When I was a kid, my dad used to take me and my brother to “fishing derbies” where among the many ways you could win a prize – for the biggest fish, the most fish, the most unique fish – was the promise that if you caught that one special fish, it was a $50 cash prize.
I never knew how that worked, but I imagine they found a way to mark a fish before letting it go. Maybe painted a red “x” or green “$$$” on the side?
Of course, I used to think that maybe that one fish would have $50 bill tucked inside its mouth.
I never found out.
I was terrible at fishing.
So it is that in today’s unusual Gospel, the coin-in-the-fish story, that I thought back to those days.
In the story, Jesus tells Simon Peter to cast his line and look inside the mouth of the first fish he catches. Inside would be a coin that would be enough to satisfy the “temple tax” of the day.
This strange story is really less about the fish and the coin and more about the issue at hand. The debate was whether or not the followers of Jesus should pay the temple tax. With Jesus as their savior, why should they continue to support a temple, where men had rejected them and this new way of living?
On the other hand, Jesus was still a good Jew, as were his followers … but you can understand the confusion in how to proceed. It would not be the last time such issues would arise.
Today I think about how some citizens of certain nations are conflicted when asked to pay taxes or participate politically in a system that runs counter to and encourages activities opposed to their values in so many ways.
Not an easy answer, I suppose.
Similarly, there are many calls to action to avoid certain shopping venues and products because of certain policies and statements made by the owners of such business entities.
That, too, can be complicated given the diversity of thought and conflicting opinions. Some companies are like Jekyll and Hyde … they do good things, but they say bad things; or they do bad things but say good things.
Government can be like that too. People as well.
In the end, Jesus pays the temple tax. And I suppose we continue to pay our taxes and shop in certain stores, even though we don’t really like it.
On the other hand, we must always believe that whether it’s participating in society or patronizing a business, we have a better shot at affecting changes in behavior by being present and active. It’s difficult to fight for justice if you have left the battle.
So let’s keep fishing … not for coins, but for souls.
