Have You Been Fishing Lately?

On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?" "Yes, he does," Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?" "They tax the people they have conquered," Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free! 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 for both of us." Matthew 17:24-27

Meditate on fishing and coins.

 

Have you ever caught a fish? What was in its mouth besides a hook? Usually nothing.

Fish with a coin? Catch it Peter!

Fish. Consider the fish in the Bible. God made the fish. Jonah was swallowed by a big fish. There was a Fish Gate in the wall surrounding Jerusalem. Jesus fed five thousand and then an additional four thousand men and their families with just a few fish and loaves of bread. Jesus blessed Simon Peter and the other disciples by filling their fishing nets full…yet they didn’t break. Jesus cooked breakfast, including fish, for His disciples after His resurrection. Jesus told Peter to catch a fish…and take a shekel out of its mouth to pay the Roman tax. Don’t offend the Romans…pay the tax. 

Fish. Who would have thought that such a smelly creature would have provided so much for people across the ages? Food, protection, provision and tax payment. When was the last time you caught a fish and took a coin from its mouth? Jesus did not want to offend the Romans. Just pay the tax…give to Caesar what is due to him. Do you have the same kind of attitude towards your government and taxes? How will you respond to their request for tax payment this year…and to Jesus? 

What do we learn about Jesus from this Scripture passage?

 

Prayer ~ Jesus, thank you for providing the resources for tax payment. Please continue to provide prosperity for our families, friends, community and nation. There is always a need for more fish.

 

 

Verses of Salvation ~ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

We can’t live on bread alone. Have some fish stew with that bread…but don’t stew about your relationship with God or with others. In doing a little research on fish stew on the internet I found that there are Fish Stew recipes from countries all around the world…Greece, Brazil, Italy, Moroccan, Basque, Mediterranean, Normandy, Portuguese, Spanish, Jamaican, simple and quick fish stews including at least one from North Carolina. You can Google and pick a country to try one that appeals to your taste and smell in flavors that you love.

Here’s a quick and easy one with which to start. Add the flavors like fennel, cumin, cayenne pepper, rosemary, or even dill to suit your taste.

Quick and Easy Fish Stew – adapted from Pinterest, Food Network and my own cooking attempts

Serves four.  
1½ pounds filet fish – use what is available to you…rockfish, cod, mahi mahi, salmon, red snapper
Olive Oil – 6 tablespoons
Garlic 1-3 cloves grated
Onion – 1 white, yellow or sweet, finely chopped
Celery – 3 ribs, chopped
Oregano – pinch or 1 twig fresh, minced
Thyme – pinch or 1 twig fresh, minced
Bay leaves – 3 whole
Tomatoes – fresh or canned - 2 cups peeled and chopped
Green pepper – optional – 1 – chopped
Mild chili peppers – optional – seeded and chopped
Tomato paste – 2 teaspoons
Tabasco sauce – 1 shake or 1/8 teaspoon
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth or fish stock
Parsley – ½ cup, chopped or snipped – last minute garnish
Green onions – 2 chopped – last minute garnish
Optional additions to suit your tastes:
1 cup chopped clams (canned)
Mussels or butter clams -1 pound in the shell, well washed
Shrimp – 1 pound thawed, if frozen

Crab - for a special occasion  

Sauté the garlic, onion, celery, and peppers in the olive oil until tender. Add the desired herbs (except the parsley and green onion), tomatoes, wine, water and broth. Simmer for about one hour. Add the fish and any other optional meats. Add the parsley and chopped green onions. Cook about 5 minutes, until the fish flakes easily. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with a nice grainy roll, cornbread, rice and/or tossed salad.

 

© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Portions reused from November 16, 2014, and July 30, 2021, Banquet With The King blog. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.