The Coin

Jan 11, 2023

"...go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us."

- Jesus, Matthew 17:27 (NLT)

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope!

- Martin Luther King Jr.

I had a theology professor, named Dr. Ralph Turnbull, who would end every class by saying, "There's a gift in today - find it!"

It was an early version of, "Where's Waldo"... only in this case Waldo was God. It was his way of reminding us that the God who invites us to call Him "Father," and who just happens to be Omnipotent (All-Powerful), Omniscient (All-Knowing), and Omnipresent (Everywhere Present) is continuously dispensing gifts all along our daily paths to encourage, strengthen, help, heal, and… in many cases… delight us!

You remember the story of the "Coin in the Fish's Mouth?" Love this story! As Jesus and His friends arrive in the beautiful seaside town of Capernaum, two religious guys come up to Peter and ask, "Hey, did Jesus put His tithe in the church offering plate?" Peter said, "Yes, He dropped an envelope in the plate." Then Peter went and told Jesus what the religious police had said. After reminding Peter that he was an adopted son of God the Father and that he was therefore free from the law, Jesus said this:

"However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax [not because of the law but because of love] for both of us."

- Matthew 17:27 (NLT)

Just imagine for a moment the kind of all-encompassing knowledge someone would have to have about our world to know the moment a fisherman leaned over his boat and a coin dropped into the sea… and then to know the one fish out of a million who just happened to be swimming by and gulped down the coin like it was a shiny fishing lure… and then to know the day Peter would grab a pole and wet a worm and drop it into the Sea of Galilee at the precise location where the fish with the coin would be swimming by, looking for a quick lunch…. That absolutely blows my mind!

Who do you know has such amazing control over creation that He can manipulate people and events to provide what His kids’ needs? Only Jesus!

Last week, I was rushing to get to a memorial for my friend at Miramar Air Station. It was raining. I had my phone and my wallet in my hands. Putting my phone in my back pocket, I placed my wallet on top of the cab of my truck - for just a moment - as I threw my coat in the back seat… and drove off. I raced down I 15, Hwy 56, I 5 South, thinking about my friend Felix. Just as I exited onto Nobel Drive it hit me: "Oh No! My Wallet!" I had everything in that wallet. I pulled into the Miramar Air Station parking lot, jumped out, looked at the top of the cab…. Nothing! Oh Man! I started to stress big time… and then looking into the bed of my truck...there it was! Are you kidding me? What are the chances?!

So, let me tell you what that gift enabled me to do….

As the Navy Color Guard finished their moving tribute with a 21 gun salute, an aging chaplain stepped forward and very matter-of-factly said, "I do not have a lot to say… I did not know this man." He read Psalm 23… and that was it. Julie, Felix's wife was crying, as all of us stood there in an awkward silence. So, I said, "May I say something?" The chaplain nodded his head "yes." I spoke for the next 15 minutes about my friend, his family, his relationship with God, the '69 Camaro we built together and the long Harley rides we took to Yosemite, the Giant Redwoods and across the Golden Gate Bridge. There was laughter, tears, and lots of smiles. My friend was honored, his wife and two sons comforted, and his friends blessed… and it all happened because Jesus orchestrated heaven and earth to slide my wallet in the right way at the right time into the perfect place where I could find it… so I could have an uncluttered mind to give my friend a gift.

Listen…. There's a gift in today - find it! Not only does your Heavenly Father know all things… But… He can do all things! Jesus knows the situation you're stressing about right now. And He can do something about it!