Living forward in the present
Commentary
"I felt almost guilty thinking too much of heaven." That is what David Burton, a Southern Baptist turned Catholic told a writer for Time in 1997. Burton, brought up to think of eternal life as the ultimate reward for living a Christian life, was surprised to encounter some religious leaders in his new church who didn't want to talk about heaven. Believing that most of us just don't have the knack of living righteously without the "carrot" of eternal life dangled in front of us, Burton found himself saying about good works, "Let's do this so we can go to heaven." But almost at once, someone in his new surroundings would say, "No, no, no. Let's do it because we should do good."
Burton found himself thinking that heaven was "too much like an ace in the hole, that it was sort of like cheating" he said, to hold eternal life out as a motivator for holy living. (Time, March 24, 1997, p. 72.)
Odd as it may seem to us religious types, a lot of people today aren't much moved one way or the other by talk of an afterlife, no matter whether it's for judgment or reward. But we cannot go far, especially in the New Testament, without considering the power of eternal life in calling believers to righteous living in their present, earthbound circumstances.
The three pericopes for today offer a fine opportunity to talk with your people about eternal matters. Amos, though living in a time that had no firm concept of afterlife, nonetheless spoke words of damning judgment with final consequences. Paul, writing to the Colossians, praised them "for the hope laid up for [them] in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). And Jesus, with his story of the Good Samaritan, provided a memorable answer to the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25).
Amos 7:7-17
It is unfortunate that Amos is among those who are referred to as "minor" prophets in the Old Testament. Of course, they are "minor" only because their writings are shorter; not that their message is any less important. Amos, as his name suggests, bears the burden of God's people in his heart and proclaims on his lips God's word to them. It is a word of judgment that "all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword" (Amos 9:10). There is only a brief glimpse of restoration given at the very end of his prophecy. Although, it only takes a little light to dispel darkness, in Amos' world there is a lot of darkness to dispel.
Called from his peasant upbringing as a herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees, Amos takes on the powers of the nations and the king of Israel. Coming from Tekoa, six miles southeast of Bethlehem, Amos locates his pulpit in Bethel, religious center of the northern kingdom. The time is mid-eighth century B.C. during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 786-746), a generation before Isaiah arises as prophet in the southern kingdom. Amos utters God's judgment against the surrounding nations (chapters 1-2) and then specifically against Israel (chapters 3-6). He rails against apostasy, greed, immorality and oppression. His herald cry is: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream" (Amos 5:24).
The plumb line vision (7:7-17) is third among five visions that conclude his written record. Although the judgment described in two visions is mercifully set aside (the plague of locust and the devouring fire; Amos 7:1-6), the plumb line remains in the midst of the people. There will be no averting this word from the Lord. Destruction will come. The religious places will "be made desolate ... be laid waste" (7:9). The political fortunes of Jeroboam will go by way of the sword. What an ironic use of the plumb line! It is intended to aid in building straight and true. It's message here is that the judgment is true and will come straight upon the nation with God's exacting precision.
Amaziah, seeking to protect his turf at Bethel, rebuts with the same kind of wide-eyed optimism that Jeremiah had to face 150 years later (Jeremiah 7:4). Amos is not deterred. He is not a professional prophet with transferable credentials. He must obey the direction of God and simply do what God put in his hands to do where he instructed him to do it. The plumb line therefore also falls on Amaziah with a personal word of judgment (7:17).
Colossians 1:1-14
Even though writing from prison (Colossians 4:3, 18), Paul sets a positive tone for this letter. He is gratified to see that the gospel is "bearing fruit and growing" not only in Colossae, but also in the whole world (1:6; granted, "the whole world" was a tad bit smaller to Paul than it is to us). Epaphras was the sower of the gospel among the Colossians. Paul may never have visited this congregation in person, though he passed through the area on his third missionary journey. He is content to let this letter and the prayer with which it is sent connect him to the Christian fellowship growing there.
Paul gives thanks for the cruciform life of the Colossians. They believe in Jesus as the Messiah, which can be represented by the vertical beam of the cross, signifying the relationship between the human and the divine. They also have love for all the saints, which can be represented by the horizontal beam of the cross, signifying our human relationship with one another. Paul's own suffering counts as nothing compared to the life of faith and love growing in Colossae. The gospel is pre-eminent.
Paul's prayer (1:9-10) is a great blueprint for the prayers of pastors for their flock, parents for their children and Christians for their friends. First, he prays that the Colossians will know God's will. This involves more than just mental cognition of what God's will is. In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther spells this out in commentary on the Third Petition of the Lord's Prayer: "God's good and gracious will comes about without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may also come about in and among us."
This brings Paul to the second prayer request, that the Colossians "lead a life worthy of the Lord" (1:10). This will certainly be done, when God's will is worked out in daily life -- the decisions made, the actions performed and the words used.
