Job hunting and John the Baptist

  Jobs and work seem to occupy the majority of my thoughts and prayers these days.  I work a lot and long for a change.  I worry about what I'm "supposed" to do. I worry about the financial side of work.   It seems like everyone that I work for says, "We want you!" but no one wants to pay me like they want me.  I worry about the hours that I work and how they affect my upcoming marriage and wife.

    Consequently, when I open the Word, I am drawn to occupations and choices of the individuals in the Biblical narrative. For example, this morning I was struck by John the Baptist's response to the tax collectors and soldiers in Luke 3.  John was preaching repentance:

12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”

These men wanted to know what to do with their lives since they had repented of their sins.  I can't help but wonder what they thought John would say. The Jews didn't like people with these occupations because they had taken sides with the Roman invaders. Were they expecting John to say, "Stop being tax collectors and soldiers, you filthy traitors!"?  Did they assume that they would need to find different employment to show that they were different? John's response had to do with their jobs, absolutely, but not about leaving them.  John simply told them to be honest and content and to do their jobs correctly!  There was no condemnation for working for the Romans, no counsel to get on board with God's people.  Their repentance didn't have to do with what their occupation was, simply how they were doing it.  I think this is another way that John is foreshadowing Christ.  He wasn't encouraging people to be on "Team Rome" or "Team Israel," he was on a completely different page.  John, like Christ, was much more concerned with the people's hearts.  The political climate was a non-issue because spiritual issues are more important. (I'm not saying that because of the elections yesterday). 


   In conclusion, I think that John would agree with Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31- "Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the Glory of God."  The focus isn't what you're doing.  The deeper issue is why you do what you do.  John's concern was doing your job in a way that is honest and fair and be content with your wages.