Matthew, Chapter 17, and I'll be beginning with verse 22.

And while they were gathering to gather in Galilee,

Jesus said to them,

the son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they

will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day, and they were deeply grieved.

And when they had come to Kepurnum, those who collected the two Drakma attacks came to

Peter and said,

does your teacher not pay the two drachma tax?

He said yes.

And when he came into the house,

Jesus spoke to him first, saying,

What do you think, Simon?

From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll tax,

from their sons or from strangers,

strangers.

And upon hearing his saying,

from strangers, Jesus said to him, consequently, the sons are exempt.

But lest we give them a fence, go to the sea, and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up.

And when you open its mouth, you will find a stater, which is a shekel worth for drachmas.

Take that and give it to them for you and me. Father, in the beginning of Holy Week, we are always feeling inadequate to have affections that correspond with the weight of what we're about.

And so I ask for all of us as we enter this week that there would be an appropriate sense of earnestness and passion for you in your holy passion and suffering.

Pray that all week long our minds would turn again and again

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