And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
At the Jordan John told the tax collectors who asked what they should do to collect only the amount officially assigned to them, with honest measures and without dishonesty, injustice, extortion or oppression. His answer was part of his preaching of baptism of repentance for remission of sins, calling for works worthy of repentance, with practical directions also given to the people in general and to soldiers. The command did not require them to leave their occupation, but to prove repentance by serving faithfully and honestly where they had been called. Repentance must therefore bear practical fruit in daily conduct in honesty, fairness, fidelity, justice and charity, and such honest work belongs to the character of those who would enter the kingdom. Zacchaeus the chief tax collector had violated that standard by oppressing taxpayers and practicing extortion, but under its conviction he turned to obey it by restoring fourfold what he had taken and giving half his goods to the poor as evidence of genuine conversion. Those who fail to bear such fruit disappoint Christ and fall under judgment, for blessings are upon conditions of obedience while disobedience brings the curse, and the fruitless would be hewn down and cast into the fire.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The command was given to tax collectors to collect no more than the amount officially assigned to them, taking only what was due and using honest measures. It forbade dishonesty, injustice, extortion and oppression, and forbade using power over taxpayers to take more. Genuine repentance therefore required putting away dishonest practices and producing conduct that matched repentance, with daily life changed away from oppression and selfishness. The instruction exposed extortion as wrongdoing contrary to right.
It was spoken at the Jordan as the answer to tax collectors who came to be baptized and asked what they should do. It belonged to the preaching of the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins and to the call to bring forth works worthy of repentance. Alongside it stood practical directions to the people in general and to soldiers, giving each inquiring group conduct suited to its place, with verse 13 as the specific word to tax collectors not to collect more than what was assigned. The call was given at the Jordan only a few miles from Jericho and was directed to those in the customs calling, requiring honesty there and forbidding injustice and extortion by exacting more than what was appointed.
People from every rank, including tax collectors, came and submitted to this requirement in order to share in the kingdom that was announced. Some, however, sought baptism without genuine repentance, hoping to gain favor with the coming Prince and to strengthen their influence with the people. Reform did not require tax collectors to leave their occupation; they were to prove repentance by being faithful where they had been called to serve and by serving honestly where they were. They could remain in their work with just weights and measures, stopping dishonest and oppressive practices.
Repentance and Transformed Life
Repentance must produce practical fruit in daily conduct, so that profession is accompanied by good works. Genuine religion changes how a person lives, requiring honesty, fairness, fidelity and unselfishness, with justice and charity, and the rejection of oppression and selfishness. Words and actions are the fruit that determines the character of the tree. Honesty and fairness in work are a practical requirement of a righteous life and belong to the character of those who would enter the kingdom. What was commanded to tax collectors generalizes to each person acting honestly within the responsibilities and limits appointed to them, rather than taking more than is due.
Failure to bear such fruit of repentance brings judgment, for the fruitless disappoint Christ. God will in no way excuse sin in an enlightened people. Blessings and promises are always upon conditions of obedience, while disobedience brings the curse. Unless they repented they would be hewn down and cast into the fire, as was seen in the Jews then suffering the curse under a people that hated them while claiming the blessings promised to the obedient.
In the setting of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector seeking to see Jesus, the standard of honest conduct expected of his profession was laid down, and it is the background for calling him a sinner. He had violated it by oppressing taxpayers and practicing extortion, which was out of harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures. The instruction exposed extortion as wrongdoing and convicted him from the Scriptures that his own practice was wrong. Though he heard it at the Jordan and outwardly disregarded it at the time, it impressed his mind and awakened a longing for a better life. Joined with the report of kindness and courtesy toward the proscribed classes, it kindled hope that repentance and reformation were possible even for a chief tax collector, leading him at once to follow conviction and begin to make restitution to those he had wronged.
Under conviction that he was a sinner Zacchaeus turned to obey by making restitution to those he had robbed, restoring fourfold what he had taken in extortion and giving half his goods to the poor. This was evidence of genuine conversion and showed him to be a doer of the words of Christ. The message given from that day is to be studied to advantage by present workers.
