Deut 10:12-22 / Matthew 17:22-27
There are times when we find ourselves in this kind of a tricky and sticky situation - we say "Yes" to something and then we soon realize that we said yes to something that is not right.
Furthermore, we find ourselves stuck in between two parties who are unwilling to budge or give way over that matter.
Such was the situation with Peter in the gospel passage. The tax collectors told him to ask Jesus to pay the tax of the half-shekel.
He said yes to them without thinking, but then on his way to Jesus, he might have thought of kicking himself for shooting off his mouth. And now he had to face Jesus about the question of the tax.
And when he came to Jesus, he was put again into this question of taxes and again from his own mouth he found himself contradicting himself.
But fortunately for Peter, Jesus didn't want to be drawn into such a matter involving money and the paying of taxes.
And He saved Peter from being cornered in a sticky situation. But would Peter learn the lesson from this?
And would we learn a lesson from this too? The least we can learn is the 3 Ts : "Think Then Talk!"
But if we heed what Moses told the people in the 1st reading, then we can avoid those tricky and sticky situations.
"What does the Lord ask of you? Only this: to fear the Lord our God, to follow his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord that for your good that I lay down for you today."
So for today, let us think about what the Lord is asking of us and then we talk about what is the good and right thing to do.