VIII. THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE KING. Chs. 16:13 to 17:24

1. JESUS APPROVES THE CONFESSION OF PETER. Ch. 16:13-20

13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? 14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.

At Cæsarea Philippi, in the secluded regions of northern Galilee, relieved for a time from the attacks of his enemies and the interruptions of the crowds, Jesus at last found an opportunity to be alone with his disciples, and it was then that he reached the climax of his teaching concerning his divine Person. It was then also that he began his teaching concerning his atoning work.

For nearly three years, by parable and miracle, by Scripture reference and by the constant messages of his daily life, Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples as the Messiah, the predicted King, the Son of God. To discover how far they had learned the lesson, or to impress it upon them more deeply, he asks them two questions: first, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” Their answer is unsatisfactory but kindly. They might have replied that many regarded Jesus as a fanatic, an impostor, even a glutton and a drunkard; they were too considerate for that; they replied that the men of his day regarded him as a great prophet, in fact, a reincarnation of one of the greatest prophets. It is exactly the answer the world is giving to-day, “Jesus was a man, the best of men, a man who spoke for God, but still a man.” Such a reply did not meet the approval of our Lord; it never does; and so he asks his second question, “But who say ye that I am?” Simon Peter answered, and he spoke for his fellow disciples and for believers in all ages, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” By the “Christ,” the “Anointed One,” he of course, meant the predicted “Messiah,” the Redeemer, the Saviour of the world. By “the Son of God” he meant all those words could signify as contrasted with the prophets and saints of all ages; and we are right in taking the phrase upon our lips to denote a Being who, while truly man, is truly God; a unique Being to whom we can pray, in whose unseen presence we can trust, before whom each of us can fall and exclaim, as did Thomas, “My Lord, and my God.”

Jesus did not rebuke Thomas; and here he pronounces a blessing upon Peter. This blessing transforms “Peter's great confession” into Christ's great claim; he accepted the homage, and declared that only divine illumination could have enabled Peter to utter these words, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.” Thus the deity of Christ is a divinely revealed truth; if one does not see this reality, we are not to despise him and not to argue with him; we can pity, we can pray for him; and should he, like Peter, continue to listen to the great words and to witness the great works of Christ, and should he follow the Master faithfully, some day he, too, may come to worship him.

This truth is also a fundamental truth, “And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” not merely on Peter, but a Peter confessing the deity of Christ; and not confessing it as a conclusion of his own reason, but upon Peter confessing his acceptance of the truth which God has revealed to his soul. Upon such a man, and such men, the Church was founded; and of such men the Church of all ages has been composed. Such a church, too, is imperishable; “the gates of Hades,” i. e., “death,” the entrance to the underworld, “shall not prevail against it.”

To such as confess this knowledge of Christ he gives the power of opening to others his Kingdom and of revealing to them what is permitted and what is forbidden in that Kingdom. Such possibly is the meaning of the further promise which Christ gives to Peter, before he forbids him to tell others the truth he had just confessed. Why this strange prohibition, “Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ”? Because the multitude was not yet ready for that truth, they would have misunderstood his claims; only when his work was complete, only then his disciples, guided by his Spirit, could proclaim the truth concerning his divine Person.

2. JESUS PREDICTS HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION. Ch. 16:21-28

21 From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. 22 And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumblingblock unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds. 28 Verily I say unto you, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

The two fundamental and supreme doctrines of Christianity are the truths concerning the divine Person and the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Other truths are vital; others are inseparably related to these; but these doctrines are absolutely essential; without them Christianity would cease to be a distinct religion, if it continued to be a religion at all. When at Cæsarea Philippi Jesus had brought to a climax his teaching concerning the first of these truths, he “began to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.” This is an actual beginning. Before this Jesus has made veiled allusions to the cross. Now, however, with definiteness and clearness he states the certainty and necessity of his death. It was necessary because of the divine purpose which makes the death of Christ the very essence of his atoning work. He teaches them also of his resurrection, although this they seem utterly unable to believe: To his mind, however, it is the certain, glorious issue of all he is to endure.

