(Matthew 17:24-27 New International Version)

The Temple Tax

24 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?”

25 “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?”

26 “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “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.”

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ--if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:17)

I was on the Big Island of Hawaii, 9000 miles from home. My Best Friend had just had a aneurysm in a helicopter over an erupting volcano and was on life support on Oahu. (I Knew she was already in heaven, but she was an organ donor so they were keeping her alive). I was looking at two weeks worth of "making arrangements" with people I didn't even know, and NOW, I could not find a parking space. My late friend's purse was on the seat beside me...and in it was a "Handicapped Parking" placard I could just slip over the rear-view mirror, and take one of the 5 specially marked parking spaces for the handicapped that stood empty...

"Come on," said a little voice in my head. You've EARNED it!"

"But..." I thought, "What if five Handicapped People pull up and there's only four spaces left?"

"You KNOW that ain't gonna happen," said the voice.

"Well, what if a cop comes and realizes I'm cheating? It's a $250.00 FINE!"

"Nawwww...the Cop will just think it's for you. You might not be PHYSICALLY handicapped, but with what you're going through right now, you sure are MENTALLY and EMOTIONALLY handicapped. Just put it on the visor and park the d*mn car!"

"I can't. I always get caught!"

"No way will you get caught! TRUST me. I'll take care of it."

"BEGONE, SATAN!" my thoughts raged. What's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong.

Just then, a space opened up, I gathered my friends things and shipped them all back to her family, including the Handicapped Parking Placard.

Although the temptation presented to me here was minuscule compared to the Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness, It followed a similar pattern. First, the Tempter addressed a physical need that was very real and immediate. Jesus had fasted for 40 days in the desert. His human body was in a weakened state. I had just gone through a horrible trauma, which left my emotions in a weakened state. That's when people are most likely to fall.

Then, the tempter tries to twist the Law to suit the situation. Satan even quoted Scripture to Jesus (Psalm 91) in order to wheedle Him to sin. In my case, the Tempter tried to rationalize my own situation (emotional and mental distress) to cause me to think "I DESERVED" that parking space.

Finally, the Tempter tries to get Jesus to Worship him! That is like when he said to me "Trust me. I'll take care of it". It was only after the Tempter is repulsed that the Parking Space opened up for me, and when the Angels ministered to Jesus."