As this becomes the character of life, then, Paul's third request will be fulfilled, that the Colossians will increase in the knowledge of the Lord. This growth, like bearing fruit from a mature plant, will manifest the very intent of the will of God, namely, to be active existentially in the life of the believer, bringing about the desired responses in word and deed. Thus, it becomes ethical knowledge, not esoteric knowledge, and abounds more and more in the life of the believer, like a light on a rheostat switch being turned on brighter and brighter (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).
And thus there is "the hope laid up in heaven" for the Christian from Colossae (Colossians 1:5).
Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan story is such common knowledge that President Bush could allude to it in his inaugural address this past January and expect to be understood: "When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side," the new chief executive said. What is not so well remembered is the question that brought about the story. The question is not so much the one about the neighbor, though that is the immediate question. Rather the question to which the story and Jesus' other words respond, is the one about inheriting eternal life. Jesus pushes the impertinent lawyer to answer the question himself. It is written in the law that one should love God (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and love the neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). The lawyer, as well as any good Jew of the day, would know that.
"What must I do to demonstrate that I have that quality of life that is valued by God?" This recasts the focus of the question toward the here and now of life. It would be easy to talk about eternal life as a kind of "never-never land," off in the sky somewhere, at which one will arrive after this life has run its course. But Jesus keeps the focus on this gritty earth, telling a story that enables one to conclude that the love of God and the love of neighbor are characteristic of the eternal life that one hopes to gain. When we behave as the Samaritan demonstrates, we have some grounds for saying we have inherited eternal life. It surely comes to us as a gift (Romans 6:23b); and that gift finds expression in how we actually love in our daily life. That's why it's important to ask, "Who is my neighbor?"
The neighbor is the one in need; the neighborly one is whoever provides for the need.
Mercy is characteristic of neighborly love. Notice how the Samaritan went out of his way to the wounded man, rather than out of his way to pass by on the other side, as the priest and Levite did. This is not just a physical matter, but also a cultural one. For Jews and Samaritans did not have much to do with one another, due to a long-standing history of animosity fueled by jealousy and judgmentalism (see John 4:1-42). It is a quality of mercy to set aside preconceived notions, however justified one may feel about them, to enable one to respond to another's need. Notice also how the Samaritan was generous and self-sacrificing, offering two-day's wage initially to care for the man at an inn, based on need and not on the deservedness of the individual. Again, a quality of mercy.
Application
Our era had been tagged as the Communication Age. The church has a communication to give to our nation and to the world, just as Amos had for his day. It is an echo of the judgment that Amos rendered audible and visible through the words and images with which he communicated "the word of the Lord" (7:16). In our age, of course, there are enough problems, wrongdoings and hatreds and broken promises to keep a regiment of Amoses busy issuing divine judgment. Thus, the church today sometimes needs to bring out the plumb line and raise a prophetic voice -- locally, nationally and globally.
But because of the revelation of Jesus Christ, Paul remained hopeful, even under the hand of persecution and rejection, of the hope laid up for eternal life would be manifest in his present age as well, with Christ being all and in all (Colossians 3:11). Therefore, his prayer for the Colossians can become our prayer for one another today. This prayer will help us focus on what is truly important in life -- the rule of God in our hearts and in the cosmos. To increase in the knowledge of God means the transformation of the self away from this age only, but to color this age with the hues of eternity.
This is the way to live, "because of the hope laid up for you in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). To live in the present in a way that anticipates the future reality of God's rule over all affirms the importance of the present, however fleeting and however partial. "Already now we can live in the power of the future; already now we can shape our lives in accordance with God and his future kingdom," is the way Eberhard Arnold expressed it in a 1923 lecture. His contribution to the welfare of Christian community was to stress that Jesus was serious in his call to radical discipleship. "This is why the church exists: to dare to start now with this future, perfect world of God's kingdom." (See Salt and Light, a collection of writings and talks by Eberhard Arnold.)
This last comment was made to his brothers and sisters in Christ of the Rhon Bruderhof facing oppressive measures from the Nazi regime (1933). Soon this community of radical Christian idealists would be raided by the Gestapo. They would have to whisk their children off to Switzerland for safety. In the face of this, they felt compelled, in the words of Emmy Arnold, "to continue to live for the witness entrusted to us and to speak out ... and so we continued to build" (A Joyful Pilgrimage).
What a benediction verse 11 contains for those who are sick, struggling, dying, doubtful, fearful, tired. Because Christians are the heirs of grace, we can thank God at all times; for God will strengthen us with the gifts necessary for daily life. Paul learned this through all his trials and was able to report God's salutary word to him, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). These similar words to the Colossians are very encouraging to Christians today. They point them forward through trials because God's strength for endurance will be present. They can proceed with confidence, for joy will be their reward as they exercise patience, knowing they can thank God in all things (see also Romans 8:28-30 and Philippians 4:4-7).
