Justice and Repentance

Scripture:

Luke 3:14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Observation:
John the Baptist had begun his public ministry and masses of people were coming to visit him. All kinds of officials were a part of that crowd and many were convicted of their way of life including tax collectors, and now, soldiers. John’s ministry was to call people to repentance in preparation for the arrival of the Messiah. A soldier stands before him and asks what he is to do. In this instance we understand that there is a connection between repentance and justice. For this man to repent of the direction he has been going in his life means that he must also change the way in which he lives his life. The soldiers were not living within their financial means with what had been provided for them. Instead they were extorting additional funds from the vulnerable people surrounding them. This was a way of life, threatening others and making up stories against them. Extortion and using the weak had become a way of life. To prepare for the coming Messiah meant repenting of the past and living into a new future of justice — being honest and treating the people around them fairly.

Application:

God’s intent has always been for his people to live as his holy people. They are not to take advantage of the poor and needy around them. Living as God’s holy people means to live a life of fairness and justice in the world.

Being treated unfairly can be extremely frustrating and it was one of the things that created the greatest stresses while living in the former Soviet Union. You never knew when an official might be suggesting some kind of bribe from you, or might be falsely accusing you of breaking some kind of a traffic law. All of this was extremely unpleasant and made life stressful on a day to day basis. However, it was something that you learned to live with.

As God’s holy people we are not to be the ones to inflict this kind of stress on the lives of others. We are to live a holy life that is pleasing to God and this includes caring for and nurturing those around us. We are never to take advantage of those around us and this is justice. We are to be fair! It’s the golden rule that my mom taught me as a little girl — do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This, in its simplest form is justice and it comes from God’s call to love him and love neighbor.

Somehow I believe this story remains in the Scripture to be a lesson to us. Repentance requires a change in behavior and that is moving into the direction of a life of justice.

Prayer:

Lord, may I treat the world around me today justly because of You.  Amen.