Share with the crowd
Luke 3:11 “What should we do then?’ the crowd asked. John answered, ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.’”
The crowd ask the question.
John looks at the crowd and realises that his message of preparing the way for the Lord and of productivity needs to be applied to them.
The crowd asked so the message needs to fit.
The answer is to live not individualistic lives but to live within the crowd, within community.
John doesn’t give a list of rules. He is not like some of their rabbi’s.
He doesn’t say ‘pray more’. He doesn’t say ‘be like me’.
He knows the needs of the crowd. He knows there are the poor living alongside the rich.
So he says, ‘share your clothes and share your food’.
So what crowd do you belong to?
A neighbourhood crowd?
A work crowd?
A leisure crowd?
A church crowd?
If you want to know what you should do then you should share what you have with those in that crowd. Look for the needs and do all you can to meet those needs.
This will make you productive. This will prepare the way.
Make yourself available