Article April 2, 2018 Issue

Truth and taxes

Blythe Evans

Tax time again! For many, the time of year when we calculate and pay our taxes can be less than jubilant. In fact, it can involve worry, fear, or even anger. Is there a better way to look at taxes?

I like to think of taxes as buying something that can be shared with others—for instance, improvements for roads or support for the fire department or local school district. Seen in this way, taxes are a giving of what we have, to help our neighbors and bolster our community. But what if we feel that taxes are not fair, that we are paying a disproportionate percentage of the whole, or that government officials are not doing their part to make smart choices with our money? Or what if we simply don’t have the money to pay what we owe?

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that the disciple Peter was approached by temple tax collectors, who insinuated that Jesus’ payment of taxes, his “tribute,” was overdue (see 17:24–27). When Peter raised this with Jesus, Jesus asked him whom tax collectors usually collect from—their own friends and family or just from others? Others, Peter replied. A “not fair” moment! The implication here is that some people were excused from contributing. Jesus went on to acknowledge this societal fact, and instructed Peter to pay the tax for the two of them anyway. But he also had an idea of where to get the money. He knew God would provide.

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