Matthew 17 Study Notes

17:17-18 Jesus’s description of his own disciples as an unbelieving and perverse generation is similar to his description of the Jewish leaders who rejected him (11:16; 12:39,45).

17:19-21 Moving a mountain was a metaphor for accomplishing an impossible task (1Co 13:2). Nothing that Christ authorizes his followers to do will be impossible.

17:22-23 This is Jesus’s second major prediction of his death since Peter’s confession in 16:13-20 (see 16:21). Each prediction adds additional details. This prophecy adds that Jesus will be thrust into the hands of men by an act of betrayal.

17:24 On Capernaum, see note at 4:13. The temple tax was collected from every Jewish male over the age of twenty and used for the upkeep of the Jerusalem temple (Ex 30:13; 38:25-26; Josephus, Ant. 18.9.1; War 7.6.6). This episode is recorded only in Matthew and provides evidence for the pre-AD 70 date of Matthew.

17:25-26 Because Jesus’s disciples were children of the true King, they were exempt from the obligation to support the temple. This had enormous implications for Jewish Christians. If temple taxes were no longer obligatory, sacrifices and other offerings were also now optional.

17:27 Though Jesus insisted that the temple tax was not obligatory for his disciples, he gladly paid it to avoid offending his fellow Jews. His action provided an important model for believers who dealt with issues of ritual later in the early church (Rm 14:13-23). Several ancient texts refer to fishermen discovering valuable items inside fish. Through supernatural knowledge, Jesus knew that a nearby fish had swallowed an amount of money that was sufficient to pay the tax. He also exercised authority over nature, ensuring that the fish would take the bait Peter offered.