The Word of the Lord comes to us today through the centuries, over the miles, from the vast recesses of history, in the dusty backwater of Tekoa, a small Judean village

Sermon on Amos 5:6-15 “Plenty & Want”

October 12 and 15, 2006 Grace E. L. Church

The Word of the Lord comes to us today across twenty-seven centuries and thousands of miles, from the recesses of history and the dusty backwater of Judea. The Word of the Lord for you and me today is the “oracle” of the prophet Amos.

Now a prophet is a spokesperson for God. The word “prophet” means “speaker.” And the word “oracle” means “burden.” Prophets are frequently burdened, and Amos especially was, burdened by God with the task of speaking the harsh word in a smooth time.

The message from God through the prophet Amos is a Word of judgment. He was told by God to preach it during the long and peaceful reign of King Jeroboam II. In that time, Israel had reached a height of economic prosperity and military strength that enabled it to dominate the surrounding world. The Israelites of that time took it for granted that wealth and power were signs of God’s favor—for, in their minds, Israel was a nation “under God.”

Onto this stage steps Amos, a rough shepherd from the wilderness south of Bethlehem. Amos hadn’t volunteered to leave his livelihood. God had summoned him to travel to the royal sanctuary at Beth-el to proclaim the judgment Word of God to a people who were all but deafened by plenty and pleasure.

And this is what he said:

“The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds wither, and the top of Mount Carmel dries up.”

The people who heard Amos laughed: What is he talking about? Why would the Lord be roaring at us, they asked. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

And again God spoke through Amos: “Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities….Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on Mount Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy…For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, reveals his thoughts to mortals, makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name! Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel,” O people of God!

__________________________

According to the most recently available U.S. Census Office statistics, nearly 11% of the Clark County population lives below the national poverty line.

According to the most recently available Ohio Department of Health Statistics, nearly 10% of all Ohio children have no health insurance.

By virtue of the current Ohio minimum wage, it is possible for an adult to work a full-time job in our state—40 hours every week—and make less than $12,000 a year.

Worldwide, of course, the problems are so much more intense: In Darfur, Southern Sudan, Africa (just for example), as many as 10,000 people are dying every month from brutal disease and hunger. And that doesn’t even take into consideration Niger, which is the world’s poorest country.

___________________________

This year, if we do as we have in recent years, Americans will spend over $2 billion on Halloween candy. That’s an average of over $7 a person—for every single person in the whole country for one night.

Contrast that with the fact that in our entire denomination, ELCA members gave an average of just over $3 a person to the World Hunger Appeal last year. In other words, the average Lutheran spends twice as much on Halloween candy for one night than they contribute to the World Hunger Appeal all year.

Here at Grace, we average a little better than that in the fight against world hunger ($21,614). But before we get too proud of ourselves, we should admit that out of our whole congregation of 1200+ members, only 107 people gave anything at all to the World Hunger Appeal last year.

30% of Americans 20 years of age and older are obese, and annually we spend $1 billion annually on chewing gum.

That is what God sees.

__________________________________

The prophet Amos was speaking the Word of God to the people of Israel who lived under the illusion that they were God’s special favorites. And because they believed that God favored them, they felt perfectly justified in continuing to “trample on the poor” and “push aside the needy in the gate” (I’m quoting verses 11 and 12).

The Almighty Lord God created everything we have and everything we know. As the old Gospel song says, “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine.” To everyone who believes that, it must be obvious that God doesn’t command us to give to the poor because there isn’t enough “stuff” to go around. The Almighty Lord God, Creator of the universe, can always make more stuff. So, if the problem isn’t a shortage of resources, why does God command us to take care of the weak, shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, and give to the poor? And why is He speaking this Word to us today?

It seems clear to me that it has something to do with what giving does for the giver and his relationship with God, as well as the receiver.

___________________________________

In my closet right now, I have ten pairs of black shoes. Lately, I’m having trouble living with that. So I’m asking God to help me understand why He is making me so uncomfortably aware of those shoes all lined up there. Is He urging me to spend less money on myself and give more to causes that benefit the poor? Is He telling me to put on a pair of shoes and go to help the destitute and needy where they are?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m just like you. I am not a slave holder or a slum lord or an oppressive capitalist. I’m just a self-centered sinner. When I see shoes on sale (in my size!), I will just naturally buy them before I even think about feeding the hungry or clothing the naked. And that’s why I know that God is speaking to me and you today. He is delivering His Word through the prophet Amos to us who live in the United States of America, a “nation under God.”

Last Sunday, in my sermon, I said to you that when we realize that we have missed the mark of God’s standard of perfection, we must come to Him and accept forgiveness for that sin. But then, I told you, there is another purpose for that standard of perfection. To the forgiven children of God, God’s commandments function like God’s Christmas “wish list.”

How can we please God? Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I don’t know how many pairs of shoes you have or how many television sets or how many anything else. And it’s not my business to know. My business is to speak the Word of the Lord. And the Word of the Lord today is this: “Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the world.” Amen.