April 17, 2012 | Leave a comment This year the IRS has graciously given Americans until Tuesday, April 17, 2012 to pay their income taxes. Traditionally, however, April 15 has been tax day. Many of us pay our taxes only begrudgingly. Jesus taught that we are responsible to pay the tax which our government determines we owe. One of Jesus’ disciples, Matthew, was a tax collector Mt 9:9 (IRS agent). If you want to protest the paying of taxes to the government you will not find a sympathizer in Jesus. 17 . . . . Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” . . . 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:17b;19–21 (ESV) Jesus had a rather unique way of paying His tax. 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.” Matthew 17:24–27 (ESV) Rather than focusing on Jesus’ method of gathering the funds necessary to pay his tax, however, we should focus on the fact that the funds He needed were supplied to Him by His Father. In fact God provided more than Jesus needed giving Him enough to pay His and Peter’s tax bill. We don’t need to steal from the government but simply need to trust and obey God and be honest about our tax bills. You and I need to “put off” stealing and “put on” honesty. Paul clarifies the biblical principle taught by Jesus in his letter to the church in Rome. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:6–8 (ESV) Our problem with feeling pressure to steal and be dishonest arises from our violating the principal to “owe no one anything, except to love each other.” Because we have failed to trust God and live by His principles we take control of our lives to our own selves and begin to believe that we have what we earned therefore it is ours to do with as we choose. Instead we should recognize that what we have, whatever it is, whether great or small is the gift of God and is His for which we are to be good stewards. We may not always be able to trust our government we but we know we can always trust our God.