April Message from the Principal
From the Principal’s Desk
April 2018
Death and Taxes
Did you have a good spring break this year? I did. My family got to visit relatives we haven’t seen for almost a year. Having time off also helps to “recharge” ourselves so that we can be more energetic in our work and have a positive spirit. Spring break also brought me some sobering thoughts - taxes. I hadn’t started to compile all the necessary information for me to file my taxes for 2017 and the thought of doing this work took away some of the joy. It reminded me of something Benjamin Franklin wrote after signing the new United States of America Constitution, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” You have probably heard this quote or one of its variations. We all will die. We all pay taxes. No ifs, ands, or buts - these two things are a certainty. Thinking about Easter drew me to make a comparison between taxes and death.
Taxes are debts that have to be paid, they are required by law. Death is payment for the debt of sin we all have. In the Old Testament, the Children of Israel were commanded by God to offer sacrifices for their sins, many of which were blood sacrifices. We pay taxes of all kinds regularly, and once a year we have to make an accounting of our income and taxes owed.The people of Israel made sacrifices regularly, and once a year and only once a year, on Yom Kippur, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle with blood to offer as a sacrifice for his sins and the sins the people had committed in ignorance. Even though we regularly pay taxes, we never are able to be free from taxes. There is always another tax whether it is income tax, sales tax, some other form of tax. All of the sacrifices made by the priests of the Israelites never fully paid for their sins “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again, he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11) This all seems hopeless until we remember Easter and what Jesus did for us.
“But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12) Jesus led the perfect life we could not live. He became the perfect High Priest that could offer the only perfect sacrifice for sin, himself. His perfect life, suffering, death, and resurrection took away our sins. Our debt of sin is paid in full. Death is no longer feared for we shall be resurrected from the dead and live with Jesus in heaven. This is the joy Easter brings to us.
Taxes will likely always be with us, but they seem more manageable knowing that our debt of sin has been paid in full.
April 2018
Death and Taxes
Did you have a good spring break this year? I did. My family got to visit relatives we haven’t seen for almost a year. Having time off also helps to “recharge” ourselves so that we can be more energetic in our work and have a positive spirit. Spring break also brought me some sobering thoughts - taxes. I hadn’t started to compile all the necessary information for me to file my taxes for 2017 and the thought of doing this work took away some of the joy. It reminded me of something Benjamin Franklin wrote after signing the new United States of America Constitution, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” You have probably heard this quote or one of its variations. We all will die. We all pay taxes. No ifs, ands, or buts - these two things are a certainty. Thinking about Easter drew me to make a comparison between taxes and death.
Taxes are debts that have to be paid, they are required by law. Death is payment for the debt of sin we all have. In the Old Testament, the Children of Israel were commanded by God to offer sacrifices for their sins, many of which were blood sacrifices. We pay taxes of all kinds regularly, and once a year we have to make an accounting of our income and taxes owed.The people of Israel made sacrifices regularly, and once a year and only once a year, on Yom Kippur, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle with blood to offer as a sacrifice for his sins and the sins the people had committed in ignorance. Even though we regularly pay taxes, we never are able to be free from taxes. There is always another tax whether it is income tax, sales tax, some other form of tax. All of the sacrifices made by the priests of the Israelites never fully paid for their sins “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again, he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11) This all seems hopeless until we remember Easter and what Jesus did for us.
“But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12) Jesus led the perfect life we could not live. He became the perfect High Priest that could offer the only perfect sacrifice for sin, himself. His perfect life, suffering, death, and resurrection took away our sins. Our debt of sin is paid in full. Death is no longer feared for we shall be resurrected from the dead and live with Jesus in heaven. This is the joy Easter brings to us.
Taxes will likely always be with us, but they seem more manageable knowing that our debt of sin has been paid in full.