The hope laid up for us in heaven, as Paul writes, has the power to shape our lives on earth in the here and now. The Good Samaritan is to be every Christian, not striving to "inherit eternal life" through works of righteousness; but, rather, manifesting the already-inherited gift of eternal life through righteous acts of mercy in the name of Jesus, who commands his followers "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37). He commands us already as disciples. We are heirs of grace and now called upon, in Paul's words, to "work out your own salvation in fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Amos 7:7-17
In this text from the eighth-century prophecies of Amos, delivered in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II (ca. 786-746 B.C.), we find the power of God arrayed against the power of the state.
Verses 7-9 of our passage form the final vision in a series of three given to the prophet. Because of the prophetic intercession of Amos, the Lord has held back his judgment on the idolatrous and unjust kingdom of Israel. But now, in a final vision, the Lord tells Amos that he can no longer "pass over" Israel's worship of the fertility gods of Baal and her oppression of the poor in her society. God has set a "plumb line" in Israel -- that carpenter's line with a weight on the end which was used to measure whether a structure was "plumb" or straight -- and Israel is no longer upright, straight, faithful to her covenant vows of sole loyalty to God and his ethical demands.
God cannot abide sin. Precisely because God is Lord, Israel cannot be forgiven her continuing subversion of his lordship. And so in contrast to the exodus time when the Lord "passed over" his chosen people (Exodus 12:13), he will no longer delay their destruction. The idolatrous "high places of Isaac" (the name emphasizes the covenant) will be empty, because the people will have gone into exile. The sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan, where Jeroboam II erected golden calves for the people to worship, will be destroyed. And the monarchy will fall victim to the awful sword of the Lord (a prophecy that was initially fulfilled by the assassination of Jeroboam's son Zechariah, ca. 746 B.C.; 2 Kings 15:10).
Amos has threatened the throne. Now his preaching has become politically unbearable. And so Amaziah, the priest at the king's sanctuary of Bethel, sends news of the threat to King Jeroboam in his palace in the capital of Samaria. Noteworthy is the fact that Amaziah does not attribute Amos' words to God, but only to Amos (v. 11). In short, Amaziah does not think Amos is a messenger of God, but merely one of those popular prophets who live together in communes, who wander the land giving oracles, and who occasionally prophesy for money. Amaziah has seen lots of them. The difficulty is that Amos is preaching subversion at Jeroboam's own royal sanctuary, and that is not allowed. That's a direct threat to the crown, and the priesthood is responsible with the government for maintaining royal order in the land. Consequently, Amaziah doesn't wait for Jeroboam's response. He himself confronts Amos and orders him to go back to his home in Tekoa in the southern kingdom of Judah to prophesy. There the prophet, with his imaginary threats, won't bother the government. After all, Amos' words are not to be taken seriously.
Amos answers by telling Amaziah that he is not a member of a prophetic commune, not one of the "sons of the prophets" or one who has inherited his role. Rather, Amos was a peaceful owner of large flocks and acres of sycamore fig trees in the Jordan Valley, a wealthy man and landowner. He had no intention of being a prophet. But the Lord "took him" and commanded him to go north to speak the words that the Lord gave him. No ifs, ands, or buts. Amos had to go. God's power commanded him. And that's the power that is going to destroy the kingdom of Israel because of its sin.
Because Amaziah has not believed that Amos' words are from the Lord, the priest too will be judged by God. Israel will be overrun by Assyria, Amaziah's wife will become a harlot for the invading troops, his sons will be slaughtered, his property will be divided among the invaders, and Amaziah himself will go into Assyrian exile, where he will die.
In 721 B.C., the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire, its populace was deported, and its 10 northern tribes disappeared forever from history. Amos predicted the end of Israel, and the end came, according to the Word of the Lord.
Governments, kings, clergy, with all of their power, are not equal to the power of God. God speaks his words through his true prophets, whose proclamations are now preserved for us in the scriptures, and his words are fulfilled. God's words do not return to him void, but accomplish that which they speak (cf. Isaiah 55:10-11). Those words are full of mercy and forgiveness and love for all of us, finally made incarnate in Jesus Christ our Lord. But those words are also full of condemnation for our idolatry, our injustice, our subversion of God's will. And God, who is the Lord of all, will never be mocked. The prophecies of Amos are a call to us, never to rely on the powers of this world, but to repent of our unfaithfulness, to put our trust in the Lord, to obey his will in the power of his Spirit, and to live.
Lutheran Option -- Deuteronomy 30:9-14
We find in our text for the morning the final words of Moses to the Israelites, whose forbears were delivered from slavery in Egypt, who wandered through the desert for 40 years, and whose second generation now is encamped in Moab on the eastern side of the Jordan River, before their entrance into the land which God promised to Abraham to give them.
