Eventually they come into Capernaum, which has been a kind of home base during Jesus’ ministry. It is also the hometown of Peter and a number of other apostles. There, men who collect the temple tax approach Peter. Perhaps attempting to involve Jesus in some breach of accepted custom, they ask: “Does your teacher not pay the two drachmas [temple] tax?”

“Yes,” Peter responds.

Jesus, who may have arrived at the house shortly afterward, is aware of what has occurred. So even before Peter can bring the matter up, Jesus asks: “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive duties or head tax? From their sons or from the strangers?”

“From the strangers,” Peter answers.

“Really, then, the sons are tax-free,” Jesus observes. Since Jesus’ Father is the King of the universe, the One who is worshiped at the temple, it is not really a legal requirement for God’s Son to pay the temple tax. “But that we do not cause them to stumble,” Jesus says, “you go to the sea, cast a fishhook, and take the first fish coming up and, when you open its mouth, you will find a stater [four drachmas] coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you.”

When the disciples get together after their return to Capernaum, perhaps at Peter’s house, they ask: “Who really is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?” Jesus knows what it is that prompts their question, being aware of what was going on among them as they trailed behind him on their return from Caesarea Philippi. So he asks: “What were you arguing over on the road?” Embarrassed, the disciples keep silent, for they had argued among themselves over who would be the greatest.

After nearly three years of Jesus’ teaching, does it seem incredible that the disciples would have such an argument? Well, it reveals the strong influence of human imperfection, as well as of religious background. The Jewish religion in which the disciples had been reared stressed position or rank in all dealings. Furthermore, perhaps Peter, because of Jesus’ promise of receiving certain “keys” to the Kingdom, felt superior. James and John may have had similar ideas because of being favored with witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration.

Whatever the case, Jesus stages a moving demonstration in an effort to correct their attitudes. He calls a child, stands it in their midst, puts his arms around it, and says: “Unless you turn around and become as young children, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, whoever will humble himself like this young child is the one that is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens; and whoever receives one such young child on the basis of my name receives me also.”

What a marvelous way to correct his disciples! Jesus does not become angry with them and call them haughty, greedy, or ambitious. No, but he illustrates his corrective teaching by using the example of young children, who are characteristically modest and free from ambition and who generally have no thought of rank among themselves. Thus Jesus shows that his disciples need to develop these qualities that characterize humble children. As Jesus concludes: “He that conducts himself as a lesser one among all of you is the one that is great.”

Further Corrective Counsel

WHILE Jesus and his apostles are still in the house in Capernaum, something besides the apostles’ argument over who is the greatest is discussed. This is an incident that may also have occurred on their return to Capernaum, when Jesus was not personally present. The apostle John reports: “We saw a certain man expelling demons by the use of your name and we tried to prevent him, because he was not accompanying us.”

Evidently John views the apostles as an exclusive, title-holding team of healers. So he feels that the man was performing powerful works improperly because he was not part of their group.

However, Jesus counsels: “Do not try to prevent him, for there is no one that will do a powerful work on the basis of my name that will quickly be able to revile me; for he that is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink on the ground that you belong to Christ, I truly tell you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

It was not necessary for this man bodily to follow Jesus to be on his side. The Christian congregation had not yet been set up, so his not being part of their group did not mean that he was of a separate congregation. The man really had faith in Jesus’ name and thus succeeded in expelling demons. He was doing something that compared favorably with what Jesus said was deserving of a reward. Jesus shows that for doing this, he will not lose his reward.

But what if the man was stumbled by the words and actions of the apostles? This would be very serious! Jesus observes: “Whoever stumbles one of these little ones that believe, it would be finer for him if a millstone such as is turned by an ass were put around his neck and he were actually pitched into the sea.”

Jesus says that his followers should remove from their lives anything as dear to them as a hand, a foot, or an eye that may cause them to stumble. Better to be without this cherished thing and enter into God’s Kingdom than to hold on to it and be pitched into Gehenna (a burning rubbish heap near Jerusalem), which symbolizes eternal destruction.

Jesus also warns: “See to it that you men do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” He then illustrates the preciousness of “little ones” when he tells about a man who possesses a hundred sheep but loses one. The man will leave the 99 to search for the lost one, Jesus explains, and on finding it will rejoice more over it than over the 99. “Likewise,” Jesus then concludes, “it is not a desirable thing with my Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.”

Possibly having in mind his apostles’ argument among themselves, Jesus urges: “Have salt in yourselves, and keep peace between one another.” Tasteless foods are made more palatable by salt. Thus, figurative salt makes what one says easier to accept. Having such salt will help preserve the peace.

But because of human imperfection, at times serious disputes will occur. Jesus also provides guidelines for handling them. “If your brother commits a sin,” Jesus says, “go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” If he does not listen, Jesus advises, “take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.”

Only as a last resort, Jesus says, take the matter to “the congregation,” that is, to responsible overseers of the congregation who can render a judicial decision. If the sinner will not abide by their decision, Jesus concludes, “let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector.”

In making such a decision, overseers need to adhere closely to instructions in Jehovah’s Word. Thus, when they find an individual guilty and worthy of punishment, the judgment ‘will already have been bound in heaven.’ And when they “loose on earth,” that is, find one innocent, it will already have been “loosed in heaven.” In such judicial deliberations, Jesus says, “where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.” Matthew 18:6-20; Mark 9:38-50; Luke 9:49, 50.

A Lesson in Forgiveness

JESUS is apparently still in the house in Capernaum with his disciples. He has been discussing with them how to handle difficulties between brothers, so Peter asks: “Lord, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him?” Since Jewish religious teachers propose granting forgiveness up to three times, Peter probably considers it very generous to suggest “up to seven times?”

But the whole idea of keeping such a record is wrong. Jesus corrects Peter: “I say to you, not, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy-seven times.” He is showing that no limit should be put on the number of times Peter forgives his brother.

To impress on the disciples their obligation to be forgiving, Jesus tells them an illustration. It is about a king who wants to settle accounts with his slaves. One slave is brought to him who owes the enormous debt of 60,000,000 denarii. There is no way that he can possibly pay it. So, as Jesus explains, the king orders that he and his wife and his children be sold and payment be made.

At that the slave falls down at his master’s feet and begs: “Be patient with me and I will pay back everything to you.”

Moved with pity for him, the master mercifully cancels the slave’s enormous debt. But no sooner has he done so, Jesus continues, than this slave goes and finds a fellow slave who owes him only 100 denarii. The man grabs his fellow slave by the throat and begins choking him, saying: “Pay back whatever you owe.”

But the fellow slave does not have the money. So he falls at the feet of the slave to whom he is in debt, begging: “Be patient with me and I will pay you back.” Unlike his master, the slave is not merciful, and he has his fellow slave thrown into prison.

Well, Jesus continues, the other slaves who saw what had happened go and tell the master. He angrily summons the slave. “Wicked slave,” he says, “I canceled all that debt for you, when you entreated me. Ought you not, in turn, to have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I also had mercy on you?” Provoked to wrath, the master delivers the unmerciful slave over to the jailers until he should pay back all that he owes.

Then Jesus concludes: “In like manner my heavenly Father will also deal with you if you do not forgive each one his brother from your hearts.”

What a fine lesson in forgiveness! Compared with the large debt of sin that God has forgiven us, whatever transgression may be committed against us by a Christian brother is small indeed. Furthermore, Jehovah God has forgiven us thousands of times. Often, we are not even aware of our sins against him. Therefore, can we not forgive our brother a few times, even if we have a legitimate cause for complaint? Remember, as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, God will “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 18:21-35; 6:12; Colossians 3:13.