Further Thought On God's Word for Friday May 20

[SeniorSeeker]

Further Thought: The story of how Jesus has Peter pull the money, the exact amount needed, out of the mouth of the first fish Peter catches is extraordinary, so extraordinary that some scholars have tried to argue it away. It was just a “bit of a folk-tale,” a cute story to make a point, nothing more. Of course, that’s a totally inadequate solution (it’s no solution at all, in fact). Sure, in contrast to the other kind of miracles—for example, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, feeding the hungry—this one is of a different nature altogether. In the Bible, too, we do have the floating axe head (2 Kings 6:2-7) and the wet fleece on the dry ground and the dry fleece on the wet ground (Judg. 6:36-40); so, it’s not of a nature totally unknown in Scripture. Why didn’t Jesus simply hand Peter the money and tell him to pay it rather than perform such an amazing feat in order to solve what was a relatively small problem? The text doesn’t say. However, as the lesson said, it does show us the incredible power of God, which should not be surprising to us. After all, we see evidence of His incredible power all the time. Our mere existence, much less than that of the visible cosmos, is an amazing manifestation of the power of our God. If God could do this, a specific coin in a specific fish’s mouth was nothing. Though written in a different context, Paul’s point is so well taken: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33, NKJV). The account in Matthew is just one more manifestation of this truth.

Discussion Questions:

Peter’s struggle to submit his will to God is our struggle, as well. A powerful metaphor of this struggle can be found in Malachi 1, where God asks the Jews to bring only their best animals for sacrifice. “‘When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?’ says the LORD” (Mal. 1:13, NIV). Why would God care what kind of sacrifices we bring to Him? Because He wants us to entrust Him with what we most want to hold onto. What things in your life do you find yourself clutching onto the most? How can you release these things to the Lord?

Think about the way Jesus handled the situation with the temple tax. Rather than exacerbate the situation, He let it rest. What does this teach us about the day-to-day conflicts we might find ourselves in? How do you know when it’s time to speak and when it’s time to be silent?

 

[Missouri--Ma Betty]

This to me is saying to Peter and us, by Jesus saying to go fish and get the coin from the mouth of the first one he caught, that Jesus provides even in mysterious ways by our leaning on and trusting in Him for everything and in all things! Jonah was swallowed by a Big Fish because of his disobedience to go and witness in the city of Nineveh that Jonah didn't want God to have pity on and forgive for the evilness of the people living there, so if God can have a fish swallow and then vomit Jonah out of its belly, it would be easy for Him to have Peter to find a coin in a fishes' mouth! God does the impossible whether His miracles be great or small! God provides but He doesn't throw the worms for birds into their nests....they go and do what needs to be done to be fed, and then when they and we have done all that we can do, that is when we pray, give it to God and see His miracles happen! God Bless! Amen! Ma