12. Matthew 17:24-27: Jesus on money teaches us to be above reproach

This is the 12^th post as I attempt to visit everything (pretty much!) Jesus said about money in the gospels over 2 weeks. In order to do this I will be putting up around two posts each day. This is coinciding with a 2-week preaching series that we are going through at Community Church Putney- Jesus On Money.

Recently (29th May 2015) I heard of another tax avoidance scheme, which experts were calling “abusive” but, none the less, was perfectly legal!

BBC News reported,

‘The BBC secretly recorded Anderson Group's sales manager, Ian Moran, promoting the tax avoidance scheme to a recruitment agency.

The agency he was pitching to employs 300 workers, many of whom work in low paid jobs in warehouses or as labourers. Mr Moran suggested that if the recruitment agency were to set up more than 100 limited companies with a couple of workers in each of them, each company could then claim the £2,000 allowance.

By Mr Moran's calculations the agency's National Insurance bill would then fall from £300,000 a year to zero.

Mr Moran suggested the recruitment agency, which has no intention of using the scheme, might like to spend the £300,000 on Bentleys and ski chalets.

The ''job's a good'un,'' he said.’

For Christians it’s important not only to be legal, or indeed, better than most, we have to be exemplary in our financial dealings.

Jesus taught, 

‘After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

“Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”’ (Matthew 17:24-27)

Jesus on money teaches us, even if we are ‘exempt’, there is a case for doing and  being seen to do the right thing for the glory of God.

Take a moment to ask God to search you: how are you doing on giving, on paying tax, paying your debts, avoiding unnecessary debt? Are you a great example? And don’t forget, in honouring God, you may just find an unexpected, miraculous, blessing from very unexpected places!