Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed.
Jesus and the Temple Tax
When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does
your teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him,
“Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offence to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”
Lord, you know how to soften a blow
lighten a moment
Speaking of your death one moment
and fishing for a coin the next
Yet you never fail
to get your message across
whether by stark confrontation
or sublime absurdity
You bring humour into the nitty gritty
promising freedom
not from the daily grind itself
but pointing to joy that is to be found
not way off in the future
but present in our every day
You release us
not from conforming to
all that may be required of us
but from seeing that as the end game
Your perspective
enables us to see
what matters
and in what we should invest
and reminds us
of the abundant life
you offer
May your divine grace and humour
lead us to know
life in all its fullness.
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