That Time of Year

Well, it’s that time of year again. And because the 15th falls on a weekend this year, you have until Tuesday, April 18th to file your taxes.

When I leave work today that will be one of several errands that I have to run. My tax return is ready to be picked up. My fingers are crossed.

In the early years of paying taxes, I did them myself. Although stressful, it wasn’t impossible. I remember years of waiting until the last possible moment to do the paperwork and then racing…um, I mean, driving with caution, to the post office just before midnight to make sure my tax return had the proper post mark. Running up those steep post office stairs, and then more leisurely exiting, with a sigh of relief. I hated, um…sorry, strongly disliked, doing my own taxes.

Once Wendell became self-employed it became much more complicated and I soon found myself willing to pay any amount to have someone else do them for me. It’s stressful!!

I had an older friend in the 1980’s that had not paid taxes in years. He was proud of it and spoke of his resistance often. I could not help but recall the story told by Matthew.

“Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:17-21 ESV

Filing taxes is not fun! Paying the government more of your hard-earned money is even less fun. But it is required. It’s required of the nation we live in, and it is required of the God we serve.

Money is an important topic with God. Taxes and tax collectors go a long way back in earth’s history.

I think of the story I learned as a child, (story and song) of Zacchaeus.

I knew he was short. I knew he climbed a tree to see Jesus. I knew he was hated by the crowd because of his career choice, and I knew Jesus wanted to be with him anyway. It’s a nice story. Jesus loves sinners. But why was the tax collector so hated?

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

“All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

“Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1-10 NIV

Jesus did not see his occupation. Jesus saw his heart and he knew Zacchaeus was seeking a change.

Zacchaeus, as well as every other tax collector at that time, was despised and hated by others for collaborating with the occupying Roman forces. In other words, betraying and cheating their own people. Perhaps their own neighbors, friends, family. They were hated.

It’s a different scenario now, but it’s still tax time and it’s still hated.

Many of us look at our paystubs and grumble. We have a lot of money taken out for this thing and that thing, this government entity and that. It doesn’t seem fair. It doesn’t feel right. But what does the Bible say? It’s pretty plain.

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves…Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same…you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:1-7 NKJV

This topic involves faith. Faith that Jesus will see you through no matter what the financially outlook. This topic involves trust, and it involves our humility. Pride says, “that’s my money. You can’t have it!” Faith says, “with Christ all things are possible.”

I wanted to quickly look at one more story in the Bible. This story shows the importance of humility and repentance. It is the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 NKJV

Here is an example of a Pharisee who looks good on the outside but fails miserably to have true humility in his heart. The Tax Collector on the other hand was quite the opposite, he was humble and was sincerely seeking God's mercy. Let’s be more like the tax collector.

by Jeanette Stark – Friday, April 14, 2023