Two Prophets: Amos and John the Baptist: 11 July, 2021
Mark 6:14-29
John the Baptist is an essential character in all four of our gospels. His importance suggests that historically he was an essential part of Jesus’ story. The length that the gospels go to show his subordination to Jesus may suggest that originally John was the more prominent leader, and that in fact in the beginning Jesus may have followed him. John is compared and contrasted with Jesus throughout this gospel.
Like Jesus he preaches repentance. . . gathers disciples. . . inspires opposition. . . is executed. Those who speak faithfully for God always speak at risk. The end of this passage, however, points a contrast between John’s fate and Jesus’. When John is murdered his disciples come and take and bury his body. When Jesus is murdered his disciples are nowhere to be found. Shamefully, they have run away. Joseph, not part of the inner circle, is left to bury the body.
John is also like Amos. He speaks truth to power and suffers the consequences.
Herod is caught in the middle. He is caught with a foolish oath and thinks himself forced to do a cruel thing. He uses and misuses power as King David does, but with less promise of redemption. –– David Bartlett
Ephesians 1:3-14
Ephesians was . . . written for a time when the earlier emphasis on individual churches is supplemented or supplanted by a sense of The Church—transcending geography and perhaps even transcending history. . .
After the initial greeting. . . the rest of our passage is in fact one long sentence, full of subordinate clauses. . . in the form of a blessing. . . The marks of the Christian life are noted as part of the blessing. Christians are, already . . . adopted as God’s children. . . redeemed by being forgiven. . . blessed with all the abundance of grace. . . destined for an inheritance of glory. . . sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesians we get the sense that in an anticipatory way the church already participates in the life of God’s heavenly kingdom. –– David Bartlett
Amos 7:7-15
The plumb line of the vision apparently represents God’s right, straight measure against the crookedness of Israel and especially of King Jeroboam. It is no wonder that Amaziah reports Amos to the king and reminds Amos that he is preaching against royalty on royal turf. Amos’ description of his call is a reminder that he is not a member of a prophetic guild (see 1 Sam. 10:5 and 1 Kings 22:6), but was a worker called by God for the special task of prophecy. It may be that the guilds were especially associated with the royal courts, so that when God wanted to pronounce judgment against power God had to choose the outsider. Amaziah, of course, just wants Amos to go home; thus power speaks to justice.
The book of Amos stands as a constant reminder to faithful people that the issues of politics, economics and social justice cannot be divorced from loyalty to God. The piety that God demands is not alone for Sabbath day or cultic celebration. It has real-world, dangerous consequences. –– David Bartlett
David Bartlett (1941-2017), was an ordained American Baptist minister, Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and Lantz Professor Emeritus of Christian Communication at Yale Divinity School.
Homily Service 39, no. 8 (2006): 24-33.