26 Peter said, “They take money from other people, not from their own mob.” Then Jesus said, “All right, that means their own families don’t have to pay anything. And we are God’s family, so we don’t have to pay money for God’s house.
26 But so that we may not become an obstacle to them: go to the sea, and cast in a hook, and take the first fish that is brought up, and when you have opened its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them, for me and for you."
Peter said, “Yes.” Then Peter went into the house where they were staying, to talk to Jesus about it. But Jesus talked first. He said, “Peter, think about the big bosses in this world. They take money from people, but what do you reckon? Do they take it from their own mob, or do they take it from other people?”
But we don’t want to make those tax men angry. So get a fishing line, and go down to the lake, and throw in the line to catch a fish. Get the first fish that you catch, open its mouth, and you will find a gold coin inside it. Take that coin, and give it to those tax men. It will be enough money for both my tax and your tax.”
You see, they already said to each other like this, “Every day, that man comes to shame us and make fun of us. But if one of our men kills him, Saul will give him big money. He will also give him his daughter to marry. And Saul will not make his family pay tax money.”
That manager was cheating his boss, but his boss thought, ‘This man is a liar and a cheat, but he is smart too. He has done something that will help him get his food later.’ ” Then Jesus said, “You know, the people that don’t care about God, but only care about the things in this world, they are smart with the things of this world. God’s people are not so smart with the things of this world.
But if it is wrong, or if it tells you to do a bad thing, don’t do it. Keep away from every sort of bad thing, and don’t listen to messages that don’t come from God.