Rev. George Miller
November 9, 2025
Amos 1:1-2, 5:14-24
Amos.
A shepherd living at a time when the nation is broken in 2.
The success of King David and Solomon is
no more. Their heirs could rarely do
what was right and pleasing to the Lord-
to do justice, love kindly, walk humbly
with God in the cool breeze of the afternoon or under the starry sky.
As a result, the nation has split into 2
entities- the North and South.
In the North is King Uzziah, so good at securing
a successful army and creating economic wealth, but goes into the Temple, acts
as if he is the High Priest, insulting God.
In the South is King Jeroboam. On the surface he’s brought peace to the
nation, with money flowing into the economy; but under those seemingly calm
waters, he is exploiting the poor, drowning in corruption, and building golden
calves to worship other gods.
Though Amos lives 12 miles away in the hilly,
rural town of Tekoa; surrounded by acres of olives, grapes, and barley, he sees
all of this transpiring.
Though his town is not wealthy, they are people
that prize wisdom, folk who can think clearly, and are not impressed by shows
of piety.
Amos is a shepherd. He knows how to be observant; reflective; a
keen sense of his surroundings, knowing when danger is near.
He would have a protective heart and
courageous soul, to keep the flock safe from predators and thieves.
He would have a will to endure- long hours
outside, dealing with rocky situations and harsh weather.
Take all these things together- where he
lives, how his people think, what he does, and it makes Amos a perfect voice
for God.
God uses this small-town shepherd surrounded
by sycamore figs and barley fields to speak out to the 2 kings, to have them
hear.
What they hear is not pleasant music from
a piano or the cooing of a turtle dove.
It is the harsh jarring sound of God roaring with displeasure, as their
actions are hurting the people.
The pastures where Amos works and the
fertile highlands where fruit and fresh water come from are drying out. There will be wildfires all over, and foreign
enemies crouching to attack.
But it does not have to be this way. Amos, filled with God’s “sophia”[1]
says “Seek the Lord; seek the Lord and live.”
Amos says “Acts with integrity. Don’t stomp upon the poor, steal their means
of bread, take away their housing, or push them away while you take a bribe.”
Amos, filled with a passion for fairness and mercy, tells the nation’s
leaders-
“God is not impressed with your shows of
grandiosity. God does not care about your
parades or pompous gifts meant to impress and control.”
“God does not care how loud you sing or if
you have 76 trombones, 110 coronets, and horns of every shape and kind.”
Amos is preaching with the wisdom of the town
elders, embodying the spirit of someone who knows what it’s like to live on the
margins, to guard his sheep.
But…he does not leave the people dry or on
a discordant note. He offers hope, a
chance to sing a different melody.
He says “Make the choice to focus on that
which is good. Enjoy making people smile
and feel whole.”
“Make fairness and fellowship your
priority, so when people walk through the gates of your city, they call ‘feel’
it and…exhale.”
Speaking for God, Amos says “Open up the
faucets of heaven’s desires so that there is restoration and harmony, compassion
and uprightness, balance, and flourishing.
In other words- “justice.”
Justice can sometimes be a hot-button
word; but it doesn’t have to be. Justice
is a word that means-
Integrity.
Fairness. Mercy.
In a small-town, justice may simply mean “neighborliness.”
In a place like Sedona, Arizona, full of
red rocks, gemstones, and yoga studios, it can mean “Wholeness.”
In the big city full of hustle, bustle and
honking horns, justice can mean “civility.”
In a church setting, justice can mean focusing
on the 10 Commandments and teaching of Jesus, letting go of that which does not
nurture God’s will being done here on earth.
For our veterans, it can mean “memory”- not
forgetting and honoring what was endured.
This is what Amos encourages us to do;
what Amos says is more important than shows of power or acts done with strings attached.
Amos encourages justice- Integrity. Fairness.
Mercy.
Neighborliness. Wholeness. Civility.
Memory. Restoration. Harmony. Compassion. Uprightness.
Balance. Flourishing.
So when that justice rolls down it feels
like freedom; it feels like music; creating a sweet, sweet spirit, not just in the
city, but in the small towns, the hill tops and the wilderness.
When that justice rolls down it sounds
like “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “This Is My Father’s World” all
at once.
When that justice rains down it sounds
like “Hallelujah,” “Feed The Birds,” and “We Lift Your Name On High.”
When that justice arrives it sounds like
the joyful songs of Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Elvis Presley all pouring down into
one big dance party.
When that justice rains down, it sounds
like “Here I am Lord; Is it I Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.”
When justice rains down, it sounds like the
moment at the manger, the waters of baptism, the invite to sit on the green
grass, the Beatitudes, the words spoken to Nicodemus at night, the woman at the
well, tears shed for Lazarus, and the greeting said to Mary on Easter morn.
Basically every word Jesus said, every act
he did was some form of justice, from feeding to healing to saying “Peace be
with you.”
The good news is that the Lord does not
have to roar to get our attention; things do not have to wither or dry up.
We can bring that change; we can be that
song of hope when we choose to focus on the good and act in ways that are right
and kind.
For that, let us say “Amen.”