“And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.” To the mind of this devoted disciple who had just acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the prediction of death seems like a confession of defeat, a contradiction of the Messianic claim, an admission unworthy of his Lord.

But Jesus, rebuked by Peter, turns to rebuke Peter. “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumblingblock unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.” These words are serious, but not quite so severe as they may seem. Jesus does not mean that Peter is really satanic and depraved, but that in urging Christ to shrink from death he is playing the part of the Tempter and is siding with mea, not with God. The offense of the cross has never ceased. It is still human and natural to insist that the death of Christ was not necessary; but “the preaching of the cross” is the very “wisdom of God” and the “power of God.”

Jesus then turns to his disciples and declares the inevitable law of Christian life. The servant is not above his master, and if the King is to be crucified, it is not strange that his follower must also bear the cross. “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” The death of Christ will avail for none but those who are willing to die to sin and self, and to follow Christ as his servants. To “deny himself” does not mean to deny something to himself, but to renounce self. To “take up his cross”? does not mean to endure some little or great irritation, or burden, or distress, but to go to the place of crucifixion, to die. Following -Christ involves the denial and the death of self.

The result, however, is a larger, fuller, freer, truer life. This is what Jesus means by the promise which he adds, “For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.” One who suffers for the sake of Christ will enjoy eternal life in heaven; this is true; but the promise is of a present experience as well. Jesus is not urging sacrifice for its own sake, but, quite definitely, sacrifice for his sake and the gospel's. Such sacrifice results in the enrichment “and the enlargement of life, and in the enjoyment of all that is worthy the name of life. To lose this larger, fuller life, for the sake of all the pleasure, or sin, or satisfaction, which the world has to offer, would be folly, “For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?” Should he make such a tragic bargain, his choice would be irrevocable; life could never be regained, for “What shall a man give in exchange for his life” if that life is once lost? The gain or the loss is likewise eternal. Following Christ involves a present experience; but the issues are abiding, and the full realization will be had only when Christ returns in glory, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.” Although he was to be rejected and crucified he was to rise and to ascend, and, some day, to reappear. It would be far better for one to endure the shame and scorn of a present evil world than to be excluded from the perfected Kingdom of God which would be manifest at the glorious reappearing of Christ. This coming of Christ is the third great theme on which our Lord instructs the disciples while at Caesarea Philippi. His coming and Kingdom were to be the hope and expectation of his followers, as indeed they have been of the Church through all the centuries. Some of “his immediate followers were to catch a foregleam of the glory, not many days after, when they saw their Lord, with Moses and Elijah, in heavenly splendor, on the Mount of Transfiguration. As Jesus said to his disciples, “Verily I say unto you, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”

3. JESUS IS TRANSFIGURED. Ch. 17:1-8

1 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: 2 and he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. 3 And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. 4 And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 5 While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, save Jesus only.

The transfiguration of our Lord, while he prays on the slopes of Mount Hermon, is closely and vitally related to the teaching he has been giving to the disciples near the villages of Caesarea Philippi. He has accepted Peter's great confession as to his divine person, and now, out of the heavenly glory, comes the voice of the Father saying, “This is my beloved Son.” He has taught them particularly of his approaching death; and now, upon the mountain, Moses and Elijah appear, talking with him, as Luke affirms, “of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” He has predicted his return in glory, and now, as Peter afterwards declared, he gives the disciples a foretaste of what that glory would be.

Just what is meant by the statement, “He was transfigured before them,” ” it is difficult for us to understand. It is surely an experience quite different from that of Moses on the mountain. The face of Moses shone with a reflected light; but, in the case of Jesus, a glory from within bursts forth and irradiates his whole being, until not only his face, but his very garments are radiant with a dazzling light. Matthew has been picturing to us the career of the King. It is as if the monarch had been walking in disguise; only occasionally beneath his humble garment has been revealed a glimpse of the purple and the gold. Here, for an hour, the disguise is withdrawn and the King appears in his real majesty and in the regal splendor of his divine glory.

