432. Wednesday after Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Lord Jesus, let thy Spirit rule
among us in all things. Amen.
Matthew 17, 24-27. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them, for me and thee.
❦
As Jesus is the Son of God it was no more his duty to pay tribute to the temple, which belongs to his Father, than it is the duty of a royal prince on earth to pay tribute to the king. As Jesus by that which he here says bears witness of his divinity, so he proves his omnipotence and omniscience by his deed, in that he orders Peter to take the piece of money from the mouth of a fish. He, who is the only begotten Son of God, the Lord almighty, who had no need to pay tribute, pays tribute nevertheless. The love of Christ is the spirit of subjection and peace, which forms and strengthens social order; and this love he has given to his disciples. He not only is our perfect example, but he has made us his members; so that his spirit in us overcomes the flesh and the unruly spirit of the devil. Examine yourselves, you who wish to be more than Christians in name only; learn which is the spirit whom you follow; Christ’s spirit of obedience, or the domineering spirit of the world; the love of Christ, which willingly bears the burdens of society, or the love of self, which is full of fault-finding and envy! Many boast of Christ and the liberty which is in him; but are so far away from the obedience of the lowly Savior and the free-born mind of the true Christians, that on the contrary they are the slaves of their own willfulness, and are governed by a spirit of liberty which would bring about a condition of anarchy in the church, and destroy all social order.
If you would belong to my kingdom, says the Lord, you must deny yourself. If you would reign with me, you must put on my humility and obedience. If you would have the crown of glory over yonder, you must carry my cross here, and walk in my steps. — Draw me, then, after thee, O Lord; and train me to follow in thy steps. Give me grace to put on thy mind, and to follow thee faithfully. Let me be a good citizen of the state in which thou hast placed me, and a living member of thy holy church on earth; and in heaven a blessed member of the church triumphant, into which thou dost gather all thy saints. Grant us this grace, most merciful God. Amen.*
Give peace, Lord, in our time:
Oh, let no foe draw nigh,
Nor lawless deed of crime
Insult thy Majesty.
O Lord, stretch forth thy mighty hand,
And guard and bless our fatherland.
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.