Deuteronomy is made up of three long sermons by Moses, and it is full of instruction for the Israelites' life in the Promised Land. It is also full of expressions of the love of God, and the opening words of our text echo that love. God, proclaims Moses, will delight in prospering Israel in Canaan as he delights also in prospering us. God wants good for us. God wants us to have life, and to have it abundantly (cf. John 10:10). He wills nothing more than our vital, full welfare.
But, preaches Moses, Israel and we can have that abundant life only if we obey the commandments of the Lord, and therefore show that we love him with all our hearts and souls. Our love for God is demonstrated by our obedience to him. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," Jesus taught (John 14:15). Love for God is not a feeling, but an action. Love for the Lord is faithfully walking every day by his word. And, added our Lord Jesus, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). In love for God, and therefore obedience, is found that abundant life that the Lord so much yearns to give us.
But of course that dismays us, doesn't it, as it dismayed the Israelites, because we know we do not very often obey the will of the Lord. In fact, we often do not even know the will of the Lord because we do not study the scriptures and let God speak through them by his Holy Spirit. Instead, we follow our own will and desires, or we go along with the fads, customs, and political correctness of a society concerned only with itself. And so instead of abundant life and joy, many among us know only aimlessness, cynicism, anxiety, fear or desperation. Indeed, even those among us who try every day to be faithful to the will of God, find ourselves constantly falling short of any genuine obedience. Is it even possible to follow God's will in our personal lives and in a world such as ours?
Our text mirrors the same question on the part of the Israelites. Were not the commandments that Moses had preached to them too many and too difficult for any one of them to follow? No, assures Moses. God's will is not some distant goal in heaven to which we must ascend, or some buried treasure in the sea beyond human reach.
In our time we could say that the ability to live a Christian life of faithfulness is not an impossible fairy-tale goal. Why? Because God, in his love, implants that ability within our hearts and souls. God, by his Spirit in Jesus Christ, lives himself in us, if we will let him by faith. And it is not we who live and act, but Christ who lives in us (cf. Galatians 2:20). Christ accomplishes that in our being which we are unable to do ourselves. Christ sanctifies, helps us grow, by his Spirit working within us (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18). And the fruits of Christ's loving work are indeed abundant life and joy and peace that passes understanding.
THE POLITICAL PULPIT
By Mark Ellingsen
Amos 7:7-17: Calling government to accountability
The First Lessons of July 15 (Amos 7:7-17), July 22 (Amos 8:1-12), and August 12 (Isaiah 1:1, 10-20) are all efforts on the part of the people of God to call the government to its accountability to provide for the poor. It's a call government still needs to hear.
It has become fashionable since the Reagan era to beat up on the poor and welfare recipients. I have not heard much objection from the American church to such trends, have you? In fact, segments of the Christian Right have been uttering "Amens." Even more politically liberal, democratically oriented segments of American Christianity have supported the welfare reform movement and applauded Clinton's and now President Bush's proposal for more reliance on faith-based organizations in caring for the needs of the poor.
Most of us are well aware that with the exception of a few rough years, we have been enjoying an unprecedented economic boom in America since 1980. But it has not been good for everyone.
In his most recent book, Requiem for Modern Politics, noted political scientist William Ophula demonstrates how modern economics are structured to concentrate wealth and power, not to distribute it equitably. In our mass-market systems of financing, production and distribution, there are so many middlemen between the producer and the consumer that the significant profit from higher prices seldom gets to the producer. The lion's share of the profits goes to the owners of the means of production and distribution rather than the people at the bottom, those who actually made/produced what we just purchased.
Ophula also notes that the enhanced affluence of the highest levels of society only increases the sense of deprivation among the poor. The richer the upper levels get, the poorer are the poor.
But how should we address the question of whether caring for the poor should be the work of faith-based organizations, and not that of government? The Augustine and Reinhold Niebuhr in me make me cautious of having the church be used by politicians who want smaller government. And it is worth noting that Protestant leaders like Martin Luther (Luther's Works, Vol. 45, 172) and John Wesley (Works, Vol. 4, 374; Vol. 11, 57-59) as well as American founders like Thomas Jefferson (Writings, 841-842) and Benjamin Franklin (Writings, 1081-1082) advocated government, not just church-sponsored, welfare progress for the poor.
Your sermon this week could at least explore this matter of the government's role in helping the poor.
Liturgy for your service
Call to Worship
Leader: Let our voices be lifted in song and praise before Christ our Lord.
People: For we are called to be the servants of the Lord and to seek justice for all.
Leader: We are called to serve the Lord in all we do in work or in play,
People: So that the world might see in us witness to the love of Christ our Lord,
Leader: Let our hearts be joined in praise as we gather now for worship.