Jesus had been alone, with Peter, James, and John, when the startling change in his appearance occurred; but as the disciples gazed on him in wonder “Behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.” The two men whose departure from the world had been veiled in mystery, where chosen for this mysterious return. Moses is commonly supposed to represent the Law and Elijah the Prophets; both had pointed forward by symbol and prediction to the atoning work of Christ; these men could speak with Jesus intelligently concerning his coming death. Then, too, these men had been prepared peculiarly, by personal experiences, to understand the grace of God, and therefore, they best of all could comprehend the love of God in the gift of his Son.

“And Peter answered,” that is, his remark was called forth by the startling experience, “Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter was dazed by the wonder and mystery of the scene. He did not know what to say. His words seem absurd; beings from the unseen world would hardly care for huts on the mountain side; it would not be a kindness long to detain here on earth visitors from heaven. However, his suggestion is far from meaningless; Peter is not to be ridiculed; he realized the blessedness of his experience; however clumsily expressed, his desire was to prolong such an ecstatic vision; in spite of his fear, he wished to continue in such blissful companionship.

Even while Peter was speaking, a bright cloud came and overshadowed them all. The scene was about to end; but first there came out of the cloud the voice of the Father conveying the supreme message of the hour, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”? There was no need of detaining Moses and Elijah. He had come, of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets had testified, even Jesus, the divine Son of God. The time had come when those who wished to know the nature and will and saving grace of God, could find them completely and finally revealed in Jesus Christ his Son.

“And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one save Jesus only.” They needed none other; him they were to hear; yet for a time the heavenly light grew dim; they were to follow him into the dark valley of the shadow of death; but they could never forget the vision of his revealed glory; henceforth he was to them more truly than ever a divine Lord and the coming King.

This unique experience was of deep significance to our Lord himself. It prepared him for the pain and death he so soon was to endure. It assured him again of his divine sonship; it reminded him that if he lost his life he would find it, if he endured the cross he would surely rise from the dead and meet the saints of old in a state of glory, in a position of supreme power.

This event was of still greater significance to the disciples. They, too, needed to be prepared for the experiences which lay before them. Their belief in the divine nature of their Lord was strengthened by this vision of his glory; the mysterious predictions of his death and resurrection were confirmed by what they had seen and heard; the splendor of his final coming was henceforth more real, and in view of its certainty they were more ready than before to take up the cross and come after him.

No less important are the messages for his followers today. They are reminded that by faith in him, as they now behold his glory, they can be “transformed into the same image,” “transfigured,” not by an outward imitation of Christ but by the operation of an inner power “even as from the Lord the Spirit.”

So, too, we see predicted more clearly the circumstances of his future appearing; then some, who like Moses have died, and whose bodies have disappeared in burial, will appear in bodies deathless and immortal; others like Elijah, who never died, will not taste of death, but will be transformed, transfigured, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” and “becaughtup . . . to meet the Lord in the air”; but the splendor of the scene will be embodied and centered in the majestic form and radiant face of the returning, triumphant King.

4. JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ELIJAH. Ch. 17:9-13

9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead. 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? 11 And he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things: 12 but I say unto you, that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. 13 Then understood the disciples that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

The vision of their transfigured Lord and of the heavenly visitors had strengthened and inspired the three apostles, but it was not intended for the curious, ignorant crowds that awaited the return of Jesus. “As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead.” This command of secrecy is similar to that given to those whom Jesus had healed during this period of retirement; but to it is added a strange limitation, “until the Son of man be risen from the dead.” After his resurrection they were to be witnesses of his divine glory; but for such testimony they were not yet prepared, nor would it have been understood by the multitude. A report of such a heavenly vision might occasion ridicule or result in a fanatical uprising. Only those who believe in Christ are prepared for a full revelation of his divine glory.

