Matthew 17:24-27 NASBS
When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” [25] 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?” [26] When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. [27] However, so that we do not offend them, 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 shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”
Jesus did not have a job that paid him a salary, but he did have a ministry that required him to travel from place to place, during which he would stay in the homes of others or even sleep outside. And He was not by himself. He had a large number of followers who adhered to him as their master. In Matthew chapter 10, we are told about the seventy disciples that went out with Jesus as well as the twelve apostles and the women who followed him. In Acts 1 and 2, we are told that there were roughly 120 persons who had been with Jesus and were now gathered together.
Acts 1:15 NASBS
“At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said…”
This was not inexpensive! However, we learn that Jesus was sponsored by notable ladies of his time. Many of whom were married to prominent Roman Empire figures.
The truth of Jesus’ mission was that he frequently had his disciples pick food that had been left on the ground. This food was left on the ground because the Lord had commanded farmers to leave food behind in order to feed those who were less fortunate.
Ruth is a particularly wonderful illustration of this point. When she was approached by Boaz about working for him, she was in the process of gathering food from the ground.
At least twice, it was necessary for Jesus to multiply the amount of food and fish that was available. Additionally, he provided the fishermen with two different recommendations for where to cast their nets, and as a result, they brought back an abundance of fish. (Peter, James, and John were the ones who actually did the fishing.)
It would appear that Jesus was never able to save up sufficient funds to provide himself with a pleasant place to sleep or an abundance of food to consume. Even a spot to lay his head down was in short supply for him. What a bizarre occurrence. What a completely insane way of living! We even learned that he went hungry and thirsty when he was wandering around in the desert.
And at this point, the question was posed to Peter as to whether or not Jesus paid taxes like everyone else. Peter then stated that Jesus paid taxes just like everyone else in the community.
What we see next is Jesus teaching a beautiful principle that we don’t talk about enough. The principle of not offending, or in the literal translation from the Greek, to not scandalize anyone by following the rules and regulations of the land.
Jesus was being very circumspect in the way that he testified in front of the country so that no one would question his honesty. By reading Matthew 18:1-14 NASB, we will gain a deeper comprehension of the “stumbling block or scandal principle” as well as an appreciation for the significance of this doctrine. It is written there:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” [2] And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, [3] and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [5] And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; [6] but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. [7] “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! [8] “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. [9] If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. [10] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. [11] [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] [12] “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? [13] If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. [14] So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
First, there will be stumbling blocks or scandals, but it is a terrible thing to cause stumbling blocks or to be the source of stumbling blocks. Jesus speaks out against people who will one day commit the act, and He uses the toughest possible language.
He stated that it would be preferable for them to have a large millstone hung around their necks and for them to be drowned in the depths of the ocean. In addition to this, he instructs us to get rid of anything in our lives that could be considered a hindrance to the progress of others. We should amputate any body part—feet, hands, eyes, or anything else—that causes us to be the reason that others trip and fall as a result of our behavior.
And that fact alone places a significant amount of responsibility on leaders and pastors, not because they are superior to other people but because the position they have places them in a much more public platform than the majority of other people. This obligation to not be a stumbling block and the exposure that comes from the position of visibility that they hold both put a lot of pressure on the family members, particularly the children and the spouse. Everyone in the pastor’s family is held to the same standard of perfection. (But is it even possible for anyone to reach perfection?)
I’d want to draw your attention to something that I believe every Christian should be aware of. And it is the ministry pressures on pastors and Christian leaders.
I believe we should be cautious about putting too much pressure on people who lead us in Christ and their families. Every day, they bear a heavy weight. A burden for their church, a hardship for their family, and a burden for themselves.
They must be at their best emotionally, physically, and spiritually in order to do their jobs. But here’s the truth, which I discovered as a pastor. It is difficult to achieve this condition of wellness in almost everything, at almost all times. Pastoral mental health has also become a severe issue. Every day, many people drop out of ministry due to burnout. Many people are succumbing to depression and despair.
Many, if not all, are entirely alone. They can’t just relax and be themselves with any congregant for fear of letting down their guard and saying or doing something that would cause a stumbling block. And, course, we are not without flaws.
