Fishing Made Easy
Mathew 17:24-27
And when they were come into 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 kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children, or of strangers?
Peter sayeth unto him, of strangers. Jesus sayeth unto him, Then are the children free.
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast the 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.
Imagine yourself as Peter, a simple fisherman raised in a religious community, having learned to respect the religious leaders all your life and follow the customs and the sacrifices needed to perpetuate the word of God. These leaders noticed that Peter was second in command under Jesus’s Ministry. Why else would they have approached him? Why not just ask Jesus directly? Were they trying to cause Peter trouble? Why did Peter answer ‘Yes’?
The irony is that the Temple was God’s house, Jesus was the Son of God, and He was tax-exempt. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus called Peter and his brother Andrew into the ministry by saying: “Come ye after me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Peter was a fisherman, and Jesus appointed him to fish for men. Jesus sent Peter to the sea and cast his hook, and the fish delivered the coin needed to build God’s house.
Here, I will reveal the symbolism: Peter is the evangelist, and the hook represents the gospel, the fish is symbolic of those receiving the word of Christ, and they bring the support needed to build God’s House, His Kingdom. It takes considerable funds to run a ministry to spread the gospel. I hear a cup full of reasons why people refuse to tithe and give offerings. My old pastor used to tell me, “You can tell where a man’s heart is by looking in his checkbook.” That means your money goes towards the things that you love the most. If you are a Christian, your heart should be deeply moved by the things of God. When you bring your tithes into God’s house, it helps maintain the ministry and allows your congregation to cast a hook for others to see.
Who knows, maybe the person you love the most will one day take the bait.
He is: El-Moshaah
The God Who Saves
Blessings
