Series of Events

Matthew 17: ²⁴ After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

²⁵ “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

============

Walking past the corner house of a friend’s block I looked down and there I found a crisp dollar bill. Excitedly I picked it up and went on my merry way. Soon I found myself staring at the yard intently because I found all kinds of treasure like rulers, jewelry, pens and balls. Who would lose a ball? What an amazing yard I thought to myself.

• Many times I have not credited GOD for something amazing.
• Many times I thought “luck” existed.
• Many times I attributed a house or a shirt or a yard as having special powers.

Looking back I realize I never praised GOD for those amazing finds. Peter on the other hand was told before the miracle happened exactly the amount he would find.

GOD knew way before that someone would lose a coin and a specific fish would mistake the coin for food and swallow it. At the right time, that same fish would get hungry and get caught by Peter.

• GOD performs miracles daily that I cannot account for.
• GOD can use a discomforting eyelash to distract the bully as the person is too preoccupied to focus on me.
• GOD can have someone lose money only to be found by the right person at the right time.

JESUS was pointing out how unfair the tax collectors were, yet HE yielded to their greed. It is quite possible that the coin in the fish was dropped from the collector himself. Only JESUS knows the series of events that leads up to a miracle I benefit from.

• Have you ever found something at the right time?
• Have you ever thanked GOD for your finding?
• Will you allow GOD to work out your problems HIS way?