Breaking Open the Word

Amos 8:4-7
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-3
 
Amos is one of the minor prophets and we read from his Old Testament writing twice in year C, this week and next and once in cycle B. What make Amos interesting to me is that he is called the prophet of justice. While we read the other prophets and understand they are always pointing out the short fall of the people and what the Lord will do to them for their disobedience, Amos is calling out specific things in the areas of social justice that need to be corrected by the people.
 
When we read from most of the major prophets, their story almost always has their calling by the Lord to become a prophet. Most of the time they are reluctant to take the message of the Lord to the people. In the case of Amos, we hear from him in chapter 7 vs 14 that he was no prophet nor did he belong to a company of prophets, but that he was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. It was only then that the Lord called him out from following the flock to go prophesy to the people.
 
What we hear in todays reading is that Amos is talking to those who are in control of the markets, those who control the economy, those are setting the standards for everyone else to follow. They seem to think that just because they follow the rituals, that they offer the sacrifices and follow the feasts that were prescribed, that they are automatically righteous, that they are going to be a part of the inheritance that the Lord had promised. Yet when the observance of the feast or the rituals are complete, they go back to their bending the rules to continue to make themselves rich at everyone else’s expense.
 
He gives examples of manipulating the scales used to measure out the commodities brought to the market. They take advantage of the needy and even buy the poor and needy to sell them off as slaves when they cannot pay their debts. There is no forgiveness in their hearts, only greed. The last thing Amos says in this message is that the Lord will not forget what they have done.
 
In Paul’s letter to Timothy today we hear Paul both at the beginning and at the end asking the people to pray. That is not unusual, that the writers are asking the people for prayers. We often do that today ourselves and we have prayer teams praying for people every day. The unusual part of Paul’s request is that he is asking the people to pray for the Kings, the leaders and rulers of the people.
 
By doing this he is showing the leaders he is not in conflict with what they are doing to lead the people and the country, and he has no wish to disturb that peace. How many times do we pray for our leaders today, in our government, businesses, churches and schools whether we support what they are doing or not? Or, do we just become another voice shouting in the wind with all the others, trying to shout over the top of everyone else?
 
The parable we hear in our gospel from Luke today is that of the dishonest steward who tries to make amends by lowering the amount of grain the tenants have to pay back to the master. Not unlike the prodigal son who squanders what was given to him by the father, the steward had been dishonest and has squandered the property entrusted to him by his master.
 
So why does Jesus praise the dishonest steward? First and foremost, the steward is reducing the burden that the people have to bear. His forgiveness of their debts is exactly what Jesus always calls us to, that of forgiving others. The master, like the father in the prodigal son, does not punish the steward.
 
There is a lot we can summarize from all of our readings today, such as performing rituals without really taking them to heart, for being antagonistic to others and not praying for the peace needed in our world today and lastly, for not being willing to relieve the burdens that others have to carry.
 
We as Christians and especially as Catholics, should be leading our people to become followers of Jesus at all cost, and to act on the commands he gave us to follow Him in the treatment of all of His creation. Our one little voice in harmony with all others can make a difference in our world.