Luke 3:10
And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?"
What then shall we do?
Acts 2:37
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Luke 3:10-14
Luke 3:11
And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise."
Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.
The requirement of the Law to return a tunic held in pledge timely is meant to protect the laborer who is in danger of having no covering for sleeping through the cold night. John's teaching completely fulfills the Law's concept of justice by sharing tunics rather than taking them.
Exodus 22:25-27
If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Deuteronomy 24:10, 12-13
When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort..., if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you. And it shall be righteousness for you before the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
James 2:15-16
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
1 John 3:17
But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
Luke 3:12
Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"
Tax collectors
Matthew 21:28-32
"What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him."
Luke 3:13
And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do."
no more than...authorized
Many religious authority figures in ancient Judea considered employment by Rome as a tax collector to be a sin. When these tax collectors asked John what to do, they must have expected that he might tell them to quit their jobs. Instead, John only requires that they deal honestly. His answer also indicates the legitimacy of civic governing authority.
Romans 13:1, 5-7
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Jesus also makes a clear delineation between our civic duty and our faith in God with His teaching:
Matthew 22:17, 19-21
"Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
"Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Luke 3:14
Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
Do not extort money from anyone
The Greek here (διασείω) is literally "shake violently," with the purpose being intimidation.
by threats or by false accusation
Soldiers used threats on a private, individual basis to get money from the helpless. False accusations, on the other hand, are made in court and perhaps sometimes at the behest of their leadership.
The lessons are clear. Do not abuse your authority for personal gain. Stand up for justice within the scope of your authority.
be content with your wages
Soldiers were infamously underpaid, and it was customary for Rome to look the other way if soldiers in a foreign occupation wished to find creative ways to supplement their income.
1 Timothy 6:6-9
Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.