A Spectrum of Mercy 慈悲的光譜

Twenty Sixth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: A Spectrum of Mercy 慈悲的光譜

Jesus Christ did not come to abolish the Law or the prophets but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, like all the Jews in all generations, all Christians are also called to sainthood enshrined in the Torah. “Sanctify yourselves, then, and be holy; for I, the Lord, your God am holy.” (Leviticus 20:7) Peter, the Prince of the Apostles also echoes the same reminder. “As He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct.” (1 Peter 1:15) Is this Christian call to sanctification too demanding for our fragile humanity? But anything less would do injustice to the image of God (Genesis 1:26)! I’m sure with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to achieve it.

In order to make this call to sainthood more accessible to the Gentiles, Luke did a wonderful job in the gospel which bears his name. He says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) In fact, the gospel of Luke is a gospel of mercy in which he leaves us such classics as the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and the Rich Man and Lazarus etc. A spectrum of mercy is portrayed before the eyes of the readers. The parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are obvious parables of mercy. You may wonder why the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is also a parable of mercy. Let me explain.

Last week, we read of Amos’ criticisms against those who exploit the poor. “The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!” (Amos 8:7) This week, Amos turns to another group of people who don’t look wicked at all --- the rich and the powerful! “Those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge upon their couches, eating lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall; who improvise to the music of the harp, composing on musical instruments like David; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils, but are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph.” (6:4-6) You may wonder what the rich and the powerful are guilty of. We don’t need uniformity of life style, say a CEO of an international corporation must eat a $10-meal like a janitor sweeping the street, do we? The rich and the powerful enjoy high living standards which they are able to afford and their luxury sustains the consumption market making the society prosperous. Moreover, they elevate the cultural standard of a country. Hong Kong used to be called a “cultural desert”. Now the situation has improved. More local galleries are set up and more global auctions of artistic artefacts are held annually here in Hong Kong etc.

Furthermore, can we blame the rich and the people in power for being indifferent to “the collapse of Joseph”? That is hard to establish. It is true that in different civilizations, there have been kings who were more interested in cultural matters while their kingdoms collapsed. For example, Nabonidus the Babylonian emperor who was interested in archaeology and religious reforms had his Babylonian Empire conquered by Cyrus the Persian king without putting up a fight. In China, the last emperor of Southern Tang, Li Yu 李煜 is immortalized as the “King of Lyrics for A Thousand Generations”. Alas! Which empire or kingdom on earth is eternal, except the Kingdom of Heaven? On what ground can we blame someone who happened to be the last emperor?

But are the rich and the powerful blameless if they omit to do their duty while they are in possession of more resources on earth? They cannot be blameless! The parable of “The Rich Man and Lazarus” lays the issue squarely before the rich and the powerful! Wait. The parable doesn’t point the finger to the rich man for the death of Lazarus. No. Jesus never passes judgments in His parables which are always invitations for us to rethink our lives. Jesus is not the accuser who accuses us day and night before God (Revelation 12:10). Jesus would not accuse the rich man but Satan would. This parable is definitely not one of justice or fairness. Why?

In this parable, allowing a poor person to die is not a legal issue. No legal system on earth can convict the rich man for negligence leading to the death of Lazarus! To a certain extent, it can be a moral issue because though the rich man did not directly murder Lazarus, most people would feel that it is immoral of him to omit actions within his means and allow a person to die unnecessarily. The case against the rich man becomes stronger because he knew Lazarus (Luke 16:24) and Lazarus was physically near to him, just lying at his door (16:20). Yet, the rich man did nothing to alleviate the plights of Lazarus. It is less immoral than directly killing Lazarus. Nevertheless, it is immoral.
Of course, the rich man is entitled to enjoy whatever he possesses and to dispose of his possessions at his pleasure. We have to respect his right to private property. Moreover, the rich man might counter that Lazarus deserves to suffer because he was lazy and is now punished by God etc. He could have many excuses under his sleeves for not helping Lazarus. We can only protest that it is morally pungent to omit beneficent actions towards Lazarus while you can. Other than that, it is impossible to pass any moral judgment on the rich man.

