Peter had been a fisherman. Jesus had said, “Follow me,” and Peter had given up his fishing business to follow. We read that straightway he forsook his nets and followed. That must have been a tremendous experience for Peter—giving up his means of livelihood, upkeep of his home, not to mention the money for those taxes.

Peter, the Fisherman, left all to follow Christ. The Lord knew that he had given up his means of livelihood to answer His call, and from the very thing that Peter had given up for His sake—fish—the Lord met His servant’s need when the time for paying the taxes came around.

No servant of Christ will ever be the loser.

So our dear Lord is always thinking in advance of our needs, and He loves to save us from embarrassment and anticipate our anxieties and cares by laying up His loving acts and providing before the emergency comes.

“For me and thee,” He had said, bracketing those words together in a wondrous, sacred intimacy. He puts Himself first in the embarrassing need, and He bears the heavy end of the burden for His distressed and suffering child. He makes our cares, His cares; our sorrows, His sorrows; our shame, His shame.

The tax was due—the Master’s and disciple’s, And to the sea the Master strangely sent: A fish would yield the needful piece of silver! Strange bank, indeed, from which to pay that rent.

“One piece of silver!” Not two equal portions! One piece of silver—one, and shining bright; “That use for Me and thee,” thus spoke the Master, “That claims on Me and thee we thus unite.”

Blest, happy bond! May I thus sweetly know Him! Am I His servant? Hath He use of me? Then, O my soul, why shouldst thou own law’s limit, If thy dear Lord doth find delight in thee?

If thou art His—joint-heir in all His riches, Then, O my soul, a simpler spirit grow; “How shall He not, with Him, why, give us all things,” All that we need, to do His work below!

J. DANSON SMITH