TRUE AND FALSE PROPHETS  
Readings for Sunday, July 12, 2009,
 
Commentary on the Sunday Readings by Rev. Roger Karban

Even casual Scripture readers quickly discover that prophets have
problems with religious leaders and religious leaders have problems
with prophets. Today’s first reading narrates a classic confrontation
between the two.

Since surfacing and listening to prophets is the most acceptable
biblical way of finding out God’s will in one’s life, religious and
civil leaders eventually developed a method to circumvent this
process. Kings and priests created a system of shrine and court
prophets: people on their payroll whom they regularly consulted to
find out Yahweh’s will for them. Of course, because they “ate at the
king’s or priest’s table” their oracles almost always were what their
employers wanted to hear.

That’s part of the background for today’s Amaziah-Amos encounter.
Bethel’s high priest is trying to rid his shrine of its worst critic.
Amos not only uncovered the religious superficiality of such holy
places, he insisted its clientele stay away. Everyone, including
Amaziah, heard his sarcastic chapter 4 command, “Come to Bethel and
sin!” No wonder the priest is so determined to rid Bethel of him. Amos
is the biggest threat to him and the shrine religion he personifies.

That’s why Amos responds with the unbelievable statement, “I am no prophet!”

It doesn’t mean what it implies. He’s simply reminding Amaziah that
he’s not his prophet. Those who proclaim this reading during the
Eucharist should emphasize the first word of Amos’ remark. “Yahweh
(not Amaziah) took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go,
prophesy to my people Israel!”

The most ridiculous part of Amaziah’s tirade is his proposal, “Earn
your bread prophesying (in Judah)!” One of the five rules for
distinguishing true prophets from false prophets revolves around the
fact that true prophets never profit from prophesying. Who in their
right mind would pay someone for telling them the same things they’d
stopped their consciences from telling them over the years? Prophets
are known for their next-to-poverty lifestyles. Religious leaders who
“live high on the hog” won’t dare tell us about God’s will; it would
clash with their own behavior.

Jesus, the prophet, naturally commands those who carry on his ministry
to imitate his simple lifestyle. Only those who do will give
credibility to the message they proclaim. “He instructed them to take
nothing for the journey but a walking stick — no food, no sack, no
money in their belts … not (even) a second tunic.” Neither were they
to shop around for the best digs or food in town. “Whenever you enter
a house, stay there until you leave,” no matter how uncomfortable the
bed or lousy the food.

Those who are other Christs are to preach “repentance”: a 180-degree
turn in one’s value system and life style. They can only do this in a convincing way
after they themselves have achieved such a turnabout.

The disciple of Paul who wrote the letter to the Ephesians reminds his
community where real and true  wealth is to be found. “In him (Jesus) we have
redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions in accord
with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.” Those who
surface that kind of treasure will truly understand God’s will, God’s
plan for them. (SEE WHAT JESUS IS GIVING US).

Things really haven’t changed much over the last 2,700 years. When
anyone claims to be God’s mouthpiece, there’s a lot of questions to
ask. In Amos’ case, it was the person thrown out of organized religion
who actually gave us God’s will, not the representative of organized
religion.

© 2009 Roger Vermalen Karban
Father Roger V. Karban is a priest of the Diocese of Belleville, IL
and the pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Renault, IL.