Now that the Lord's retreat in the utmost borders of the land, at Cæ are a Philippi, was

s

known to the Scribes, and that He was again surrounded and followed by the multitude,

there could be no further object in His retirement. Indeed, the time was coming that He

should meet that for which He had been, and was still, preparing t he minds of His

disciples - His Decease at Jerusalem. Accordingly, we find Him once more with His

disciples in Galilee - not to abide there,1 nor to traverse it as formerly for Missionary

purposes, but preparatory to His journey to the Feast of Tabernacles. The few events of

this brief stay, and the teaching connected with it, may be summed up as follows.

1. Prominently, perhaps, as the summary of all, we have now the clear and emphatic

repetition of the prediction of His Death and Resurrection. While He would keep His

present stay in Galilee as private as possible,2 He would fain so emphasize this

teaching to His disciples, that it should sink down into their ears and memories. For it

was, indeed, the most needful for them in view of the immediate future. Yet the

announcement only filled their loving hearts with exceeding sorrow; they comprehend it

not; nay, they were - perhaps not unnaturally - afraid to ask Him about it. We remember,

that even the three who had been with Jesus on the Mount, understood not what the

rising from the dead should mean, and that, by direction of the Master, they kept the

whole Vision from their fellow-disciples; and, thinking of it all, we scarcely wonder that,

from their standpoint, it was hid from them, so that they might not perceive it.

2. It is to the depression caused by His insistence on this terrible future, to the constant

apprehension of near danger, and the consequent desire not to 'offend,' and so provoke

those at whose hands, Christ had told them, He was to suffer, that we trace the incident

about the tribute -money. We can scarcely believe, that Peter would have answered as

he did, without previous permission of his Master, had it not been for such thoughts and

fears. It was another mode of saying, 'That be far from Thee' - or, rather, trying to keep

it as far as he could from Christ. Indeed, we can scarcely repress the feeling, that there

was a certain amount of secretiveness on the part of Peter, as if he had apprehended

that Jesus would not have wished him to act as he did, and would fain have kept the

whole transaction from the knowledge of hi s Master.

It is well known that, on the ground of the injunction in Exod. xxx. 13 &c., every male in

Israel, from twenty years upwards, was expected annually to contribute to the Temple -

Treasury the sum of one half-shekel3 of the Sanctuary,4 that is, one common shekel, or

two Attic drachms,5 equivalent to about 1 s. 2d. or 1 s. 3d. of our money. Whether or not

the original Biblical ordinance had been intended to institute a regular annual