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Oct 21, 2022 18:30pm

Teach Me so I can Teach Another

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We had gotten my mom a pool and she just hadn’t found the time to put it up, and honestly, she needed a little help. So, my brother and I headed out there to get the job done.

With the instructions in hand, I tried to figure out what each piece was, where it went, and instruct my brother and mom on what to do with it. They would pick something up and say “what’s this for?” Or pull on a loop on the side of the pool and say, “what on earth is this?”

The assembly was not an easy task. It would have been far easier had it just come already put together, right? But that’s not how it works. Thankfully, we had the set of instructions that guided us through the work and, after an hour or so, we had the thing standing up, the pump attached and began filling it with cold water.

“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” (Matthew 17:24-27)

To me, this is one of the coolest stories in the Bible! I mean, how incredible that Jesus told him to go and get a coin out of a fish’s mouth!

Anyways… Jesus uses this moment as an opportunity to teach, as He always does. The tax collectors for the temple asked Peter if Jesus paid the temple tax. Peter answers yes, goes into the house, and then Jesus speaks.

Jesus Himself is King. Why would a king pay taxes? And who does He require payment from? Not His children. Instead, it’s of those that are strangers.

So, in this moment, Jesus could have said “No, I won’t pay. I refuse! Don’t you know who I am? I am God robed in flesh! I am Jesus Christ, the King of Kings!”

But He didn’t.

Instead, He said, “Notwithstanding”. This means but, yet, nonetheless, or however, so we don’t offend them, go and get a coin that will pay enough for both you and me in a fish’s mouth.

While He owed no taxes, He chose to pay them for both Himself and Peter, as to not offend them because they did not understand who He truly was.

And while that is a great lesson, I want us to look at the second part of this story today. Let’s look at the fish.

Jesus tells Peter to go and fish and get the coin. I mean, He’s Jesus. If He can make a coin appear in the mouth of the fish, could He not just make it appear in Peter’s hand? Wouldn’t that have been easier? Sure! But what would Peter have learned?

See, at the moment of salvation, we are given everything we need. Everything! But God calls us to be a part of the work to grow and understand what’s already there and how to use it. The Bible is a beautiful set of instructions on how to do what God has called us to do!

Peter even writes about this in one of his books!

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (2 Peter 1: 3)

ALL THINGS.

Not just some. ALL.

But because He loves us and wants us to learn and grow closer to Him, He doesn’t just say, “Poof! Now you can do it all”. He allows us to be part of the process of learning how to do it!

Don’t just do it for me. Teach me so I can do it, too. And then, let me be able to teach someone else.

Isn’t that what discipleship is?

It’s like a little gold nugget you fished right out of the sea! How cool is that?!