THE OBLIGATION TO BE THE EXAMPLE OF PAYING TAXES
The theme for our meditation today is: The Obligation to be the Example of Paying Taxes. One of the important things for us to know from the Gospel reading today is about Jesus and His apostles paying taxes to the country. This time, Jesus teaches us about such obligation to be observed by every member of society. Jesus of Nazareth was not only a spiritual leader and teacher, but also a public figure and a private citizen of his day.
When there was an interview about the importance of paying taxes with honesty and responsibility, the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia was saying that the citizens who love their homeland and their nation certainly fulfill their obligation to pay taxes. Their rights to live and work, which are protected by the state, must be in line with their obligation to pay taxes. The use of the taxes is for the funding of education, health, physical and mental development of the nation, salaries for state officials our public servants and all other state budgeting.
Such a situation occurs in any country in the world. The very usefulness of taxes, for example to finance education and health especially for the lower middle class, is more or less the same as the vision and mission proclaimed by Moses to the Israelites. He emphasized that all of God's goodness and mercy had been obtained in their lives from time to time. And so, they were obliged to practice justice and to help the poor and little ones, namely widows, orphans and strangers.
There are at least two points from Jesus’ teaching that we can learn from the today's Gospel. First is about the obligation to pay taxes based on the work done in the community or society, which is profitable, and related to the involvement of other members of the society. Jesus and His apostles realized that this was so evident with regard to His public ministry, so their work became the real object of taxation in society. Jesus told the apostle Peter to take the money and pay taxes for them both.
The second point refers to the public ministry of Jesus and His apostles that had made them so special, they were considered popular, teachers and public figures. So they must be the models in the obligation to pay taxes. Jesus did this so as not to become a scandal to many people. Anyone who becomes an important figure must be an example in doing good, namely in this regard to pay taxes for the nation. So it is not the words, appeals or advice given to many about to pay taxes, but the actual act of paying itself that becomes a model for many people around us. Let us encourage ourselves to grow more and more in the awareness of our obligation to pay taxes to the state.
Let's pray. In the name of the Father... In Your hands, dear Father, we want to place the fate of our lives especially today, may our lives as individuals and family become today an atmosphere of peace and mutual support for our good relationship from one to another. Glory to the Father... In the name of the Father...