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Collect
Most loving and merciful God, You have called us to the task of being Your beacons of justice and righteousness amid a cold and uncaring world. Sustain us as we serve You, Lord. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Lord, so often we only look after ourselves, and we let everyone else struggle on their own. Too often, we have thought it too much trouble to "get involved" to battle the injustices in the world around us. Forgive us, Lord, and as we remember the price you paid for us, let us be willing to give our lives for others. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Reprinted from Lectionary Worship Aids, Cycle C, Series IV, by James R. Wilson, CSS Publishing Co. (0-7880-1024-7).
Burton found himself thinking that heaven was "too much like an ace in the hole, that it was sort of like cheating" he said, to hold eternal life out as a motivator for holy living. (Time, March 24, 1997, p. 72.)
Odd as it may seem to us religious types, a lot of people today aren't much moved one way or the other by talk of an afterlife, no matter whether it's for judgment or reward. But we cannot go far, especially in the New Testament, without considering the power of eternal life in calling believers to righteous living in their present, earthbound circumstances.
The three pericopes for today offer a fine opportunity to talk with your people about eternal matters. Amos, though living in a time that had no firm concept of afterlife, nonetheless spoke words of damning judgment with final consequences. Paul, writing to the Colossians, praised them "for the hope laid up for [them] in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). And Jesus, with his story of the Good Samaritan, provided a memorable answer to the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25).
Amos 7:7-17
It is unfortunate that Amos is among those who are referred to as "minor" prophets in the Old Testament. Of course, they are "minor" only because their writings are shorter; not that their message is any less important. Amos, as his name suggests, bears the burden of God's people in his heart and proclaims on his lips God's word to them. It is a word of judgment that "all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword" (Amos 9:10). There is only a brief glimpse of restoration given at the very end of his prophecy. Although, it only takes a little light to dispel darkness, in Amos' world there is a lot of darkness to dispel.
Called from his peasant upbringing as a herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees, Amos takes on the powers of the nations and the king of Israel. Coming from Tekoa, six miles southeast of Bethlehem, Amos locates his pulpit in Bethel, religious center of the northern kingdom. The time is mid-eighth century B.C. during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 786-746), a generation before Isaiah arises as prophet in the southern kingdom. Amos utters God's judgment against the surrounding nations (chapters 1-2) and then specifically against Israel (chapters 3-6). He rails against apostasy, greed, immorality and oppression. His herald cry is: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream" (Amos 5:24).
The plumb line vision (7:7-17) is third among five visions that conclude his written record. Although the judgment described in two visions is mercifully set aside (the plague of locust and the devouring fire; Amos 7:1-6), the plumb line remains in the midst of the people. There will be no averting this word from the Lord. Destruction will come. The religious places will "be made desolate ... be laid waste" (7:9). The political fortunes of Jeroboam will go by way of the sword. What an ironic use of the plumb line! It is intended to aid in building straight and true. It's message here is that the judgment is true and will come straight upon the nation with God's exacting precision.
Amaziah, seeking to protect his turf at Bethel, rebuts with the same kind of wide-eyed optimism that Jeremiah had to face 150 years later (Jeremiah 7:4). Amos is not deterred. He is not a professional prophet with transferable credentials. He must obey the direction of God and simply do what God put in his hands to do where he instructed him to do it. The plumb line therefore also falls on Amaziah with a personal word of judgment (7:17).
Colossians 1:1-14
Even though writing from prison (Colossians 4:3, 18), Paul sets a positive tone for this letter. He is gratified to see that the gospel is "bearing fruit and growing" not only in Colossae, but also in the whole world (1:6; granted, "the whole world" was a tad bit smaller to Paul than it is to us). Epaphras was the sower of the gospel among the Colossians. Paul may never have visited this congregation in person, though he passed through the area on his third missionary journey. He is content to let this letter and the prayer with which it is sent connect him to the Christian fellowship growing there.
Paul gives thanks for the cruciform life of the Colossians. They believe in Jesus as the Messiah, which can be represented by the vertical beam of the cross, signifying the relationship between the human and the divine. They also have love for all the saints, which can be represented by the horizontal beam of the cross, signifying our human relationship with one another. Paul's own suffering counts as nothing compared to the life of faith and love growing in Colossae. The gospel is pre-eminent.
Paul's prayer (1:9-10) is a great blueprint for the prayers of pastors for their flock, parents for their children and Christians for their friends. First, he prays that the Colossians will know God's will. This involves more than just mental cognition of what God's will is. In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther spells this out in commentary on the Third Petition of the Lord's Prayer: "God's good and gracious will comes about without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may also come about in and among us."
This brings Paul to the second prayer request, that the Colossians "lead a life worthy of the Lord" (1:10). This will certainly be done, when God's will is worked out in daily life -- the decisions made, the actions performed and the words used.
As this becomes the character of life, then, Paul's third request will be fulfilled, that the Colossians will increase in the knowledge of the Lord. This growth, like bearing fruit from a mature plant, will manifest the very intent of the will of God, namely, to be active existentially in the life of the believer, bringing about the desired responses in word and deed. Thus, it becomes ethical knowledge, not esoteric knowledge, and abounds more and more in the life of the believer, like a light on a rheostat switch being turned on brighter and brighter (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).