The majority of pastors do not have anybody to talk to about their difficulties and struggles. They are unable to air their grievances with their partners because if their partners understood everything that was going on behind the scenes, they would leave the church. They are unable to disclose their hearts because they are tasked with the obligation of shepherding the congregation and caring for them, not the other way around. They are unable to vent to the congregants because they are expected to be perfect.
They are unable to communicate with their colleagues in ministry due to the high level of competitiveness and struggle for power that exists in the field. Not to even mention the worry that their private life will be made public and shamed due to the fact that they aren’t maintaining “a high standard”.
In addition to that, pastors are required to become experts not only in the art of pastoring and preaching but also in other various fields. In order for them to be able to relate to people and offer assistance, it is now necessary for them to have specialized knowledge in the area of discipleship. This includes having an understanding of the challenges that everyone faces in the areas of children and adolescents, parenting, marriage, and the workplace.
They need to be very entertaining, and they need to make their sermons appealing, in order to bring more people to the church and increase the number of people who attend services there. A successful event requires an enthusiastic and engaged audience. Anything less than that is a failure. Failure can be defined as the absence of growth in the church. Believe what I say about this. Every day, we carry the feeling we are failing with us in our hearts. The majority of us are dissatisfied and depressed because we are unable to conform to the archetype of success that has been superimposed on us as a result of the success of Mega Churches.
On a weekly basis, the vast majority of us, if not all of us, are subjected to severe criticism. And yet, it is incumbent upon us to assist and bless those who so self-righteously stand in opposition to us.
These are maybe some of the reasons why the rate of suicide among ministers and pastors has reached an all-time high. These are maybe some of the reasons why many pastors and other Christian leaders just give up and find new employment. They do so in a state of profound guilt and frustration, as well as with the feeling that they have failed and that they themselves are a failure.
When you are a pastor, you are aware that you have the profession that is the least appreciated that a person can have. But even compared to other professions, we are in a league of our own.
We hardly ever get a chance to turn off our minds because troubles can show up at any time. Due to the fact that we are always on call, we struggle to find a healthy balance between our personal lives, including our families and our free time (of which most of us don’t even have any). We are a public figure, thus everyone is paying close attention to what we do. We are required to have an extensive background in everything and to always be excited and in good health. The way that our families interact ought to serve as a model for other families. We take in and are aware of the issues that everyone else is facing, and what I am describing here could most certainly have more things added to it.
We don’t want to be stumbling blocks and this is a heavy, heavy, heavy responsibility to carry. We want to master in all areas of life so that we can help anyone and everyone the whole time. We want to overcome all weaknesses and be the strongest against sin, do that we can help all others to overcome as well.
We also dream of being successful and that for us is a church full of committed disciples that are constantly growing spiritually and leading others to Christ. Success for pastors is a to have a responsive and appreciative group of people around us. (Can I say that this is unachievable, or should we continue to try?)
Yes, we are simply regular folks who answered Jesus’s call to follow him to this extraordinary place. We sincerely hoped that everyone was aware of that. And immediately got on board to assist in lowering the unachievable expectations, to enjoy more, and to be more forgiving. to look at us not for the work we do, but rather for the people we are when we step away from the pulpit. Just your average Christian who lives his life trying to please Jesus.
It would be good, if possible, to form a few friendships inside the congregation that would last a lifetime. Those who would take pleasure in who we are and share the most intimate moments with us in prayer and discussion, as well as the most intimate times of confessing our sins to each other and praying for one another without passing judgment. May I inquire whether this is an impossible goal or whether we should keep our hopes alive?
Jesus continues in Matthew 18 instructing us to go to those who sin and try to restore them, but because we are people who expect instant perfection from leaders, we prefer to judge and stone them.
Obviously, there will be terrible cases of misconduct and I am not trying to say we shouldn’t take it serious or not follow up on the legal procedures. We should be hold legally responsible for misconduct, especially those who affect the lives of others. But I am not talking about these, I am talking about our day to day struggles in life.
We also shouldn’t forget that everything is redeemable under the cross. And that Jesus can restore even the biggest of sinners.
What I intend with this article is that Christians could change some of the expectations on their hearts towards pastors and pray for them. And be their friends. And be the ones supporting their heavy and tired hands. And covering them instead of exposing. And loving.
You can add here what I missed, but for now this is what is in my heart.
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