XPost: talk.politics.extremism, talk.politics.immigration, talk.   
   olitics.internet   
   XPost: talk.politics.libertarian   
   From: djunus0724@verizon.net   
      
   Who Is the Greatest?   
        On returning to Capernaum, Jesus did not repair to the well-known   
   resorts where He had taught the people, but with His disciples quietly   
   sought the house that was to be His temporary home. During the remainder of   
   His stay in Galilee it was His object to instruct the disciples rather than   
   to labor for the multitudes. {DA 432.1}   
      
        On the journey through Galilee, Christ had again tried to prepare the   
   minds of His disciples for the scenes before Him. He told them that He was   
   to go up to Jerusalem to be put to death and to rise again. And He added the   
   strange and solemn announcement that He was to be betrayed into the hands of   
   His enemies. The disciples did not even now comprehend His words. Although   
   the shadow of a great sorrow fell upon them, a spirit of rivalry found a   
   place in their hearts. They disputed among themselves which should be   
   accounted greatest in the kingdom. This strife they thought to conceal from   
   Jesus, and they did not, as usual, press close to His side, but loitered   
   behind, so that He was in advance of them as they entered Capernaum. Jesus   
   read their thoughts, and He longed to counsel and instruct them. But for   
   this He awaited a quiet hour, when their hearts should be open to receive   
   His words. {DA 432.2}   
      
        Soon after they reached the town, the collector of the temple revenue   
   came to Peter with the question, "Doth not your Master pay tribute?"   
      
   433   
   This tribute was not a civil tax, but a religious contribution, which every   
   Jew was required to pay annually for the support of the temple. A refusal to   
   pay the tribute would be regarded as disloyalty to the temple,--in the   
   estimation of the rabbis a most grievous sin. The Saviour's attitude toward   
   the rabbinical laws, and His plain reproofs to the defenders of tradition,   
   afforded a pretext for the charge that He was seeking to overthrow the   
   temple service. Now His enemies saw an opportunity of casting discredit upon   
   Him. In the collector of the tribute they found a ready ally. {DA 432.3}   
      
        Peter saw in the collector's question an insinuation touching Christ's   
   loyalty to the temple. Zealous for his Master's honor, he hastily answered,   
   without consulting Him, that Jesus would pay the tribute. {DA 433.1}   
      
        But Peter only partially comprehended the purpose of his questioner.   
   There were some classes who were held to be exempt from the payment of the   
   tribute. In the time of Moses, when the Levites were set apart for the   
   service of the sanctuary, they were given no inheritance among the people.   
   The Lord said, "Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the   
   Lord is his inheritance." Deut. 10:9. In the days of Christ the priests and   
   Levites were still regarded as especially devoted to the temple, and were   
   not required to make the annual contribution for its support. Prophets also   
   were exempted from this payment. In requiring the tribute from Jesus, the   
   rabbis were setting aside His claim as a prophet or teacher, and were   
   dealing with Him as with any commonplace person. A refusal on His part to   
   pay the tribute would be represented as disloyalty to the temple; while, on   
   the other hand, the payment of it would be taken as justifying their   
   rejection of Him as a prophet. {DA 433.2}   
      
        Only a little before, Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God;   
   but he now missed an opportunity of setting forth the character of his   
   Master. By his answer to the collector, that Jesus would pay the tribute, he   
   had virtually sanctioned the false conception of Him to which the priests   
   and rulers were trying to give currency. {DA 433.3}   
      
        When Peter entered the house, the Saviour made no reference to what had   
   taken place, but inquired, "What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings   
   of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of   
   strangers?" Peter answered, "Of strangers." And Jesus said, "Then are the   
   children free." While the people of a country are taxed for the maintenance   
   of their king, the monarch's own children are exempt. So Israel, the   
   professed people of God, were required to   
      
   434   
   maintain His service; but Jesus, the Son of God, was under no such   
   obligation. If priests and Levites were exempt because of their connection   
   with the temple, how much more He to whom the temple was His Father's house.   
   {DA 433.4}   
      
        If Jesus had paid the tribute without a protest, He would virtually   
   have acknowledged the justice of the claim, and would thus have denied His   
   divinity. But while He saw good to meet the demand, He denied the claim upon   
   which it was based. In providing for the payment of the tribute He gave   
   evidence of His divine character. It was made manifest that He was one with   
   God, and therefore was not under tribute as a mere subject of the kingdom.   
   {DA 434.1}   
      
        "Go thou to the sea," He directed Peter, "and cast an 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."   
   {DA 434.2}   
      
        Though He had clothed His divinity with humanity, in this miracle He   
   revealed His glory. It was evident that this was He who through David had   
   declared, "Every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand   
   hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the   
   field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is   
   Mine, and the fullness thereof." Ps. 50:10-12. {DA 434.3}   
      
        While Jesus made it plain that He was under no obligation to pay the   
   tribute, He entered into no controversy with the Jews in regard to the   
   matter; for they would have misinterpreted His words, and turned them   
   against Him. Lest He should give offense by withholding the tribute, He did   
   that which He could not justly be required to do. This lesson would be of   
   great value to His disciples. Marked changes were soon to take place in   
   their relation to the temple service, and Christ taught them not to place   
   themselves needlessly in antagonism to established order. So far as   
   possible, they were to avoid giving occasion for misinterpretation of their   
   faith. While Christians are not to sacrifice one principle of truth, they   
   should avoid controversy whenever it is possible to do so. {DA 434.4}   
      
        When Christ and the disciples were alone in the house, while Peter was   
   gone to the sea, Jesus called the others to Him, and asked, "What was it   
   that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" The presence of Jesus, and   
   His question, put the matter in an entirely different light from that in   
   which it had appeared to them while they were contending   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)