history have sought to claim ownership over people and their ultimate allegiance. This text radically challenges all those claims of ownership. The totality of who we are belongs to God, and any human institution or doctrine that says otherwise is false. This does not literally preclude the payment of the tax, though. In 17:24–27 Peter and Jesus discuss the payment of the temple tax. Jesus states that the “children are free” from the tax, yet sends Peter out to find a coin to pay it. Matthew’s Jesus
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