5. ANÁLISIS Y DISCUSIÓN DE LOS RESULTADOS
5.6 Jerarquía de valores que manifiestan actualmente los
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government and be ready to condemn bad government. The church must be the voice of the people.101
Unlike many religious leaders of our days, “John was a man of courage and he blended it with his strong voice in condemning evil and corruption of the Jewish society and the excesses of the imperial power which was exemplified in King Herod Antipas’ moral bankruptcy.”102 According to Barclay, there are three outstanding things about the message of John. Firstly, it began with the demand that man should share with one another. This was a social gospel which laid it down that God is not happy with the man who is content to have much, while his brothers have too little or none. Secondly, John ordered men not to abandon their jobs, but work out their salvation by doing their job as it should be done. To John, the tax collector must be a good tax collector, while the soldier must be a good soldier. Each man should serve God in his daily work whether he is rich or poor. Thirdly, John’s message focused on the fact that he was only a forerunner; the King would still come and with him would come the judgement. Then, the chaff would be separated from the grain. John therefore preached for action and he indeed produced it. John indeed dealt with life, not just in theological subtleties.103
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remains significant throughout the Gospel.104 Also, the shepherds according to Luke were the first human beings to herald the birth of the Saviour after the angelic host had sang the first noel. The offering of the two pigeons instead of a lamb and a pigeon was the offering of the poor. Luke deliberately used this material to show that Jesus was not only born in a manger, but into an ordinary home where there were no luxuries of life.105
The teachings of John the Baptist were also used by Luke to portray his theme. John encouraged behavioural practices that uplift the society, promoting the right social conduct and a call the people to a life of sharing.106 John the Baptist taught that the repentant should not worry about social separation or sacrifice, but care for the needs of their neighbours. The fundamental ethics here is that of unselfish approach to life which involves meeting the basic needs of the poor which are food and clothing.107 No doubt, selfishness both at the high and low levels in Nigeria is a major factor aiding the scourge of poverty in Nigeria. As D.B.
Usman puts it, “our political appointees and public officers who are drunk with the wine of corruption do not care if they divert money for civil servants’ salaries or money earmarked for rural electrification and road construction to their private use. It does not matter who goes hungry, naked or sick, provided they (public officers) are sumptuously fed, radiantly clothed and ostensibly rich.”108 This ungodly act of corruption breeds poverty in the land. The church therefore must rise up to confront and expose such wicked leaders.
To John the Baptist, the mere having of food brings with it the responsibility of sharing with those who have none and are starving. According to Luke, a living eschatological hope does not ignore social concerns. It must provide a good ground for such concerns and motivation.
Any faith that is pure must include concern for the poor and the unfortunate of the society.
John did not demand his listeners to follow his particular “desert life-style” or rather the monastic life-style of the Qumran community. To him, the life of one waiting for the kingdom of God must be lived out in the world.109
104 I. Howard Marshall, 1978. The New International Greek Testament Commentary, 96-97.
105 William Barclay, 1975. The Gospel of Luke, 19.
106 Olatundun Oderinde, 2010. “John the Baptist’s Message of Repentance and the Re-branding Nigeria Project:
A Re-Branding of Luke 3:7-14.” African Journal of Biblical Studies. An International Journal of Biblical Studies. Vol.28, no.2, October, 10-11.
107 Darrell L. Bock, 1994. Baker Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament, vol. 1: 310.
108 D.B. Usman,2007. “John the Baptist’s Attack on Corruption: An Appraisal of Luke 3:10-14.” Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies. Ibadan: M. Alofe Nigeria Enterprises, 452.
109Robert H. Stein. 1992. The New American Commentary- Luke. electronic ed. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, Logos Library System: 133.
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The stories we have considered appeal to human hearts. The shepherds cared for their sheep, Mary and Joseph cared for their new baby and the angelic choir broke into the darkness of the night heralding the long awaited message; all to assure the humble poor that regardless of what the governments of the world might be doing, God cares for them. That was why the Son of God was born in a manger, not in a palace.110
110 Tokunbo Adeyemo (Ed.), 2006. African Bible Commentary. Kanye: World Alive Publishers, 1208.
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CHAPTER FOUR
THE POOR AND POVERTY IN SOME SELECTED SAYINGS OF JESUS IN LUKE