As they descended the mountains the minds of Peter and James and John were full of questions as to what had been meant by the experiences which had been theirs, by the vision of their transfigured Lord and of Moses and Elijah. As the transfiguration had been a foregleam of the coming of Christ in glory, it called to their remembrance a prediction concerning the coming of a messenger to prepare the way for the King, “And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?” The question was occasioned by the appearance of Elijah on “the holy mountain.” There was a popular expectation that this great prophet would prepare the way before the Messiah. It was based upon the closing words of Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” What puzzled the disciples was the fact that Jesus had come and had so far performed his ministry before Elijah had appeared. Jesus explained to them that the prophecy had at least its initial fulfillment in the work of John the Baptist who had come “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” He had turned the nation back to God in repentance and had revived the hope of the coming Messiah. However, as Jesus declared, he had not been recognized, but they had done unto him “whatsoever they would.” In the treatment of his forerunner, Jesus foresaw what he himself would endure as the predicted King. As Elijah had suffered at the hands of Ahab and Jezebel; as John had been murdered by Herod and Herodias, so Jesus was to be rejected by the Jews and crucified by the order of Pilate. In the death of John, Jesus saw a portent of his own approaching sufferings and thus clearly predicted to his disciples a second time his approaching death, “Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them.” Thus even with the light of the transfiguration still lingering on his countenance did Jesus definitely predict his crucifixion; thus too, in veiled symbol, does he refer to his coming glory, of which he had caught a foregleam in the splendors of “the holy mount.”

5. JESUS HEALS THE EPILEPTIC BOY. Ch. 17:14-20

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out? 20 And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

When the artist Raphael painted the picture of the transfiguration of Jesus, he sketched on the same canvas this scene of the demoniac boy surrounded by the nine disciples at the foot of the mountain. Of course the incidents occurred on different days; but this combination heightens the contrast of the experience of Jesus in the splendors of the mountain summit and his experience amid the shadows of human sorrow and distress which he entered on the plain below. It was not the first time he had exchanged heavenly glory for earthly gloom; and how majestically he bore himself amid the shadows! Surely this is the picture of a King. Matthew has omitted many of the details included in the story by Mark; but the omissions do not diminish, they rather emphasize the impression of royalty.

There is the distressed father, kneeling as a suppliant before Jesus; there is the poor boy whose disease has been occasioned by an evil spirit or has been the occasion for the mastery of the spirit; there are the disciples, helpless in their imperfect faith; then the word of royal command, the rebuke of the demon, and the cure is complete.

However, there is deep human sympathy in the heart of the King. There is no aloofness in his manner. He is touched by the anguish of the father, and by the suffering of the boy, but most of all he is troubled by the unbelief which has needlessly delayed the cure. Never does Jesus appear more sensitive to the lack of faith by which his ministry has been attended, never does he confess more clearly his willingness to escape from such surroundings. “O faithless and perverse generation,” he cries, “Show long shall I be with you?” The unbelief is “perverse”? because it is due, not to lack of evidence, but because the evidence has been rejected or neglected.

Jesus must have had in mind the multitude, the doubting father, and the hostile Pharisees, as well as the nine disappointed disciples; but the latter did not seem to perceive any rebuke to themselves until they came to Jesus privately and were told definitely that their failure has been due to their “little faith.” Yet Jesus adds a word of gracious promise which may hearten modern disciples depressed by conscious failure, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,” that is, real trust, however small, “ve shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove”; that is, any obstacle may be overcome. Jesus is speaking in Oriental imagery, and his words are not to be pressed too literally; nor yet when he adds “and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” There are limitations to the powers granted to the followers of Christ; yet within the sphere of his commands and commission, in accomplishing the task he assigns, in bearing the burdens he imposes, nothing is impossible to those who trust and obey.

The twenty-first verse is omitted by the Revisers; it had been copied from the Gospel of Mark and in this sense forms a real part of the message. “This kind goeth not out save by prayer.” Let our faith be expressed in believing petition, and our Master will have no occasion to grieve over the inefficiency of our service.

6. JESUS AGAIN PREDICTS HIS DEATH. Ch. 17:22,23

22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men; 23 and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised up. And they were exceeding sorry.

