Amos 7:7-15 is the First Reading appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Mark. As such it is paired with Mark's unusually detailed account of the beheading of John the Baptist at the hands of King Herod. The message clearly is, "Taking up Prophecy is a Dangerous Business!" The Amos text, however, does not speak of any peril to Amos, but rather his rejection by the priest Amaziah. The preacher of this text will be challenged to hear this rejection as our own.
(The following questions have been developed to underscore the function of the Word in the text. This is a primary concern of Law and Gospel preachers since the way the Word functions in the text is the way the sermon must function. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? If the Word, functioning as Law, always seeks to raise up our need for a Savior, then this text is all about Law. The opening vision is a vision of judgement as the Lord declares that "passing by" (i.e. overlooking) the sins of Israel will no longer be the case. In the short dialogue between Amaziah and Amos we see Amaziah, the priest, rejecting God's call to repentance. Finally, in the last section, Amos simply states his call.
2. How is the Word not functioning in the text? The Word as Gospel, proclaiming God's grace, is certainly not present here. One will need to look in the Second Reading from Ephesians for a word of grace.
3. With whom are you identifying in the text? It is tempting to identify with the hero of our story, Amos, but that will probably not serve us well, since the only word addressed to Amos is his call. Most of this passage is addressed to the nation of Israel and its leaders. That is whom we must identify with.
4. What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? The call to obedience is the Word functioning to invite us to live in a certain way in response to the Gospel. We might consider Amos' call such a call, but the Word clearly does not function primarily in this way.
5. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Without any Gospel word in this text, we must be quite inventive when it comes to couplets. Some ideas: judged/saved; dying/living; desolate/abundant.
6. Exegetical work: The opening vision of the plumb line might be lost if one does not understand the end of verse 8. In this ending phrase God says, "I will never again pass them by." The word translated "pass by" is a common word often translated "forgive" or "overlook." In other words, God's mercy is coming to an end. God has measured the righteousness of Israel with the divine plumb line and found the nation crooked. This is in contrast to the first two visions of chapter 7 where God relents from punishing after Amos' plea. These first two visions show clearly Amos' love for the nation. The words of Amaziah are also important, and show clearly his heart as well. First of all, he tells the king that Amos has "conspired" against him, an attempt to show Amos as a national threat. He also claims that "the land is not able to bear his words," once again trying to portray Amos as a threat to national security. Most damning of all are the ways that Amaziah describes God's house: "...it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the temple of the kingdom." Amaziah, a priest, is describing God's house as belonging to the king and the temple as belonging to the empire. Clearly, the national piety is in deep trouble.
7. Consider the insight of the pioneers of the New Homiletic? Charles Rice emphasized the preacher's task of helping listeners recognize their shared story in this text. Are there places that listeners could do this here? That is a worthy question to ponder.
Blessings on your proclamation!
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