Curious concept. Not quite sure what to make of it.

Read this passage and then I'll explain what I find curious about it.

Matthew 17:24-27(NKJV)

When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”

Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 

Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

What I find interesting here is the flexibility and the reasoning of the flexibility of Jesus. 

I'm kind of stumbling around for a good way to put this.  I think of principals as being pretty rigid.  Not a lot of grey area.  And I think that it is admirable to stand on ones principals.  Yet here it seems to me that Jesus explains a principal but then says "but to keep the peace go ahead and pay the tax". 

The principal being that as heirs in Christ we are children of God and therefore are not liable for the temple tax, but go ahead and pay it anyway.

Interesting.  Something I am going to have to ponder.  I will offer a thought though.  One of the things you learn being married is to pick your battles.  I wonder if this is Jesus' way of making somewhat the same point? 

Hmm.