God of Justice
a homily based on Amos 8:1-12
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

On a first reading, this Scripture text is the most judgmental passage that I have ever used to preach on. As a minister of the good news of Christ, I always look for the angle of God's grace, of course.  Reading this passage, I must admit, it was not easy to find. However, sometimes you need to read between the lines to see the good news. This text requires a thorough between-the-line approach with an enormous magnifying glass to find it.

The uncomfortable truth about our passage is that the God of Israel is not happy with his people. In fact, God is disowning his people in this passage. It reads like God is saying: If Israel is acting as oppressors, I am NO LONGER the God of Israel, for I am ALWAYS the God of the oppressed. I am the God of the Poor and the God of Justice.

Moreover, the prophecy of Amos reads like a death sentence to the people of Israel. The same judgment that befell the Egyptian Oppressors is announced upon Israel. Amos recalls the Night of the Exodus in which every Egyptian first-born of every family died. At the same time, the blood of the sacrificial lamb spattered on the door post saved the Israelites from the same fate. Then Amos goes on to proclaim that the children of Israel are no longer protected by the sacrifices they bring. They are no longer the oppressed people that God freed, but they have indeed become the oppressors.

The amazing insight in this passage of judgment is that God is not partial any family or any particular group of people. God is partial to those who suffer injustice, those who are poor and broken and God expects all of his people to reach out to those who suffer. Amos is clear, God is not going to even pay attention to the sacrifices of Israel, God is not even going to honor the religious services of worship and sacrifice until the people become a people concerned with justice and compassion. Take care of the poor, take care of the widows, take care of the hungry and homeless, then come and worship me and offer your sacrifices.

How does this message apply to us? What can we learn from this passage as Christians. According to the apostle Paul we as Christians are part of the spiritual Israel. We are grafted into the heritage of the people of Israel, so this message applies to us as much as it does to any of our Jewish brothers and sisters.  And it's not like this message of justice is not contained in the New Testament as well. One of those messages of justice we can find in the epistle of James, chapter 2:

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

So, how do we measure up to God's expectation to take care of the poor and destitute? How much are we doing to protect the oppressed? Are we thinking along the lines of the ancient people of Israel that as long as we continue to go to worship and bring our offerings we are safe?

The good news of this passage is that God is a God of compassion and the second part of this message is that God expects all of his children to follow in God's footsteps to become people of compassion as well. The good news is that God cannot stand the tears of those who are oppressed, those who are suffering and those who are hungry and destitute.

This morning, God is inviting us to become more aware of the needs of others around us. Even in the wealthiest of countries, even in the most affluent neighborhoods, there are people that physically suffer, there are people who do not know where their next meal will come from. There are people who are caught in the catch 22 of a societal system that puts them into a hopeless and oppressive situation. Let us heed God's call and open our eyes to those around us we need to help. For that is what God requires just as much as our worship and our offerings.  Amen.