Matthew 17:27
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.
I remember the best advice I got as a new parent was to choose my battles. Not every annoying behavior your toddler, or teen, does is worth getting in a tizzy over. Here we find Jesus giving Peter the same advice. In the verses leading up to this one Jesus tells Peter that the temple tax does not apply to them. Then he flips the script and says to pay it anyway. He even performs a little miracle to supply the payment. In my experience Jesus never had an issue with offending anyone, just look at his interactions with the Pharisees. But if we are to show the world the love that Jesus has for them we need to be able to discern when it's ok to follow the custom and pay the tax. It seems to me like Christians today are looking for every opportunity to offend the world. Especially within the realm of social media. Is that really how we are going to win them over for Jesus? How is Jesus asking you to choose your battle today? Who is Jesus asking you not to offend?
