A Time for Taxes
Written by Jeff Howell | Associate Pastor of Administration
Dear Faith Family ~
For many, “taxes” is a synonym for “terrible,” and that’s putting it nicely. But if you stop and think about it, it’s hard to imagine going through a day without partaking of the services and amenities that taxes help to provide. For instance, I woke up today, enjoyed utilities of governmentally-regulated cost, drove on county-maintained roads, enjoyed a state-maintained recreational area, and benefitted from the 24/7 vigilance of our national military and state & local law enforcement to combat threats to my life & liberty, both foreign and domestic. Every single element in that last sentence from which I derived a benefit was funded, in part, by taxes.
Think about it. Public library? Taxes. Desperately-needed roadwork? Taxes. Having a more than reasonable expectation that an FAA-regulated flight will get you there safely? Taxes. The guy who picks up the dead skunks from the middle of the road? Taxes. Decorations hung at Christmas time or patriotic flags hung in honor of our local soldiers & sailors? You get the point. Our taxes contribute to ALL of these things and so much more.
Taxes bring about many good things, many of which we are likely to take for granted.
So, why do so many of us dislike taxes? Well, for one thing, who enjoys giving up a significant chunk of every single paycheck? Furthermore, most of us don’t get a voice in deciding the rules and regulations that establish taxes or in determining how the majority of what we contribute is used. Even with the benefits we receive, it is hard to watch tax dollars fund things we can’t agree with biblically, morally, philosophically, or economically.
How then are we to live as ambassadors of Christ in such a taxing world?
Well, maybe we ought to consider how the God-man Himself, Jesus Christ, went through tax time. We will see that His example models wisdom, worship, and witness.
Did you know that twice in the NT, we have the opportunity to observe Jesus and His disciples in the middle of tax time? First, take a look at Matt 17:24—27. When Peter was confronted on whether Jesus would pay the annual temple tax, Jesus provided payment (via the mouth of a fish) for the both of them to avoid offense, even though sons of the king were exempt and only others had to pay. Truthfully, Jesus should have been exempt as the Son of the “King” of the Earth! But so as not to cause offense, He didn’t parse that incongruity. The irony here was only heightened by the fact that it was God Himself who instituted that very temple tax in Exodus 30:13—15 as an offering to God Himself. And Jesus (aka God Himself) was now being pressured to pay it, ostensibly, to God Himself!
Or consider the other tax time interaction we find recorded a few chapters later in Matt 22:17—22; Mark 12:14—17. After being maliciously pressured by hypocritical religious leaders about paying taxes, Jesus declared that what is Caesar’s should be given to Caesar and what is God’s should be given to God. In other words, the government printed the coin, so they can have it back! If wisdom is defined as putting knowledge into action, this is a world-class example of it.
When we synthesize Jesus’ example in these two tax time passages, we find that He willingly, humbly paid His taxes in full to God-ordained, legitimately-authorized earthly institutions (wisdom), with a heart priority of honoring God as He did so (worship), and with a concern to not cause undue offense to the watching world (witness). It was a “both/and,” not an “either/or.” That was His practice.
We should take our Good Shepherd’s example to heart.
Of course, the typical passage people turn to when it comes to taxes is Romans 13:1—8. While I have not done that here because it has been done so many other places, I encourage you to take another look at Paul’s teaching and see if it just doesn’t agree with my assertion that the believer’s approach to paying taxes is a matter of wisdom, worship, and witness.
As ambassadors of Christ, may our perspective on paying taxes be rooted in eternal promises, not dollars and cents. May we be mindful to consider Jesus’ example (wisdom), give God all our hearts (worship), and do everything—even this not-so-fun part of life on Earth—as His joyful representatives in this watching world (witness).
Blessings to you,