For the last time Jesus is about to revisit Capernaum. While he lingers in northern Galilee one great theme occupies his thoughts and his teaching. Itis hisdeath which he soon is to suffer at Jerusalem. He has spoken of it before, and with i increasing definiteness; here, however, he uses a novel phrase, “The Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men; and they shall kill him.” What is this “delivered up”? It was formerly translated “betrayed,” and suggested such treachery as that of Judas; this betrayal Jesus clearly foresaw and it added bitter drops to his cup of coming suffering. More probably the word here refers to the handing over of Jesus to the Roman authorities to be crucified; however, there may be even an intimation of the surrender of the Son by the Father for the redemption of the world. It may bean echo of that sacred message, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” Certain it is that Jesus never regarded his death as a mere incident in his career, or as an experience which other men might share. His death was unique; he declared it to be “aransom for many,” and “for the remission of sins.” As before he had expressed the divine necessity by saying that he “must gounto Jerusalem, . . and be killed,” so now he may be intimating the divine purpose as he speaks of being “delivered up into the hands of men.”

However, the death of Christ is not set forth as an isolated event; he unites it with another, from which it is inseparable, namely, his resurrection. “And the third day he shall be raised up.” His predictions were not the gloomy forebodings of a human martyr, but the clear anticipations of a divine Saviour. He sees the necessity for his atoning death, but also the certainty of his resurrection victory. The cross is a fit symbol for much that is essential in our Christian faith, but it never should be allowed to hide the majestic form of the risen, glorified, ascended King.

“They were exceeding sorry.” It was the sorrow of sympathy and of devoted love; yet it was partly the sorrow of unbelief. They had begun to understand what he meant by “death,” but the meaning of this “rising again” they could not conceive. So, too, our mourning should be radiated by the comfort born of the resurrection of Christ, that we “sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.”

7. JESUS PROVIDES THE TEMPLE TAX. Ch. 17:24-27

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel? 25 He saith, Yea. And when he came into the house, Jesus spake first to him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers? 26 And when he said, From strangers, Jesus said unto him, Therefore the sons are free. 27 But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

This incident is to be found in no other Gospel. Here it properly belongs. This is the “Gospel of the King” and this striking story is the story of a King. It includes a _ royal claim, a royal concession, and a royal command.

Jesus had just been teaching his disciples concerning his divine Person and his atoning work. Peter had confessed him to be the Son of God. As they returned to Capernaum, Peter was asked whether his Master would pay “the half-shekel” which was required of every Israelite as an annual tax for the support of the Temple worship. Peter immediately replied, “Yea.” Was it, however, so simple a question? Was he, who in the hearing of Peter claimed to be “oreater than the temple,” to submit to the demands of the Temple? Was he, whom Peter confessed to be “the Son of God,” compelled to support the house of God? Was he, who came to give his life “a ransom for many,” to pay the “ransom money” which the Jewish ritual required?

Peter evidently began to feel a little uneasy in his own mind; and as soon as he came into the presence of his Lord he sought to vindicate himself; but Jesus anticipated him with a definite rebuke, as he claimed exemption from the tax. It was a royal claim and was embodied in a brief parable: “What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers? And when he said, From strangers, Jesus said unto him, Therefore the sons are free.” The meaning is perfectly plain: Jesus claimed to be the divine Son of God, and as the Son of God he declared that he need pay no tribute to support the worship of God. What a claim! Was it not blasphemy unless it was true?

Then followed a royal concession, “But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thou . . . and give unto them for me and thee.” “Lest we cause them to stumble,” thus Jesus was careful to avoid needless offense. The people of Capernaum did not understand that he was the Son of God. Had he refused to pay that simple tax he would have been regarded as irreligious and profane. With a kingly condescension he waived his royal rights. Yet those who knew him*to be the Son of God needed to know that he was abating no claim. Peter needed to know on what ground Jesus would pay the tax; and the followers of Jesus to-day need to be reminded, not only of the divine claims of Christ, but of his example as he warns them not always to insist upon their rights, but with princely generosity to yield their rights when otherwise they might be misunderstood and might cause needless offense.

Lastly Jesus gave a royal command, “Go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” That promised miracle must have made its peculiar appeal to the old fisherman, Simon Peter; but it has its message for every follower of Christ. Who but he could have given such a command? Surely this must be the divine King who has dominion over “whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.”

Note too that closing touch, “Give unto them for me and thee,” not, “for us.” Peter paid the tax on a different ground; he could not claim to be the Son of God; he needed a ransom for his soul. Such a ransom we need; and it has been provided for us graciously by the divine King.