Obamacare parable
- Thread starter peilthetraveler
- Start date
You forgot the other part of that..."and give to God, what is Gods"
As far as Jesus was concerned, everything belongs to God, so how can you give something to Caesar when nothing belongs to him?
Also Matthew 17:24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes, he does," he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxesâfrom their own sons or from others?"
"From others," Peter answered.
"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."
In verse 24, we find the collectors of the temple tax approaching Peter and asking, "Does not your master pay tribute?"
Peter answers, "Yes."
Poor, bungling Peter, he answered too quickly. And Jesus was not pleased.
When Peter tries to go back into the house, Jesus bars his entrance. "Oh Peter, what got into you? What were you thinking when you told the tax collector we pay tribute?"
Then Jesus instructs Peter on who is obligated to pay. "Do the kings of the earth take tribute from their own children or from strangers?"
Peter answers, "From strangers."
"Then the children are free," said Jesus.
Jesus has corrected Peter. He knows how to answer the tax collector next time. But still a problem remains. Peter has incurred an obligation to pay the temple tax. Now what does he do?
Since the commitment has been made, Jesus chooses not to confuse the tax collectors. He explains, "Lest we offend them, go to the sea and throw out a line. Take out the fish you catch. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Take it to give to the tax collectors for you and me."
Peter did not pay the taxes because they were owed, but because he volunteered to pay them. Once he made the commitment, he needed to make his yes's, "yes." If Peter had answered correctly the first time, there would have been no need for Jesus to rebuke him.
Quote from Gabfly1:
Conservatism was different in Mills time then it is today. Just thought you should know that.
Quote from Gabfly1:
Maybe you should research that guy before you quote him. This guy would be against Obamacare. Here is another quote of his.
The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859