Taxes are a Curse and a Blessing

For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them; taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, the respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:6-7)

Almost all of us have a love/hate relationship with paying taxes. Frustration with paying taxes is nothing new. Taxation is as old as the Bible. Taxation, then, was even more unpopular than it is today. The editors of National Geographic prepared an article on taxes published on April 11, 2024. The editors confirm that the first taxes also took place in ancient Mesopotamia. They state, “For instance, the tax on burying a body in a grave was ‘seven kegs of beer, 420 loaves, two bushels of barley, a wool cloak, a goat, and a bed, presumably for the corpse.” The editors continue, “Circa 2j000-1800 B.C., there is a record of a guy who paid with 18,880 brooms and six logs.”

One of the reasons most of us hate to pay taxes, then and now, is because taxation appears unfair. Today, the rich have more loopholes to avoid taxes unavailable for most in the middle class and the poor. The early Egyptians used taxation to build the pyramids at Giza. The pyramids benefited Pharaohs and their families at the expense of those with less. Ancient India (321-185 B.C.) held “an annual competition of ideas…with the winner receiving tax amnesty.”

Even the Aztec Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries required taxation. The Aztecs thrived, whereas so many of their neighbors struggled because of their level of taxation, which provided for their army and infrastructure. The Aztecs kept meticulous notes, including “Pictographs showing exactly how many jaguar skins, precious stones, corn, cocoa, rubber balls, gold bars, honey, salt, and textiles the government collected each tax season.” The list remains on display at Matricula de Tributos.

Taxation is almost as old as humanity and is found on all continents where humans dwell in mass. Taxation is hated when it is gathered in unjust ways. Further, residents do not embrace taxation when they do not see taxes working for everyone. Yet, ancient and modern taxation is considered an essential part of society’s development when we use taxation to make all society better and safer. Taxation provides for those in need in ways charity could never offer. Rather than begrudge the process, embrace the way you are helping others. None of us agree with how our local and national government appropriates the funds, but that does not mean we should not pay our fair share. Pray for God to guide nations worldwide to use their taxes wisely and for the benefit of all.