{"id":2640,"date":"2021-10-10T13:00:23","date_gmt":"2021-10-10T20:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/pentecost-19-sunday-october-3-2021-copy-2\/"},"modified":"2021-10-08T13:13:28","modified_gmt":"2021-10-08T20:13:28","slug":"pentecost-20-sunday-october-10-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/pentecost-20-sunday-october-10-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentecost 20 – October 10, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cEstablish Justice in the Gate\u201d \u2013 Amos 5:6-7,10-15<\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Introduction \u2013 not your typical Thanksgiving readings<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you are aware of such things, you may wonder how today\u2019s Bible readings relate to Thanksgiving Sunday. Let me admit that they don\u2019t, or at least they don\u2019t obviously. The readings appointed for Thanksgiving Day:<\/p>\n

talk about God providing for the Israelites during their 40 year long trek through the Sinai Desert on the way to the Promised Land, and<\/p>\n

relate the story of the one leper out of ten that were healed that came back to offer thanks to Jesus for that healing and restoration to community living, and<\/p>\n

call on God\u2019s people to bring their thanksgivings to Him in situations of abundance or need, for God supplies every need of ours according to His riches in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

Because those are the readings every year on Thanksgiving Sunday, and because a pastor can only preach so many sermons on the same readings and on the same theme, I have chosen today to stay with the regular course of Bible readings, with this being the 20th<\/sup> Sunday after Pentecost. The Epistle reading from Hebrews 3 talks not about God\u2019s gracious provision during the desert trek, but about the sinful disobedience of the Israelites during that same time period. That doesn\u2019t have a Thanksgiving theme. The Mark 10 story of the rich man who went away sad when Jesus suggested that he give his possessions to the poor doesn\u2019t smack of thankfulness. If he had given to the poor, we could take from that an example and expression of thanksgiving based on God\u2019s blessings for him. But his greed \u2013 not his gratitude \u2013 ruled the day.<\/p>\n

Finally, my sermon based on the Old Testament lesson from Amos 5 talks about social injustice and a complete disregard for the poor\u2026 not exactly a virtue to uphold on Thanksgiving Sunday. But here we are, listening to Amos\u2019 God-inspired message to the people of His time. Let\u2019s learn about our time from his time, about our culture from his culture, and let\u2019s see if there is some hidden Thanksgiving \u201cdiamond in the rough\u201d of Amos\u2019 message.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Amos \u2013 the man, the times<\/h4>\n

Amos was a prophet who lived and prophesied during the mid-700\u2019s B.C. He was not an \u201cordained\u201d prophet, more like a \u201cworker-priest\u201d \u2013 someone who had a regular paying job, but who served God as a volunteer, or maybe part-time. Amos\u2019 \u201cday-job\u201d was as a shepherd in Tekoa, just 20 km. south of Jerusalem \u2013 in the kingdom of Judah. But he was called by God to address the injustices of people in the northern kingdom of Israel, and to announce God\u2019s judgment on them.<\/p>\n

There had been a time of peace during the reigns of David and Solomon, but after that there was national turmoil \u2013 with separate kings, separate prophets, and separate histories for both the northern and southern kingdoms. In Amos\u2019 time, both kingdoms were enjoying great prosperity and they had reached new political and military heights, defeating the enemies around them. But you may know that a time of prosperity often brings its own problems, and it certainly did in Amos\u2019 time. There was idolatry, extravagant indulgence in luxurious living, immorality, corruption of judicial procedures and oppression of the poor. Amos\u2019 message was not just one calling the people to return to righteous living, nor was it a message meant to shake and warn the people. No, this was a message alerting the people of God\u2019s imminent judgment, an almost total destruction. Sure enough, within about 20 \u2013 30 years, God used the pagan nation of Assyria to uproot and disperse the people of the northern kingdom, and that northern kingdom would never recover its identity within the Promised Land. In the meantime, Amos called the people to lives of justice \u2013 just in case \u201cit may be that the Lord\u2026 will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. The message<\/h4>\n

So, let\u2019s explore the message\u2026<\/p>\n

a. Seek the Lord<\/h5>\n

Our reading started with the five-word invitation: \u201cSeek the Lord and live.\u201d It probably would have been good to read the words just before that, because they identify the problem. They also began, \u201cSeek me and live,\u201d but then they went on to point out what the people were seeking: \u201cDo not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal, or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.\u201d Bethel, Gilgal and Beersheba were centers of idolatrous worship with shrines and high places and altars that were dedicated to the false god Baal instead of the true God. God was warning that His holy judging fire would sweep through and devour those places of idolatrous practices. Nothing would quench that consuming fire of His judgment. If they didn\u2019t seek Him with all their heart and turn to Him, then they along with the idol altars would be destroyed.<\/p>\n

