Did you know that John the Baptist taught about money?

John the Baptist was the guy who prepared the way for Jesus. He taught that a messiah was coming. But John wasn’t exactly a GQ kind of guy. He went to the wilderness. He wore a camel’s hair tunic, which he bound up with a belt. I can’t imagine a barbershop was close around the corner. He had a high protein diet of locusts, which he mixed in with some honey.

But still the crowds came. His fiery message of repentance was the first strong prophetic voice in ages. And for those who heeded John’s message of repentance, they came with a simple request. What do I do now?

The Bible records three separate responses:

1. To the crowds, he said, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise” (Luke 3.11).
2. To the tax collectors, he said, “Collect no more than you are authorized
   to do” (Luke 3.13).
3. To the soldiers, he said, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or
   by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3.14).

While we don’t think of people during Jesus’ time as being preoccupied with money, it’s fascinating that John’s practical instructions all have to do with money.

He urges them be generous—give away your extra tunic or food to those in need.

He urges the tax collector to operate with financial integrity.

He warns the soldiers not to use their position for financial gain, and to be content with what they have.

John’s message to a society far less affluent than our day is, in essence, to handle their finances well—to be content, to be generous. In our day of excess, how timely John’s message is. Perhaps we need to reexamine our own generosity. Can we help someone in need? Is there an area of our life where we need to operate with more financial integrity? Should we address our contentment?

The Generous Life
2 Days to Live
The Generous Jesus — Just Fish

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published July 13, 2017

Topics: A Life of Faith

BibleContentmentGenerosity