And thus there is "the hope laid up in heaven" for the Christian from Colossae (Colossians 1:5).
Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan story is such common knowledge that President Bush could allude to it in his inaugural address this past January and expect to be understood: "When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side," the new chief executive said. What is not so well remembered is the question that brought about the story. The question is not so much the one about the neighbor, though that is the immediate question. Rather the question to which the story and Jesus' other words respond, is the one about inheriting eternal life. Jesus pushes the impertinent lawyer to answer the question himself. It is written in the law that one should love God (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and love the neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). The lawyer, as well as any good Jew of the day, would know that.
"What must I do to demonstrate that I have that quality of life that is valued by God?" This recasts the focus of the question toward the here and now of life. It would be easy to talk about eternal life as a kind of "never-never land," off in the sky somewhere, at which one will arrive after this life has run its course. But Jesus keeps the focus on this gritty earth, telling a story that enables one to conclude that the love of God and the love of neighbor are characteristic of the eternal life that one hopes to gain. When we behave as the Samaritan demonstrates, we have some grounds for saying we have inherited eternal life. It surely comes to us as a gift (Romans 6:23b); and that gift finds expression in how we actually love in our daily life. That's why it's important to ask, "Who is my neighbor?"
The neighbor is the one in need; the neighborly one is whoever provides for the need.
Mercy is characteristic of neighborly love. Notice how the Samaritan went out of his way to the wounded man, rather than out of his way to pass by on the other side, as the priest and Levite did. This is not just a physical matter, but also a cultural one. For Jews and Samaritans did not have much to do with one another, due to a long-standing history of animosity fueled by jealousy and judgmentalism (see John 4:1-42). It is a quality of mercy to set aside preconceived notions, however justified one may feel about them, to enable one to respond to another's need. Notice also how the Samaritan was generous and self-sacrificing, offering two-day's wage initially to care for the man at an inn, based on need and not on the deservedness of the individual. Again, a quality of mercy.
Application
Our era had been tagged as the Communication Age. The church has a communication to give to our nation and to the world, just as Amos had for his day. It is an echo of the judgment that Amos rendered audible and visible through the words and images with which he communicated "the word of the Lord" (7:16). In our age, of course, there are enough problems, wrongdoings and hatreds and broken promises to keep a regiment of Amoses busy issuing divine judgment. Thus, the church today sometimes needs to bring out the plumb line and raise a prophetic voice -- locally, nationally and globally.
But because of the revelation of Jesus Christ, Paul remained hopeful, even under the hand of persecution and rejection, of the hope laid up for eternal life would be manifest in his present age as well, with Christ being all and in all (Colossians 3:11). Therefore, his prayer for the Colossians can become our prayer for one another today. This prayer will help us focus on what is truly important in life -- the rule of God in our hearts and in the cosmos. To increase in the knowledge of God means the transformation of the self away from this age only, but to color this age with the hues of eternity.
This is the way to live, "because of the hope laid up for you in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). To live in the present in a way that anticipates the future reality of God's rule over all affirms the importance of the present, however fleeting and however partial. "Already now we can live in the power of the future; already now we can shape our lives in accordance with God and his future kingdom," is the way Eberhard Arnold expressed it in a 1923 lecture. His contribution to the welfare of Christian community was to stress that Jesus was serious in his call to radical discipleship. "This is why the church exists: to dare to start now with this future, perfect world of God's kingdom." (See Salt and Light, a collection of writings and talks by Eberhard Arnold.)
This last comment was made to his brothers and sisters in Christ of the Rhon Bruderhof facing oppressive measures from the Nazi regime (1933). Soon this community of radical Christian idealists would be raided by the Gestapo. They would have to whisk their children off to Switzerland for safety. In the face of this, they felt compelled, in the words of Emmy Arnold, "to continue to live for the witness entrusted to us and to speak out ... and so we continued to build" (A Joyful Pilgrimage).
What a benediction verse 11 contains for those who are sick, struggling, dying, doubtful, fearful, tired. Because Christians are the heirs of grace, we can thank God at all times; for God will strengthen us with the gifts necessary for daily life. Paul learned this through all his trials and was able to report God's salutary word to him, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). These similar words to the Colossians are very encouraging to Christians today. They point them forward through trials because God's strength for endurance will be present. They can proceed with confidence, for joy will be their reward as they exercise patience, knowing they can thank God in all things (see also Romans 8:28-30 and Philippians 4:4-7).
The hope laid up for us in heaven, as Paul writes, has the power to shape our lives on earth in the here and now. The Good Samaritan is to be every Christian, not striving to "inherit eternal life" through works of righteousness; but, rather, manifesting the already-inherited gift of eternal life through righteous acts of mercy in the name of Jesus, who commands his followers "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37). He commands us already as disciples. We are heirs of grace and now called upon, in Paul's words, to "work out your own salvation in fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Amos 7:7-17
In this text from the eighth-century prophecies of Amos, delivered in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II (ca. 786-746 B.C.), we find the power of God arrayed against the power of the state.
