A Dangerous Era for Preaching...

Luke 3 begins with what seems to be a boring list of names. On one level, it is Luke's attempt to ground his Jesus-story within the historical context of a specific times - it was common practice for historians to date events by the rule of the Emperor or King (ie. in the fifteenth year of...). On another level, Luke is providing the moral milieu of the day - it will be a dangerous duty to preach repentance of sin.

Seven men of power are listed at the start of the chapter - each of them powerful and corrupt. Tiberius Caesar of Rome, Pontius Pilate of Jerusalem, Herod, Philip and Lysanius rulers of local regions (as appointed by Tiberius), and then there is Annas and Caiaphas who are the high-priests during this era. These men will resist the good news of John and Jesus, they will balk at the call to be baptized and forgiven of their sins, and they will imprison and kill the messengers in an attempt to kill the message.

Fortunately these seven men can't stop the message, and for awhile they can't stop the messengers. John comes out of the gate boldly and furiously, preaching and calling people to repent of their sins and find forgiveness, healing, restoration, justice, mercy. It's really, really, really interesting to read what moral instruction John gives the crowd when they ask what they must do to be saved from the coming wrath of God. If people would follow John's instruction, they would see God's salvation, they would find freedom.

To the crowd coming to be baptized: if you have two shirts, give one away to anyone who has none.

To the tax collectors coming to be baptized: if you are swindling, cheating, embezzling, or stealing - stop it!

To the Roman soldiers coming to be baptized: if you are extorting and bribing people for money - stop it!

Stop to consider how radical this context is: to the crowds, their salvation rests in their care for the cold and hungry. Even tax collectors (Jews who work for the Romans, responsible for getting money from their neighbors to prop up the corrupt and terrible empire) are coming to be baptized - and John does NOT tell them to abandon their job, just not to abuse it. What???? And Roman soldiers, of all people, are coming to be baptized - their key to salvation? Be content with your pay.

Luke summarizes these kinds of moral instructions as "good news" and people flocked to hear it, be baptized into it, and exhorted to live it out. Obviously not everyone in the crowd like the idea of caring for the cold, not every tax collector quit stealing, and not every Roman soldier stopped extorting - some didn't think John was full of good news. Herod didn't, and when he heard John's moral instruction, he put John in prison.

It was a dangerous era then to preach repentance of sins. Probably still is today. But when you look around at all the broken homes and hearts, the lonely souls and tears, the addicted and medicated individuals...our friends and neighbors are in need of mercy and restoration, forgiveness and renewal...and it starts with good news of new beginnings in God.