Seeking God is a common invitation and refrain throughout the Bible \u2013 in 1 and 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah, Isaiah, the Psalms, and other places in the Old Testament, but also from the lips of Jesus and from the pen of Paul in the New Testament. God was inviting people to turn away from their idolatry and to draw close to Him once again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

b. You trample on the poor<\/h5>\n

Amos then points a finger in accusation \u2013 \u201cYou trample on the poor, and exact taxes from him\u2026 you turn aside the needy in the gate.\u201d Hasn\u2019t that been a common refrain in human history! The rich always seem to oppress the poor, the big guys always seem to step on the little guys, the nobles always seem to rule over the peasants, the needy are ignored and turned aside, and it\u2019s not just individuals who do it, but groups, and even countries. The attitude is: \u201cWe need to keep the downtrodden in place so that we can keep OUR place of privilege and honour and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t know much about the rich young man that Jesus encountered in Mark 10. Perhaps he trampled the poor, too. One thing is for sure, he wasn\u2019t willing to part with his riches for the sake of the poor.<\/p>\n

About ten days ago, I received a hand-written letter in the mail from my dad. Now, my dad often has quite long and vivid and complex dreams, but this story was a real-life experience. Let me read it for you\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When that happens in human interactions, we are quick to identify it as bullying. And that\u2019s the kind of thing that was happening in Amos\u2019 day\u2026 people trampling on the poor and underprivileged, taking advantage of them, exploiting them with taxes, and the poor having no power or resources to defend themselves.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

c. The prudent keep silent<\/h5>\n

A third part of Amos\u2019 message is that, in that evil time, the prudent will keep silent. We generally associate prudence with wisdom, but here it refers to understanding and recognizing the realities and the evils of the day, and then not saying anything. That\u2019s NOT a good thing. People who know better are self-muzzled because of the threats of the evil times, the evil people, the evil leaders. They know that if they say something, they will be rebuked and reprimanded, and probably not just with words but with actions. So, they conclude that silence will keep them personally safe in evil times. But that silence means that the evil can continue, because there are no voices speaking against it. That\u2019s what the Israelite society was like\u2026 evil ruling the roost, and putting unspoken pressure on those who knew what was right and righteous. The prudent man cannot change the state of affairs in the society, so he silently awaits judgment. Sadly, there is truth to the saying, \u201cThe only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is\u00a0for good men to do nothing.\u201d And to say nothing! Amos recognized that that was happening in his day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

d. Seek good, not evil \/ hate evil, love good<\/h5>\n

The next aspect of Amos\u2019 message to take note of is said first one way, and then the other \u2013 \u201cSeek good, not evil,\u201d then \u201chate evil, love good.\u201d This word from God is the polar opposite of what was happening in the prevailing culture of injustice and oppression of Amos\u2019 day. People loved evil, and selfishness, and pleasure, and greed, and idolatry. That\u2019s what they ran after. They had the Commandments, they knew God\u2019s good intentions for people, but they turned life in toward themselves. After all\u2026 what good is good, and honesty, and integrity, when I can lie and cheat and deceive and steal and get ahead with no obvious consequences? In contrast, they were called to love their neighbour as themselves.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

e. Establish justice in the gate<\/h5>\n

One last part of Amos\u2019 message, and my sermon title, is found in v. 15: \u201cEstablish justice in the gate.\u201d That sounds like an unfamiliar concept, but in ancient Jewish times, visiting and commerce happened at the gate of the city. So did court. It was like a small claims court where the poor and disenfranchised could come to seek justice.<\/p>\n

Later, in chapter 8, Amos gets specific about some of the injustices that were taking place. The people couldn\u2019t wait for the New Moon Festival and the Sabbath to be over so that they could engage in commerce again, but that commerce was flawed. They were skimping the measure on the products they sold, boosting the price, using a dishonest scale, selling the chaff with the wheat, and even buying poor people as slaves. Back in Amos 5, God accused the people of turning justice into wormwood\u2026 that is, bitterness. Their kind of justice just didn\u2019t leave a good taste in the mouths of common people. The gate was a place of business, but in Amos\u2019 day it was rotten business. There was a lot of injustice taking place in the gates of the city, and God was calling them to restore justice once again\u2026 with a hope\u2026 that the Lord will be gracious to the faithful, and not bring about the judgment and destruction that were imminent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. Justice in our time<\/h4>\n

OK\u2026 that\u2019s a lot \u2013 a lot of Amos, a lot of Old Testament Israel, a lot of injustice. I said at the beginning that we would learn about our time from his time, about our culture from his culture. What does justice look like in our land, in our world, in our time, in our lives?<\/p>\n

Like the justice that God was calling for in the city gates, we often think of justice with respect to laws, and crimes, and the court system, and maybe even integrity in politics. We can be thankful for the rule of law in our country, and how those laws are upheld by both the police and the courts. On the other hand, we acknowledge that there are still injustices \u2013 when an innocent person is incarcerated for years, when a legal loophole prevents an obvious offender from being brought to justice, when trials are delayed – one way or another \u2013 as they make their way into the court system. We can recognize injustices on a larger scale, too, as we acknowledge again the atrocities associated with residential schools here in Canada, or as we consider the food inequality there is between western first world societies and third world countries, or as we consider that Covid third dose vaccine boosters are being administered in the \u2018have\u2019 countries while the \u2018have-not\u2019 countries struggle to get first doses for their people. If we are all part of the human family, why do such injustices exist, and why are they not being addressed? Through Amos, God is calling us to speak up, to speak out and to establish justice in the gates of our modern civilization.<\/p>\n

