Not a Prophet?

Norman Podhoretz has described prophetic action as two-pronged: speaking God’s Word as it’s perceived; and confronting the prevalent idols. (THE PROPHETS, Simon & Schuster, 2002) Scriptural passages heard on the upcoming weekend lift up this tradition of continuing God’s Presence and speaking out against rival gods. Contemporary followers of God are twisted & turned by forces seeking allegiance. We the People often find it more convenient to go along, get along.

AMOS, a herdsman from Tekoa near Jerusalem, was sent by YHWH to the Northern Kingdom of Israel– out of bounds–to illustrate with a plumb line how far out the people were. King Jeroboam was the leader of this spiritual defection, thus he would be killed and Israel overthrown (7:7-15). (see the 10 Lost Tribes) The entire Book of this prophet has to do with the abuse of the poor and the aggrandizement of the rich. You may well say, “That’s no longer OUR position: we’ve fooled God with our empty words and shallow justice!” Michael Jinkins reminds us that “Amos’ integrity lies in his ability, in his willingness, and ultimately in his courage to bear testimony to this word.” (FEASTING on the WORD, B 3:220)

“The best solution” to the authorship of the Letter to the EPHESIANS “is to posit a follower of Paul who wrote a general letter, and, in accord with ancient custom, attributed it to the one whose ideas he was expounding.” (ibid., Paul Achtemeier, page 231) Here in the very beginning, 1:3-14, we encounter the gracious intent of God to heal, redeem and forgive our brokenness. We who are marked by the Holy Spirit–ALL of us!–are to share in these blessings by announcing (again) what God is doing in the midst of our troubled world.

Many of us are familiar with the beheading of John the Baptizer: today it is presented in MARK 6:14-29. It seems that John had been speaking out about King Herod Antipas’ lecherous involvement with his sister-in-law, Herodias. For this he was thrown in jail, and martyred for his faithfulness. Herod gave a dinner-party to impress the local toadies, and rashly promised his step-daughter, Salome, that he would give her whatever she wished. Coached by her mother, who was smarting about the inferences of John, she asked for his head on a platter. Was John a prophet, speaking Truth to Power? Are you?? To what lengths will you risk your head?

Note well: none of these occasions did much to change the world’s systems of power, greed and injustice. Nor should you expect to make an immediate difference, should you pick up the prophet’s mantle. BUT these heroes of days gone by are still enshrined for their boldness, as are the innumerable victims of the intervening years. How will you deal with the world God loved?

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

We’re challenged every Tuesday to plunge into the texts being presented during worship on the upcoming weekend. Tell your friends to join in at horacebrownking.com