James Jacobs, Taxman
Children's Story
James Jacobs hated the story of Matthew the tax collector. James was convinced that story was responsible for at least half the problems he experienced today. Whenever people asked him what his work was, James would mutter "I work for the government," and try to look mysterious so that folk would think he was in Intelligence and bound by the Official Secrets Act.
It hadn't always been like that. When he started work in the tax office, just after leaving school, James had been very proud of his job and told everybody about it. But he soon noticed some odd reactions. As soon as he spoke the words, "Inland Revenue," some people glared at him in disgust and walked away. Others laughed in derision and began to mock him. And some became very angry and started to berate him because they so resented paying their income tax.
James often wondered how they thought the country would run without income tax, but he soon stopped asking that question. People became very irate whenever the word, "tax" was mentioned, and James quickly realised it wasn't worth the hassle.
The problem, he thought, probably stemmed from the New Testament, where tax collectors were given such a bad press. Even though in this story Jesus called a tax collector to be one of his special friends, in the story of Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10) the tax collector was made out to be some sort of thief who fleeced the poor in order to line his own pocket. Until, that is, he met Jesus and repented. And that was the story every one remembered. Consequently, it seemed to James all tax collectors ever since had been tarred with the same brush. Even though they were only doing their job, it sometimes felt like the whole world seemed to regard them as public enemy number one.
At least the story of the calling of Matthew the tax collector very quickly moved on to the healing of the woman with a haemorrhage and the raising of the little girl who was thought to have died. When those stories were read, James discovered most people concentrated on the healings and forgot the calling, and that suited James very well.
Then he began to wonder why Jesus had called a tax collector. Perhaps, like every group of people, Jesus and his band of disciples needed a treasurer or an accountant. But strangely enough, Matthew hadn't been the treasurer. James remembered reading that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, had been the treasurer.
How interesting, James thought to himself, that it was the one who dealt with the money who became the traitor. Then he felt glad that the tax collector hadn't handled the money, for from the time he met Jesus, Matthew had been a good, solid, reliable disciple.
Perhaps, thought James, money is always dangerous because with money we can have anything we want. Maybe, he found himself thinking, that New Testament story wasn't about one calling and two healings but about three healings. Perhaps after meeting Jesus, Matthew the tax collector was healed from the terrible desire for money.
James thought about himself and his own lifestyle, and realised that money wasn't particularly important to him. He wasn't too interested in always wanting more, and he found himself thanking Jesus for giving him that freedom. Then he began to think about all those people who became so uptight whenever tax was mentioned, and realised that they had no freedom at all, they were slaves to money. And he resolved that the next time anyone asked him what he did for a living he would proudly say, "I am a tax collector."
It hadn't always been like that. When he started work in the tax office, just after leaving school, James had been very proud of his job and told everybody about it. But he soon noticed some odd reactions. As soon as he spoke the words, "Inland Revenue," some people glared at him in disgust and walked away. Others laughed in derision and began to mock him. And some became very angry and started to berate him because they so resented paying their income tax.
James often wondered how they thought the country would run without income tax, but he soon stopped asking that question. People became very irate whenever the word, "tax" was mentioned, and James quickly realised it wasn't worth the hassle.
The problem, he thought, probably stemmed from the New Testament, where tax collectors were given such a bad press. Even though in this story Jesus called a tax collector to be one of his special friends, in the story of Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10) the tax collector was made out to be some sort of thief who fleeced the poor in order to line his own pocket. Until, that is, he met Jesus and repented. And that was the story every one remembered. Consequently, it seemed to James all tax collectors ever since had been tarred with the same brush. Even though they were only doing their job, it sometimes felt like the whole world seemed to regard them as public enemy number one.
At least the story of the calling of Matthew the tax collector very quickly moved on to the healing of the woman with a haemorrhage and the raising of the little girl who was thought to have died. When those stories were read, James discovered most people concentrated on the healings and forgot the calling, and that suited James very well.
Then he began to wonder why Jesus had called a tax collector. Perhaps, like every group of people, Jesus and his band of disciples needed a treasurer or an accountant. But strangely enough, Matthew hadn't been the treasurer. James remembered reading that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, had been the treasurer.
How interesting, James thought to himself, that it was the one who dealt with the money who became the traitor. Then he felt glad that the tax collector hadn't handled the money, for from the time he met Jesus, Matthew had been a good, solid, reliable disciple.
Perhaps, thought James, money is always dangerous because with money we can have anything we want. Maybe, he found himself thinking, that New Testament story wasn't about one calling and two healings but about three healings. Perhaps after meeting Jesus, Matthew the tax collector was healed from the terrible desire for money.
James thought about himself and his own lifestyle, and realised that money wasn't particularly important to him. He wasn't too interested in always wanting more, and he found himself thanking Jesus for giving him that freedom. Then he began to think about all those people who became so uptight whenever tax was mentioned, and realised that they had no freedom at all, they were slaves to money. And he resolved that the next time anyone asked him what he did for a living he would proudly say, "I am a tax collector."
