His reasons for taking the man aside from the multitude we can more easily surmise. It may have been as a lesson to His disciples, to teach them that they should not make a vain display of their works of mercy; or it may have been that, not wishing to excite still further at the moment the enmity of the Pharisees, He desired that the fame of His miracles should not be further spread. But whatever our Saviour’s motive in taking the man aside, it is evident that the multitude crowded about Him, and beheld the miracle; for St. Mark goes on to say:—
“And He charged them that they should tell no man; but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, ‘He hath done all things well: He maketh the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.’”
The Scripture tells us that, after Jesus had performed this miracle, great multitudes came unto Him, bringing with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, or maimed. These poor suffering creatures were cast down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. “And the people wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see; and they glorified the God of Israel.”
Christ performed a great many more miracles, my children, than I shall be able to tell you about, and you must read of them for yourselves in the Bible when you grow a little older. Most of our Saviour’s miracles were, as I have before told you, miracles of healing, and works of mercy; but, on one occasion about this time, He performed a miracle to pay what was called the tribute money.
This tribute was a tax levied for the support of the temple at Jerusalem. It consisted in the annual payment of a coin called a dedrachma—two drachmas—by every person over twenty years of age. It was devoted chiefly to the purchase of such things as were used for the sacrifices in the Jewish sanctuary. This tax was sometimes called “The ransom money, or atonement for the soul,” and was paid equally by rich and poor, to show that the souls of all were considered to be equal in the sight of God. It was an acknowledgment that all were sinners, and all alike needed to be ransomed.
We are told by St. Matthew that when Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum, “They that received tribute money, came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?”
Peter, who had heard our Lord teach His followers to give to all their dues, answered promptly to the inquiry, “Yes,” and then went into the house where Jesus was. Our Saviour, although not present at the conversation with the collector of tribute, knew perfectly well what had taken place, and He anticipated what Peter was about to tell Him by saying,—
“What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children or of strangers?”
Peter, you must know, was sometimes addressed by his first name of Simon. Now Christ, in putting this question to him, meant to ask whether He, as the Son of God, to whom the temple was dedicated, ought to pay tribute for its support, as kings do not tax their children. Nevertheless, He added words signifying that lest the Pharisees should charge Him with despising the temple and its services, the tribute should be paid. And He went on: “Go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”
Peter obeyed. He went and caught the fish, found in its mouth a shekel—equal to four drachmas—and with it paid the tribute.