The Sons Are Free

Have you ever been asked to pay for something that you already owned? I think we can agree that this would feel pretty backwards. In our passage this week from Matthew 17:24-27, we encounter Jesus being asked to pay a tax for the very Temple that belonged to Him. The religious leaders wanted Jesus to pay the Temple tax like everyone else, but Jesus knew something that they didn't: sons of the King don't pay tribute to live in the Kingdom. While this can seem like a simple dispute on the surface, it reveals to us a revolutionary truth about who we are in Christ. This week as we prepare our hearts for Sunday, I want you to take a moment and ponder what it means to be God's children, and what it means to trust in God as our Father; as people who are free from the guilt, shame, and condemnation that once held us captive, and sons of God who are free to live as the beloved children who are welcomed into our Father's house.