Life of Christ Lesson 80: A Taxing Situation {Being Servants, Not Celebrities!”}

Matthew 17:24-18:4; Mark 9:33-35; Luke 9:46, 47 This lesson covers two major events, one in the form of a miracle ("Simon's Fishy Coin") and the other in the form of an instructional sermon, which we call "Sermon on Being Children of God". The sermon is the Lord's personal instructions about being humble, harmonious, and forgiven children of God! We begin it in this lesson by talking about the importance of being "Servants, Not Celebrities"! In the lesson to follow (#81), the Lord teaches us to be "Stepping Stones, Not Stumbling Blocks"! There is a lot of Bible teaching in this lesson about the Christian's behavior as a "citizen" of this world! Although our ultimate citizenship is in Heaven and although the governments of this world are all, to one degree or another, corrupt, yet we are under obligation to human government (i.e. to pay our taxes, obey the laws) except when obedience would directly interfere with obedience to God. By divine law, we are to be subject to human laws and government!