Jesus doesn’t ask us to seek to be loved, but to reach out in love. I’m asked not to point to myself, but to the other. Our primary focus must be self-gift, not self-get. That’s always a challenge, because so many factors are competing for our attention and time and energy, so many distractions to keep us from focusing on our most important priorities. The question that Jesus puts before us is, where does my ultimate allegiance lie—with God or with my possessions? The answer to that question will determine how I face the world, interpret the world, and interact with the world.
Amos was a prophet sent by God to deliver a message to the Israelites in the 8th century BC. They were a people who had become very materialistic and only outwardly religious. They ignored the kind treatment of others. They destroyed the land. They were more interested in making money than in keeping the Sabbath. They cheated their customers as much as they could. And that’s only part of his list of grievances!
The behavior that Amos observed and condemned unfortunately can be found in our society today. I suspect that we will always have the temptation to look out for ourselves at the expense of others.
A footnote to the story of Amos—the Israelites ignored his message. He returned home to Judah to leave Israel to its fate, which as we know from history, was later to be conquered by the Assyrians. In the ancient interpretation of history, this was seen as God’s punishment for their infidelity and refusal to listen to the prophet Amos. While most of us might not interpret history in this way anymore, it is clear that actions have consequences.
“If you would offer me holocausts, then let justice surge like water, and goodness like an unfailing stream.” (Amos 5:24)
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