What strikes me most about this when Jesus says, "So that we don't offend them..." Since when did He care about offending people? I suppose one must pick their battles, but why this one? Jesus never seems overly concerned with what people do with their money. The subject does come up, with the rich young ruler for example, but it's not one of the primary areas of concern. So maybe it's not that big a deal. Jesus seems to indicate that God doesn't really want your money, He doesn't tax His children. In a different place, He tells people to pay their taxes to Caesar, because he's the one who wants your taxes.
But why does He choose not to offend people over this issue? He didn't take the same tack with washing hands before eating, or Sabbath issues. He was more than willing to offend over these issues. He was willing to take a stand on those issues, but not so much about money. I think it warrants looking into a bit more.
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