The rich shall not pay more, and the poor shall not pay less, than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves. Exodus 30:15
Remember the account in Matthew 17 when the Lord Jesus sent Peter to the lake to catch a fish. The coin found in the fish’s mouth was the exact amount to cover the temple tax for two men. The temple tax, or tribute money, was to be paid every year by every adult male in Israel. It was the direct descendent of the atonement money mentioned in Exodus 30, and it was to cover the upkeep of the temple. Our text mentions the fascinating aspect that the amount was identical for everyone.
No wealthy Israelite could gain greater status among the priests in the tabernacle by paying a higher amount than others. And no poor man could haggle for a lower amount because of his poverty. All paid the half shekel, no more and no less. This reminds me of what the old Gospel preachers used to tell us about there being no braggarts in Heaven. Nobody there will be boasting about how much they paid, how long and hard they prayed, or how hard they worked to get there. The half shekel for our admission to Glory is identical for all. And it’s far more than any of us could possibly pay – the precious blood of the Lamb of God.
We must be careful how high up we look to those Christians who seem to be greater than ourselves. And we must take care not to turn up our noses at those who we deem lesser than ourselves. We all fall short of the glory of God. And our atonement price is the same. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/eFQTS53k4js