At the Jordan John told the tax collectors who asked what they should do to collect only the amount officially assigned to them, with honest measures and without dishonesty, injustice, extortion or oppression. His answer was part of his preaching of baptism of repentance for remission of sins, calling for works worthy of repentance, with practical directions also given to the people in general and to soldiers. The command did not require them to leave their occupation, but to prove repentance by serving faithfully and honestly where they had been called. Repentance must therefore bear practical fruit in daily conduct in honesty, fairness, fidelity, justice and charity, and such honest work belongs to the character of those who would enter the kingdom. Zacchaeus the chief tax collector had violated that standard by oppressing taxpayers and practicing extortion, but under its conviction he turned to obey it by restoring fourfold what he had taken and giving half his goods to the poor as evidence of genuine conversion. Those who fail to bear such fruit disappoint Christ and fall under judgment, for blessings are upon conditions of obedience while disobedience brings the curse, and the fruitless would be hewn down and cast into the fire.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The command was given to tax collectors to collect no more than the amount officially assigned to them, taking only what was due and using honest measures. It forbade dishonesty, injustice, extortion and oppression, and forbade using power over taxpayers to take more. Genuine repentance therefore required putting away dishonest practices and producing conduct that matched repentance, with daily life changed away from oppression and selfishness. The instruction exposed extortion as wrongdoing contrary to right.
It was spoken at the Jordan as the answer to tax collectors who came to be baptized and asked what they should do. It belonged to the preaching of the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins and to the call to bring forth works worthy of repentance. Alongside it stood practical directions to the people in general and to soldiers, giving each inquiring group conduct suited to its place, with verse 13 as the specific word to tax collectors not to collect more than what was assigned. The call was given at the Jordan only a few miles from Jericho and was directed to those in the customs calling, requiring honesty there and forbidding injustice and extortion by exacting more than what was appointed.
People from every rank, including tax collectors, came and submitted to this requirement in order to share in the kingdom that was announced. Some, however, sought baptism without genuine repentance, hoping to gain favor with the coming Prince and to strengthen their influence with the people. Reform did not require tax collectors to leave their occupation; they were to prove repentance by being faithful where they had been called to serve and by serving honestly where they were. They could remain in their work with just weights and measures, stopping dishonest and oppressive practices.
Repentance and Transformed Life
Repentance must produce practical fruit in daily conduct, so that profession is accompanied by good works. Genuine religion changes how a person lives, requiring honesty, fairness, fidelity and unselfishness, with justice and charity, and the rejection of oppression and selfishness. Words and actions are the fruit that determines the character of the tree. Honesty and fairness in work are a practical requirement of a righteous life and belong to the character of those who would enter the kingdom. What was commanded to tax collectors generalizes to each person acting honestly within the responsibilities and limits appointed to them, rather than taking more than is due.
Failure to bear such fruit of repentance brings judgment, for the fruitless disappoint Christ. God will in no way excuse sin in an enlightened people. Blessings and promises are always upon conditions of obedience, while disobedience brings the curse. Unless they repented they would be hewn down and cast into the fire, as was seen in the Jews then suffering the curse under a people that hated them while claiming the blessings promised to the obedient.
In the setting of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector seeking to see Jesus, the standard of honest conduct expected of his profession was laid down, and it is the background for calling him a sinner. He had violated it by oppressing taxpayers and practicing extortion, which was out of harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures. The instruction exposed extortion as wrongdoing and convicted him from the Scriptures that his own practice was wrong. Though he heard it at the Jordan and outwardly disregarded it at the time, it impressed his mind and awakened a longing for a better life. Joined with the report of kindness and courtesy toward the proscribed classes, it kindled hope that repentance and reformation were possible even for a chief tax collector, leading him at once to follow conviction and begin to make restitution to those he had wronged.
Under conviction that he was a sinner Zacchaeus turned to obey by making restitution to those he had robbed, restoring fourfold what he had taken in extortion and giving half his goods to the poor. This was evidence of genuine conversion and showed him to be a doer of the words of Christ. The message given from that day is to be studied to advantage by present workers.