Verses 7-9 of our passage form the final vision in a series of three given to the prophet. Because of the prophetic intercession of Amos, the Lord has held back his judgment on the idolatrous and unjust kingdom of Israel. But now, in a final vision, the Lord tells Amos that he can no longer "pass over" Israel's worship of the fertility gods of Baal and her oppression of the poor in her society. God has set a "plumb line" in Israel -- that carpenter's line with a weight on the end which was used to measure whether a structure was "plumb" or straight -- and Israel is no longer upright, straight, faithful to her covenant vows of sole loyalty to God and his ethical demands.
God cannot abide sin. Precisely because God is Lord, Israel cannot be forgiven her continuing subversion of his lordship. And so in contrast to the exodus time when the Lord "passed over" his chosen people (Exodus 12:13), he will no longer delay their destruction. The idolatrous "high places of Isaac" (the name emphasizes the covenant) will be empty, because the people will have gone into exile. The sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan, where Jeroboam II erected golden calves for the people to worship, will be destroyed. And the monarchy will fall victim to the awful sword of the Lord (a prophecy that was initially fulfilled by the assassination of Jeroboam's son Zechariah, ca. 746 B.C.; 2 Kings 15:10).
Amos has threatened the throne. Now his preaching has become politically unbearable. And so Amaziah, the priest at the king's sanctuary of Bethel, sends news of the threat to King Jeroboam in his palace in the capital of Samaria. Noteworthy is the fact that Amaziah does not attribute Amos' words to God, but only to Amos (v. 11). In short, Amaziah does not think Amos is a messenger of God, but merely one of those popular prophets who live together in communes, who wander the land giving oracles, and who occasionally prophesy for money. Amaziah has seen lots of them. The difficulty is that Amos is preaching subversion at Jeroboam's own royal sanctuary, and that is not allowed. That's a direct threat to the crown, and the priesthood is responsible with the government for maintaining royal order in the land. Consequently, Amaziah doesn't wait for Jeroboam's response. He himself confronts Amos and orders him to go back to his home in Tekoa in the southern kingdom of Judah to prophesy. There the prophet, with his imaginary threats, won't bother the government. After all, Amos' words are not to be taken seriously.
Amos answers by telling Amaziah that he is not a member of a prophetic commune, not one of the "sons of the prophets" or one who has inherited his role. Rather, Amos was a peaceful owner of large flocks and acres of sycamore fig trees in the Jordan Valley, a wealthy man and landowner. He had no intention of being a prophet. But the Lord "took him" and commanded him to go north to speak the words that the Lord gave him. No ifs, ands, or buts. Amos had to go. God's power commanded him. And that's the power that is going to destroy the kingdom of Israel because of its sin.
Because Amaziah has not believed that Amos' words are from the Lord, the priest too will be judged by God. Israel will be overrun by Assyria, Amaziah's wife will become a harlot for the invading troops, his sons will be slaughtered, his property will be divided among the invaders, and Amaziah himself will go into Assyrian exile, where he will die.
In 721 B.C., the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire, its populace was deported, and its 10 northern tribes disappeared forever from history. Amos predicted the end of Israel, and the end came, according to the Word of the Lord.
Governments, kings, clergy, with all of their power, are not equal to the power of God. God speaks his words through his true prophets, whose proclamations are now preserved for us in the scriptures, and his words are fulfilled. God's words do not return to him void, but accomplish that which they speak (cf. Isaiah 55:10-11). Those words are full of mercy and forgiveness and love for all of us, finally made incarnate in Jesus Christ our Lord. But those words are also full of condemnation for our idolatry, our injustice, our subversion of God's will. And God, who is the Lord of all, will never be mocked. The prophecies of Amos are a call to us, never to rely on the powers of this world, but to repent of our unfaithfulness, to put our trust in the Lord, to obey his will in the power of his Spirit, and to live.
Lutheran Option -- Deuteronomy 30:9-14
We find in our text for the morning the final words of Moses to the Israelites, whose forbears were delivered from slavery in Egypt, who wandered through the desert for 40 years, and whose second generation now is encamped in Moab on the eastern side of the Jordan River, before their entrance into the land which God promised to Abraham to give them.
Deuteronomy is made up of three long sermons by Moses, and it is full of instruction for the Israelites' life in the Promised Land. It is also full of expressions of the love of God, and the opening words of our text echo that love. God, proclaims Moses, will delight in prospering Israel in Canaan as he delights also in prospering us. God wants good for us. God wants us to have life, and to have it abundantly (cf. John 10:10). He wills nothing more than our vital, full welfare.
