“Repentance & Power Dynamics”

INTRO:

New Living Translation Chapter 3

10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”

11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”

14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.

John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

Context (vv7-9) is of repentance by believers & showing a true willingness to turn from sin

Baptism as an outward sign of one’s true willingness to repent.

Those coming out to John were Jews who already had a redemptive covenant with God, so their repentance & baptism wasn’t about salvation

John was calling them out to avoid being judged by God by showing “fruits of repentance” or “prove by the way you live” (v8)

New Living Translation Chapter 3

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

John answers the questions of “What shall we do?” in a way that indicates that what God wants from us is an unselfish approach to life.

THESIS: True repentance is seen in transformed selfishness.

“Crowds”

generally regular people, poorer people

“Shirt”/tunic was a shirt-like garment, worn next to the skin

People who had 2 usually wore them both, especially in cold weather

Only 1 was needed; so if somebody had 2, that person had enough to make it & had something to spare.

John was pushing people toward the Jewish idea of “works of love” i.e., those things beyond being obedient to strictly the “works of the law”

Speaks to elements of compassion, generosity, selfless living

True repentance looks like a transformed understanding of power dynamics.

“Tax collectors”

Jews who had purchased the right to serve as agents of the oppressor

Made money/prospered by extorting money from those who had to pay taxes to Rome

Call for:

Honesty

Making a living while not participating in oppression

Not using your position or privilege to disadvantage others

ILLUS: Gatekeepers & “online” registration @ HBCU

“Soldier”

More than likely Jews who were hired to handle constabulary tasks (police)

Act honorably & justly

Work to ALLEVIATE oppression, not ADD to it

How do we treat people that we have an advantage over?

Has somebody repented & gotten right with God? It depends on how they still operate in selfishness & self-centeredness.

If WE are going to get right with the Lord, we must become the “living sacrifices” (Ro12:1) & crucify our selfishness & PROVE IT in our behavior!