1566 | MattheW 17:16
have mer cy on my son ,” he said . “ He has sei zures and is suf fer ing great ly . He of ten falls into the fire or into the wa ter . 16 I brought him to your dis ci ples , but they could not heal him .”
17
“ You un be liev ing and per verse gen er a tion ,” Jesus re plied , “ how long shall I stay with you ? How long shall I put up with you ? Bring the boy here to me .” 18 Jesus re buked the de mon , and it came out of the boy , and he was healed at that mo ment .
19
Then the dis ci ples came to Jesus in pri vate and asked , “ Why couldn ’ t we drive it out ?”
20
He re plied , “ Be cause you have so lit tle faith . Tru ly I tell you , if you have faith as small as a mus tard seed , you can say to this moun tain , ‘ Move from here to there ,’ and it will move . Noth ing will be im pos si ble for you .” [ 21 ] a
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
22
When they came to geth er in Gal i lee , he said to them , “ The Son of Man is go ing to be de liv ered in to the hands of men . 23 They will kill him , and on the third day he will be raised to life .” And the dis ci ples were filled with grief . tax came to Pe ter and asked , “ Doesn ’ t your teach er pay the tem ple tax ?”
25
“ Yes , he does ,” he re plied .
When Pe ter came into the house , Jesus was the first to speak . “ What do you think , Si mon ?” he asked . “ From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and tax es — from their own chil dren or from oth ers ?”
26
“ From oth ers ,” Pe ter an swered .
“ Then the chil dren are ex empt ,” Jesus said to him . 27 “ But so that we may not cause of fense , go to the lake and throw out your line . Take the first fish you catch ; open its mouth and you will find a four-drach ma coin . Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours .”
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
18:1-5pp — Mk 9:33-37 ; Lk 9:46-48
18
At that time the dis ci ples came to Jesus and asked , “ Who , then , is the great est in the king dom of heav en ?”
2
He called a lit tle child to him , and placed the child among them . 3 And he said : “ Tru ly I tell you , un less you change and be come like lit tle children , you will nev er en ter the king dom of heaven . 4 There fore , who ev er takes the low ly po si tion of this child is the great est in the king dom of
The Temple Tax
24
Af ter Jesus and his dis ci ples ar rived in Ca perna um , the col lec tors of the two-drach ma tem ple a
21 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 9:29 .
17:17 perverse Jesus rebukes the people of his day for their weak faith and distorted perception ( compare Dt 32:5,20 ). This criticism might be aimed at his disciples . 17:20 faith as small as a mustard seed A minuscule amount of faith can overcome overwhelming obstacles . See Mt 13:31 and note .
17:22 – 23 Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection ( compare 16:21 ; 17:9,12 ).
17:24 – 27 Unique to Matthew ’ s Gospel , this passage addresses whether Jewish followers of Jesus ’ day should continue to pay the temple tax . This was particularly relevant to Matthew ’ s audience , since they were most likely Jews . Jesus ’ response not only communicates the continued sanctity of the temple , but also demonstrates the miraculous ways in which God provides for his people .
17:24 the two-drachma temple tax Every Jewish man 20 years and older was required to pay the temple tax , which was used for the general maintenance of the temple ( Ex 30:13 – 14,16 ). Priests ( Levites ) were exempt , and by Jesus ’ time some rabbis were as well . This section is particularly significant if Matthew ’ s Gospel was compiled and circulated after AD 70 . After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple in AD 70 , they continued to enforce the temple tax . However , rather than use the funds to maintain the Jewish religious centers , the Romans used them for the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus . In doing so , they punished the Jews for their revolt . Matthew could have included this passage for the sake of his Jewish audience , who probably struggled with the idea of paying taxes for a pagan temple . Matthew might be advising his readers to pay the tax out of respect for their overlords ( Mt 17:27 ) instead of enlisting further reprisals from Rome . See the infographic “ Coins of the Gospels ” on p . 1613 . 17:26 the children Just as children of earthly kings are tax-exempt , so too the children of the heavenly King , Jesus , have no obligation to pay a tax for his temple . Jesus ’ followers are not required to pay the temple tax , but he makes a way for them to do so anyway ( compare 22:15 – 22 ). 17:27 may not cause offense Jesus gives instructions that allow Peter to pay the tax voluntarily , to avoid offending the authorities . a four-drachma coin A miraculous provision — and exactly the amount needed for Jesus and Peter to pay the temple tax . See the infographic “ A Silver Denarius ” on p . 1578 .
18:1 – 14 The disciples ’ question prompts another discourse from Jesus . He uses this opportunity to teach on humility , the value of children ( spiritual children , as well as literal children ) and the need for holy living . Jesus also discusses the health and unity of the local congregation .
18:1 the greatest in the kingdom of heaven In the parallel passages of Mark and Luke , this question arises out of an argument among the disciples ( Mk 9:33 – 37 ; Lk 9:46 – 48 ). 18:2 a little child Illustrates humility and dependence . For Jesus ’ audience , a child represented someone completely reliant on others — perhaps even a burden . Children were without status in the ancient world and at the mercy of adults . 18:3 become like little children Describes a change in attitude . Jesus contrasts the disciples ’ pride with the humility of children . Unlike children , who had no status , the disciples were expecting to be honored in God ’ s kingdom .