But, preaches Moses, Israel and we can have that abundant life only if we obey the commandments of the Lord, and therefore show that we love him with all our hearts and souls. Our love for God is demonstrated by our obedience to him. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," Jesus taught (John 14:15). Love for God is not a feeling, but an action. Love for the Lord is faithfully walking every day by his word. And, added our Lord Jesus, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). In love for God, and therefore obedience, is found that abundant life that the Lord so much yearns to give us.
But of course that dismays us, doesn't it, as it dismayed the Israelites, because we know we do not very often obey the will of the Lord. In fact, we often do not even know the will of the Lord because we do not study the scriptures and let God speak through them by his Holy Spirit. Instead, we follow our own will and desires, or we go along with the fads, customs, and political correctness of a society concerned only with itself. And so instead of abundant life and joy, many among us know only aimlessness, cynicism, anxiety, fear or desperation. Indeed, even those among us who try every day to be faithful to the will of God, find ourselves constantly falling short of any genuine obedience. Is it even possible to follow God's will in our personal lives and in a world such as ours?
Our text mirrors the same question on the part of the Israelites. Were not the commandments that Moses had preached to them too many and too difficult for any one of them to follow? No, assures Moses. God's will is not some distant goal in heaven to which we must ascend, or some buried treasure in the sea beyond human reach.
In our time we could say that the ability to live a Christian life of faithfulness is not an impossible fairy-tale goal. Why? Because God, in his love, implants that ability within our hearts and souls. God, by his Spirit in Jesus Christ, lives himself in us, if we will let him by faith. And it is not we who live and act, but Christ who lives in us (cf. Galatians 2:20). Christ accomplishes that in our being which we are unable to do ourselves. Christ sanctifies, helps us grow, by his Spirit working within us (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18). And the fruits of Christ's loving work are indeed abundant life and joy and peace that passes understanding.
THE POLITICAL PULPIT
By Mark Ellingsen
Amos 7:7-17: Calling government to accountability
The First Lessons of July 15 (Amos 7:7-17), July 22 (Amos 8:1-12), and August 12 (Isaiah 1:1, 10-20) are all efforts on the part of the people of God to call the government to its accountability to provide for the poor. It's a call government still needs to hear.
It has become fashionable since the Reagan era to beat up on the poor and welfare recipients. I have not heard much objection from the American church to such trends, have you? In fact, segments of the Christian Right have been uttering "Amens." Even more politically liberal, democratically oriented segments of American Christianity have supported the welfare reform movement and applauded Clinton's and now President Bush's proposal for more reliance on faith-based organizations in caring for the needs of the poor.
Most of us are well aware that with the exception of a few rough years, we have been enjoying an unprecedented economic boom in America since 1980. But it has not been good for everyone.
In his most recent book, Requiem for Modern Politics, noted political scientist William Ophula demonstrates how modern economics are structured to concentrate wealth and power, not to distribute it equitably. In our mass-market systems of financing, production and distribution, there are so many middlemen between the producer and the consumer that the significant profit from higher prices seldom gets to the producer. The lion's share of the profits goes to the owners of the means of production and distribution rather than the people at the bottom, those who actually made/produced what we just purchased.
Ophula also notes that the enhanced affluence of the highest levels of society only increases the sense of deprivation among the poor. The richer the upper levels get, the poorer are the poor.
But how should we address the question of whether caring for the poor should be the work of faith-based organizations, and not that of government? The Augustine and Reinhold Niebuhr in me make me cautious of having the church be used by politicians who want smaller government. And it is worth noting that Protestant leaders like Martin Luther (Luther's Works, Vol. 45, 172) and John Wesley (Works, Vol. 4, 374; Vol. 11, 57-59) as well as American founders like Thomas Jefferson (Writings, 841-842) and Benjamin Franklin (Writings, 1081-1082) advocated government, not just church-sponsored, welfare progress for the poor.
Your sermon this week could at least explore this matter of the government's role in helping the poor.
Liturgy for your service
Call to Worship
Leader: Let our voices be lifted in song and praise before Christ our Lord.
People: For we are called to be the servants of the Lord and to seek justice for all.
Leader: We are called to serve the Lord in all we do in work or in play,
People: So that the world might see in us witness to the love of Christ our Lord,
Leader: Let our hearts be joined in praise as we gather now for worship.
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Collect
Most loving and merciful God, You have called us to the task of being Your beacons of justice and righteousness amid a cold and uncaring world. Sustain us as we serve You, Lord. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Lord, so often we only look after ourselves, and we let everyone else struggle on their own. Too often, we have thought it too much trouble to "get involved" to battle the injustices in the world around us. Forgive us, Lord, and as we remember the price you paid for us, let us be willing to give our lives for others. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Reprinted from Lectionary Worship Aids, Cycle C, Series IV, by James R. Wilson, CSS Publishing Co. (0-7880-1024-7).
