue you, and you will give me glory."
(Psalm 50:7-15 NLV). On our first trip to the Holy Land Mary and I ate at a restaurant by the Sea of Galilee called St. Peter's Restaurant. The menu has a delicacy called St. Peter's Fish. We were told that it tasted excellent and each ordered it for lunch. The story that surrounds this fish is very interesting. It is one of the few indigenous fresh water fish in Israel. This fish has been caught in the Sea of Galilee for centuries. It does have some strange characteristics though. The fertilized eggs of the fish are held inside her mouth. When the eggs are hatched, the minnows stay there until they are ready to go into the water for a quick swim. If danger is evident or they need nourishment they quickly go back into their mother's mouth. There comes a time when the mother says enough of that and she literally spews them out of her mouth since she can't take "the big mouth" stuff anymore. However, having an empty mouth all the time bothers her, so very often, she will pick up a bottle cap or a coin and keep it in her mouth. As a matter of fact, St. Peter's Restaurant states that 30% of the fish caught today have a bottle cap or coin inside their mouth. One
day the tax collectors of the Temple came to Peter and asked if his teacher paid
the temple tax lately. Peter said that Jesus did but to make sure, he went to
Jesus. He was about to speak but Jesus, who knew what was on Peter's mind
already, said, "What do you think, Simon Peter? From whom do the kings of
the earth collect duties and taxes--from their own sons or from others?" Of
course Peter replied, "From others." Jesus said, "Then the sons
are exempt." I imagine Jesus had to laugh here because that statement had a
double meaning. We are also the sons of the King. But I do not want you to think
that we should not pay our taxes. Jesus did supply the much-needed Temple Tax in
a most unusual way. He told Peter to go fishing and yes, Peter caught St.
Peter's Fish. The fish had a four-drachma coin inside it. Peter must have been
overwhelmed. This was twice the amount required for his temple tax. But then he
realized that Jesus wanted Peter to pay the tax for himself and Jesus. (Cf.
Matthew 17:24-27). You may be depressed at this time of year because of financial restraints, broken relationships, ill health or abuse. God will not give you all your material desires, but He can restore you from within. Just as it took you a while to get into your predicament, it may take time for you to overcome your circumstances. God doesn't have quick-fix-it answers. Peter had to go out and catch the fish. You might not be able to catch St. Peter's Fish but I'm sure that God will be able to supply since, after all, “He owns the cattle on a 1,000 hills.” We can belong to a King who definitely is rich! Trust Him today! |
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