Jesus & the Law – on paying tithes & taxes … (11/29/18)
Unsurprisingly, the Law was quite explicit in requiring every devout Jew to pay tithes to the Temple and its priests (see Exodus 22:29, Leviticus 27:30, Numbers 18:24-26, Deuteronomy 12:19, Deuteronomy 14:22-29, & Deuteronomy 18:3-4 et al), and equally typical was Jesus’ thorough rebuke of the same …
*Whereas the Law required that tithes be offered publicly (and often with great fanfare), Jesus encouraged his listeners to give to others anonymously instead, saying: “Whenever you give alms, do not be like the hypocrites in the synagogues and on the streets – sounding a trumpet before them that they might be praised by others1 … But rather, whenever you give alms do not let your left hand know what you right hand is doing – so that your alms might be given in secret, and your heavenly Father who sees in secret will reward you accordingly.” (via Matthew 6:1-4)
*Whereas the Law mandated that the primary Temple tax be paid every year (see Exodus 30:13), Jesus cast great doubt upon the same; asking Peter “From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” and then – after Peter had answered “from others” – stating “Then the children are free [from the same]” (see Matthew 17:24-26); boldly implying that the Temple tax was not legally binding for all true Children of God.2
*Whereas the Law (via Leviticus 27:32-33 & Numbers 18:24-26 et al) required that a certain percentage of one’s gleanings be offered (and whereas legal tradition lauded larger donations with a greater honor), Jesus expressed a very different opinion – encouraging listeners to give whatever they could, and noting the it was the most self-sacrificial giving that was always the most worthy, not the largest amount given. (“Truly, this poor widow [who only tithed two copper coins] has given more than all those contributing greater amounts to the treasury. For they have given from their abundance, while she from her poverty gave everything she had to live on.” ~ via Matthew 12:41-44 & Luke 21:1-4)
*Finally, whereas the Law demanded that material things (money &/or portions of herds & harvests) be given as tithes, Jesus harshly criticized the scribes & Pharisees for doing so at the expense of “the far weightier matters of the Law; namely justice and mercy and the [perfect] Love of God” (see Matthew 23:23 & Luke 11:42 – also Luke 18:9-14) and sternly lauding his other listeners to avoid making the same mistake.
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1 NOTE here the fitting symbolism – with “the left hand” traditionally representing the hand that takes &/or yearns to receive (in this case yearning to receive the accolades of others) and “the right hand” traditionally representing the hand of giving &/or the hand that yearns to provide for others – see Genesis 48:14, Psalm 63:8, Psalm 110:1, Isaiah 41:10-13, Jeremiah 22:24, Matthew 22:44, Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62, Mark 16:19, & Luke 22:69 et al.
2 While it is true that Jesus went on to encourage Peter to pay the yearly fee – not because it was legally mandated, but rather “so that we do not give offense to them” – he did so by having Peter pull a shekel coin (worth an amount that was exactly enough to pay the yearly Temple tax for two people) from the mouth of a fish (see Matthew 17:27); thereby sarcastically reinforcing his original contention.
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