St, Peter's Fish

Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. (Psalm 50:7-15 ESV).

On our first trip to the Holy Land Mary and I ate at a restaurant by the Sea of Galilee called St. Peter's Restaurant. The menu has a delicacy called St. Peter's Fish. We were told that it tasted excellent and each ordered it for lunch. The story that surrounds this fish is very interesting. It is one of the few indigenous fresh water fish in Israel. This fish has been caught in the Sea of Galilee for centuries. It does have some strange characteristics though. The fertilized eggs of the fish are held inside her mouth. When the eggs are hatched, the minnows stay there until they are ready to go into the water for a quick swim. If danger is evident or they need nourishment they quickly go back into their mother's mouth. There comes a time when the mother says enough of that and she literally spews them out of her mouth since she can't take "the big mouth" stuff anymore. However, having an empty mouth all the time bothers her, so very often, she will pick up a bottle cap or a coin and keep it in her mouth. As a matter of fact, St. Peter's Restaurant states that 30% of the fish caught today have a bottle cap or coin inside their mouth.

One day the tax collectors of the Temple came to Peter and asked if his teacher paid the temple tax lately. Peter said that Jesus did but to make sure, he went to Jesus. He was about to speak but Jesus, who knew what was on Peter's mind already, said, "What do you think, Simon Peter? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duties and taxes--from their own sons or from others?" Of course Peter replied, "From others." Jesus said, "Then the sons are exempt." I imagine Jesus had to laugh here because that statement had a double meaning. We are also the sons of the King. But I do not want you to think that we should not pay our taxes. Jesus did supply the much-needed Temple Tax in a most unusual way. He told Peter to go fishing and yes, Peter caught St. Peter's Fish. The fish had a four-drachma coin inside it. Peter must have been overwhelmed. This was twice the amount required for his temple tax. But then he realized that Jesus wanted Peter to pay the tax for himself and Jesus. (Cf. Matthew 17:24-27).

You may be depressed at this time of year because of financial restraints, broken relationships, ill health or abuse. God may not give you all your material desires, but He can restore you from within. This is the mystery of the Gospel. God does want to help you in your circumstance, but it is not through quick-fix-it answers. He does it through transforming your thoughts. That leads to changes in our behavior. Sometimes I find myself praying for the changes in my circumstances instead of changes in my heart. The truth is when I allow the grace of God to permeate my mind I find my circumstances much less daunting. Then, all I need to do is go fishing!