Luke 3:10-14 and 4:18-19

Luke 3:10-14
"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."
Even tax collectors came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.
Then some soldiers aked him, "And what should we do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."
...
Luke 4:18-19
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and revovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

One of the things i was struck by, was how much in word and deed John's message was really in preparation for and similar to Jesus'. I'm not sure if it's just because I'm getting older and more attuned to what they're saying, but it's striking to see how much both of their messages were about freedom of the oppressed. And in John's words, the little (i.e. having an extra shirt, v. 10) things we keep for ourselves, we in some ways oppress others! But by the same token, the extra we're given, can be shared (to bless) others that don't have any (v. 10). To me, it continues to show that not only is Jesus (as He said) here to proclaim the good news of freedom to the poor and oppressed, but also WE need to be conduits of this good news not just in words, but deeds, too! (Lately I've been more cognizant of the riches and wealth we have living in the U.S. --whether or not we see it as such--compared with those in other countries that live on less than a $1 a day and suffer from extreme hunger and poverty. It shouldn't be so!) Anyways, all this to say that this passage continues to challenge me to be cognizant of the things I say and do. Do I have a generous, giving spirit or a selfish, hoarding one? I wish I could say the former, but if I'm really honest with myself, I'm more the latter...

**NOTE (a shameless plug) if you're interested in learning more about what you can do to help those who live with extreme poverty or hunger, check out the ONE campaign.