Jesus and his disciples were gathered together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.

 

At that time, 22 when Jesus and his disciples were gathered together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, but on the third day he will be raised." And the disciples were very sad. 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" 25 Peter answered, "Yes, he does." When he entered the house, Jesus came forward and asked, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect taxes or customs: from their sons or from strangers?" 26 Peter answered, "From strangers!" Then Jesus said to them, "Then the sons are free. 27 But so as not to offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and open the mouth of the first fish you catch. There you will find a coin; then take the coin and give it to them, for me and for you." — Word of Salvation.

Second announcement of the Passion. Before Him, Jesus has a reality of suffering and death permitted by God, according to His plan of salvation. Jesus understands the future that awaits Him and, even though it is a very difficult chalice, He is not afraid to make a redemptive sacrifice of Himself. His judgment and condemnation will take place in Jerusalem, and His death will take place outside the City. He will be condemned, from a historical-political point of view, by religious and political leaders, but in truth, theologically speaking, it was because of our sins. So, little by little, Jesus prepares His disciples both to face His death and also for their future as His followers who will certainly suffer the same contempt. “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?” First of all, this text emphasizes Jesus’ filiation. He is the Son of the Lord of the Temple and is fully aware of this. Furthermore, with this question the discourse on true freedom begins. Who is free? Those who pay taxes do not have freedom. Only children are free. The powerful do not want a filial society, but rather one that is subordinate to their economic interests. Even though they are part of the same society, they are all strangers, and the text emphasizes how they treat the Son of God: as a stranger. Jesus brings with Him the possibility of returning to the Father's house, the place of filiation. All are called to be children through the Son, called to the inheritance. Well, Jesus, claiming HIS filiation, in particular, and that of the disciples, because of HIM, wants neither Him nor His disciples to be subject to the general rule of taxes, that they not be subject to this obligation by the very fact of being children of the Lord of the Temple. “But so as not to scandalize these people, … take the coin and go give it to them, for me and for you.” Jesus submits Himself to the laws of the world, sets the example and presents Himself in a real, historical way, dealing with concrete realities typical of this world. He truly became flesh, took on our history and submitted Himself to human laws. On the other hand, it teaches the truth about Him, which, through an embellished quote, reveals how united He is to the Lord of the Universe, to the Father, who grants Him and Peter the currency of payment. Thus, it is possible to observe that the Temple of the Lord is not in fulfillment of the Will of God. Only Jesus, the Son, can lead it to its purest meaning and purpose. The Temple is corrupt, tied to money, exploiting even the children of its Lord. Only through Jesus will there be liberation, because only through Him can all become children and, therefore, free from any and all exploitation in the House of God. A big and affectionate hug.