Luke 3:10

‘WHAT SHALL WE DO?’

‘And the people asked Him, saying, What shall we do then?’

Luke 3:10

The final stage of religion is duty. Everything else, however comforting, however holy, however true, is only its cradle. It is doing what is right towards God, or what is right towards man, for God’s sake. Never think of duty as a cold word. It is something better than love, for it is love in action. Let us think of the replies of the Baptist to those who asked him of their duty.

I. Do justly.—To the publicans he said, ‘Exact no more than that which is appointed you.’ The publicans, or tax-gatherers, were men of business; they may fairly be taken as representing trade, and the duty inculcated upon trade was accurate justice. We all have our commercial transactions—some more, some less—but every one, almost every day, does business.

II. Be gentle.—To the soldiers he said, ‘Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.’ Gentleness, truth, moderation—the men of force, the men of power—the injunction running just in the line of danger—the duty curbing and neutralising and sanctifying the besetting sin; for duty is almost always throwing into a good direction a part of the character which otherwise would have gone into a bad one.

III. Be loving.—To the people he said, ‘He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.’ Love; love in familiar exercise, love in common places, love in sympathy, love in giving. It is duty to take take care that your neighbour’s want never rises up in judgment against your superabundance. It is duty to endeavour never to let a day pass without your taking away—if it be only a grain—from the heap of suffering, and adding—if it be only a grain—to the heap of happiness which there is in this world.