He Will Supply

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple 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 taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him.  “But so that we may not cause offense, 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.”

Matthew 17:24-27 (NIV)

When the tax collectors questioned Peter about paying taxes, Jesus chose to reveal His provision in an unforgettable way.

“Peter, go down to the water’s edge and grab the first fish you can. And in that fish’s mouth is going to be a coin he swallowed but couldn’t digest.” It must’ve been a coin lost by someone who never would’ve been able to retrieve it.

Miraculously, Peter goes to the water’s edge, tosses in his line, grabs that fish, and sure enough, in its mouth is a coin worth enough to satisfy both what he and Jesus would owe to pay the temple tax.  

There it is, the provision of God, exactly when and where it was needed. Not too soon, not too late. Not in the way Peter expected, but in the way God ordained. I love this miracle. I love even more its meaning: Jesus will supply what you need when you need it, and he’ll do it in ways that you and I could never imagine.

Philippians 4:19 reminds us that “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

So when you face the pressure of need—whether financial, emotional, relational, or spiritual—remember this moment. Remember the coin in the mouth of the fish. Remember that Jesus not only reigns as King, but He also stoops to care for His people as Provider.