Trampling the poor and bullying also happens on a grand planetary scale as wealthier and more populated countries with large military forces push around those littler, impoverished countries. But let\u2019s consider this on a more personal level, because there are ways that each of us bullies others \u2013 not necessarily physically, but perhaps verbally, mentally, emotionally. We somehow think of ourselves more highly than we ought and more highly than others, and we use that to our own advantage. That, too, is addressed by Amos\u2019 God-inspired words, and calls for repentance.<\/p>\n

What about the silence of the prudent? There are times when we are fully aware of the truth, the background, the situation\u2026 and yet we hold our tongues, when simply speaking up could bring genuine justice to someone who truly needs it. Our silence can be damaging, maybe even deadly when we do not speak for those who somehow can\u2019t speak for themselves \u2013 the unborn, the poor, the bullied, the homeless, the hungry, the oppressed, the elderly.<\/p>\n

Sadly, there is truth to the saying, \u201cThe only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is\u00a0for good men to do nothing.\u201d And to say nothing! Amos recognized that that was happening in his day. We have something similar happening in our day. If you dare to say something that is Biblically correct but not politically correct, you risk public shaming \u2013 in the press, on social media, and maybe in more than just words. You can fill in the blanks with the issue that comes to your mind. We, like those in Amos\u2019 day, sometimes choose to remain silent and await judgment. And that\u2019s unjust.<\/p>\n

Then, and finally, there is the idea of seeking God (and good). One of the most thorough yet concise expressions of \u201cseek good\u201d is found in Romans 12 \u2013<\/p>\n

Love must be sincere.\u00a0Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.\u00a0Be devoted to one another in love.\u00a0Honor one another above yourselves.\u00a0Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,\u00a0serving the Lord.\u00a0Be joyful in hope,\u00a0patient in affliction,\u00a0faithful in prayer.\u00a0Share with the Lord\u2019s people who are in need.\u00a0Practice hospitality.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s more, but I\u2019ll quit there.<\/p>\n

We desperately need God because a lot of those injustices of Amos\u2019 time find their way not only into our society, but into our very own lives. It is important to truly and deeply seek God and live, for we all have our own Gilgals, Bethels and Beershebas \u2013 centers of blasphemy and idolatry. You might be thinking of a place that you go far too often, where you spend too much time and energy. You might be thinking of a place where, if Jesus was here in person, you wouldn\u2019t want to take Him along. You might be thinking of foul language that comes out of your mouth at times or attitudes that don\u2019t fit a follower of Jesus. For those things, we need first to repent, to honestly and sincerely acknowledge our sinfulness, and then to genuinely seek God. God invites us to draw near to Him for forgiveness, and for fellowship, and for a future. Seeking God really means turning toward and seeking Jesus for the forgiveness and salvation He won on the cross.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Thanksgiving<\/h4>\n

Although we didn\u2019t get this far in the book of Amos, in the last few verses of the last chapter we hear that a future day will come when God will restore the fallen tent of David and when all the nations will bear God\u2019s name. That is an image of the descendant of David\u2019s kingly family who would come and be the Saviour and the eternal king, and who would unite not just those two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, but people from countries all over the world.<\/p>\n

Throughout the course of human history, we never seem to be able to establish justice in the gates of any of our cities, in any of our cultures, in any of our eras. But when we can\u2019t establish justice, God can and does. God is just, and He establishes justice\u2026 but in an odd way. When that Saviour Jesus came, God\u2019s odd justice put that sinless Jesus on the cross bearing the sins of every one of us unjust people \u2013 you and me. God\u2019s justice punished Jesus in order to deal with OUR sins! Paul said it in 2 Corinthians 5: \u201cGod made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.\u201d That doesn\u2019t sound just to us, but it was God\u2019s way of establishing justice, and of allowing us into the gates of the eternal city. Amos said: \u201cSeek God\u2026 it may be that He will be gracious to His people.\u201d For us, for YOU, it\u2019s not just a possibility, but a certainty. Through Jesus, God, the Lord, the God of hosts, IS gracious to His faithful people, to YOU. Find God\u2019s gracious justice for you\u2026 in Jesus.<\/p>\n

For that, more than anything else on this Thanksgiving Sunday, we give thanks. It\u2019s Amos\u2019 Thanksgiving \u201cdiamond in the rough.\u201d Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cEstablish Justice in the Gate\u201d \u2013 Amos 5:6-7,10-15   Introduction \u2013 not your typical Thanksgiving readings If you are aware of such things, you may wonder how today\u2019s Bible readings relate to Thanksgiving Sunday. Let me admit that they don\u2019t, or at least they don\u2019t obviously. 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