Saturday, December 16, 2000
Saturday, December 16, 2000
But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.
You know about tax collectors in that day and time. They collected taxes on behalf of the Roman
government. They were despised as collaborators. They were also infamous for their lack of
ethics. They would add extra fees to the amount they collected. This generally made them quite
prosperous. John does not tell them to give up their jobs. After all, somebody has got to do this
dirty business. What he tells them is to exercise honesty in their work. They are in a position of
trust. They need to honor that trust.
A woman reported recently about an experience she had in Japan. She was standing in line in a
subway station and noticed a pile of money lying on a counter unattended. Others in the area
noticed it, and she watched with mounting incredulity as each person left it right where it was.
"Finally," she said, "I was glad to see one woman walk over and pick up the bills. But she just
took them to someone else to ask if that person had left them there. When he said no, she put the
money back."
May we honor honesty and trust.
(Luke 8:15
NRSV)
Tax collectors came to John the Baptist to be baptized. They also asked, "Teacher, what shall we
do?" John replied, "Collect no more than is appointed you."
Dear God, help me to strengthen my honesty and trust. Amen.
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