For October 17, 2026
The Price Has Been Paid by Greg Holmes, D.MIN – Director of Missions serving 17 churches
IT IS DIFFICULT to put the story of the fish and the gold coin into the flow of other events in Matthew, or any of the gospels, for that matter. It stands alone—the story is told nowhere else, nor are there any O.T. verses to shine light on this except for the historical basis of the Temple tax. “Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.” (Ex. 30:13) In later centuries, as currencies changed, the Temple tax was still paid in shekel equivalencies. “We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God.” (Neh. 10:32) There is no good explanation for how the one-third shekel of Nehemiah’s time became the half shekel of Jesus’ time. But due to the influence of Greek culture, the tax could also be paid in drachmas. The value of what was given, however, did not change; the tax remained roughly equal to a half-day’s wages for the average laborer. As always, there were stipulations as to who had to pay and those who were excluded.