Animation: paycheck (month) or $2000-$3000 in cash

[Hold up the check or cash.]

I’m holding here a paycheck for $3,000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that’s an approximate month’s take-home salary for an average American today. $4,000 gross. $3,000 net.  

Some of you probably make more than that, some less. But that’s the national average for 2015.

At the dawn of the first century, an average wage for an Israelite would have been the equivalent of about 7 or 8 silver shekels per month (in shekel conversion depending upon how they were paid). That’s the equivalent for us of our about $4,000.

So just to get things into perspective....the yearly Temple Tax was one half shekel….or about $250. That seems reasonable to us, right? It’s no more than some of our club dues or mem…