(a 3 minute read)  I was at a banquet for a wonderful cause. I have heard this following statement many a time, but this time it hit me weird. The speaker said, “It is your tax dollars they’re spending and you need to know how they’re spending it.” What hit me is that we do indeed have this cultural disposition that the taxes I pay, and you pay, is “MY” money. This “MY” money harbors so many ill feelings on how this money is being used by the authorities. Not sure how money ‘given’ or ‘paid’ stays ‘MINE’ after it leaves my pocket……..!

The Bible, from what I see, is very clear about the money paid as ‘taxes’. It ain’t mine…… Once given, it is no longer mine. Why do I say that? Well, we have taxes in the Bible, in the Old and New Testament alike. We see Moses levying Temple taxes on the people. So we see that there are taxes during Peace times in Israel. These same taxes were still applicable during Jesus’ time at the Temple. Peter and Jesus were confronted about paying the Temple tax. You know what Jesus did? He got the drachmas (cool where he got the coins from) and paid the taxes. Jesus’ action pretty much said, “Here you go, here’s the Temple taxes for me and for Peter.” There is ZERO evidence of Jesus ever arguing about taxes. Mind you, Jesus confronted the priests about actual commandments like working on the Sabbath and about eating during the fast. Yet, not a whisper from Jesus about taxes, or how they’re spending them or whether they should be higher or lower. Not a peep.

What does that tell me? It tells me that the Bible and Jesus say that taxes ain’t a thing, not one bit. Yet we all get bent out of shape talking about how this or that party in power is using ‘”My Tax Dollars.” Again, it ain’t mine or yours, it just ain’t. The Bible is clear, at least to me it is.

Maybe government taxes are different than Temple taxes? Nope. Jesus again was confronted by the tax payment dilemma, not even to his own government, but to an occupying country. Guess what Jesus did? Jesus asked for a denarius and gave it to the official……… again, not a peep about taxes. Not because Jesus is afraid, not because Jesus is holding back. Jesus was not shy as you know, so the only reason I can come up with is taxes are taxes, regardless of type, regardless of levied by whom, and once paid it is the responsibility of the authorities to use them, hopefully properly. The blood is on the official’s hands if used improperly. Simply do not vote for them the next time around. But for sure, in my opinion, the Bible, Jesus is very clear; Taxes are not a thing and how they are spent or not spent is truly not for me to decide. That’s what my Bible tells me.

So the term “MY TAX DOLLARS” is simply an oxymoron that I recommend we all remove from our vocabulary, for once paid, these dollars are no longer MINE not one penny of it. So if you hear an official say here’s how we’re spending “YOUR” tax dollars………….. smile and reply, “they ain’t my dollars any longer, but thank you for telling me how you are handling the community dollars.” It even has a better ring to it, doesn’t it? The ‘community dollars’ tend to bring us together rather than cut between us with “My” & “YOUR” dollars, doesn’t it? 🙂

My Lord and my Creator, may I and may we be inspired by Your example of treating us all as brothers and sisters, and may I and may we take that model and apply it in our language and then it will slowly creep into our feelings so that we become indeed brothers and sisters regardless of ANYTHING ANYTHING that can come between us, as I and as everyone of us is indeed a present and active sinner. I love You and I thank You for your Grace. Amen.