The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives. Exodus 30:15 (MSG)
So much of our world is focused on economics and economic disparity. "The rich get richer," the saying goes. "The poor will always be with you," people utter, quoting Jesus. Taxes create strong reactions across all economic lines.
I find it interesting that God asked the people of Israel to pay this simple flat-tax called the "atonement tax." God is a God of metaphor, and this tax was a constant reminder that in the economy of God's Kingdom we all stand equal. Rich or poor, great or humble, the debt of sin is the great equalizer. We all fall short of God's glory, and we all owe a debt that is humanly impossible to pay.
Once again, the ancient system God instituted through Moses encompasses the great theme of human history and foreshadows God's plan to redeem all of us through the sacrifice of his very own Son.
Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and tal_klinger
The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives.
We each are responsible for ourselves. While politics may view different classes of people differently, God does not. It reminds me today not to worry about my neighbor, but to make sure that I am in tune to what God wants ME to do.
By the way, that place must have smelled great…or been an allergy nightmare 🙂