It is a spiritual issue, an issue on mercy. Why is an issue of mercy a spiritual issue? It is because for the moment we are living in the universe of Luke. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (6:37) For us Gentiles, being merciful leads us to sainthood. Then, why is this parable a parable of mercy and not a parable of justice? Take a look at the choice of characters. There is no God, neither a king nor a master. Instead we have Abraham! Remember the Magnificat? The Blessed Virgin Mary says, “… remembering His mercy, according to His promise to … Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (1:54-55) God is honouring His promise in this parable by showing mercy. Now, let’s continue with our meditation.
Which of the two do we feel pitiful, the rich man or Lazarus? Naturally, most people would feel sorry for Lazarus. But think again. Lazarus ends up in consolation while the rich man in torment (16:25). Don’t you feel sorry for the rich man? Naturally, we would say he deserves the torment and justice has prevailed etc. Wait, are we making use of one of the rich man’s excuses that Lazarus deserves to suffer? No wonder Jesus reminds us not to judge (Matthew 7:1). Can we suspend our judgment and try again? Whom deserves mercy, the rich man or Lazarus? Let me assure you. Both of them deserve!

The rich man is rich in materials which take away too much of his attention so that he has no room to establish quality relations with God and with men. That probably explains the “great chasm” which nobody is able to cross to the other side (Luke 16:26), probably not even God. But isn’t God almighty? What can stop God from crossing it?
Yes, God is almighty and no because God would not contradict Himself. He created us in His image. Thus, we inherited His freedom which He should respect. He would be happy to see us return to Him but He should never force us to repent. Furthermore, to guarantee that He would not overstep, God established covenants with humanity to restrain Himself. Therefore, we cannot blame God for our damnation. It is the choices which we have made throughout our lives that build up or dismantle the chasm between us and God, between us and our neighbour. Unlike the parable of Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25, nobody sent the rich man to the netherworld in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus! He found himself there after he was buried (16:22-23).

God has been waiting patiently for the rich man to repent. He is merciful in sending Lazarus, meaning “God helps” to offer the rich man opportunities to repent; and is ready to forgive the moment he repents. Pay attention to the fact that Lazarus never utters a single word in the parable. His plights speak volume! Had the rich man been merciful and compassionate for the plights of Lazarus and had acted to alleviate them, the chasm would not have been too deep to cross! Thus, it is a spiritual issue all along. Now would you still feel that the rich man deserves to suffer? If you would, perhaps you should read the story of Jonah again. Or would you feel compassionate for the rich man because of the burden he bore throughout his life, struggling to survive among the thorns?

Brethren! Luke has portrayed for us a spectrum of mercy. At one end, there is a Good Samaritan who goes all the way to show mercy to an enemy who is a brother in his eyes. It is a mercy shown among equals. At the opposite end, there is a rich man who allows a brother to die like an alien, rejecting God’s gift of mercy. It is still a mercy shown among equals. The Prodigal Son is in the middle. The father has to show his mercy to both sons. It is a mercy shown from above.
Brethren! I am confident in the apostle’s word that Jesus intercedes for us at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34). The merciful Lord will go all the way out to deliver the rich man in His mercy in an ineffable way that we are unable to understand. Amen.
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: jesusfilm.org

A Utilitarian God? 天主功利嗎？

Third Lenten Sunday, Year C
Theme: A Utilitarian God? 天主功利嗎？

In the gospel reading today, we read of the parable of the barren fig tree. Usually we focus on the mercy of Jesus Christ, the gardener who always intercedes for our good at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34). But today, my attention is somehow attracted to an inconsistency which I have never noticed before: God seems to be utilitarian (Luke 13:7). Woe to us if God were utilitarian! His love, mercy, righteousness and truth would all be questionable. Our existence would not be worth living. What a terrible world!

Fortunately, as far as my understanding goes, the Father whom Jesus Christ reveals is not utilitarian.
First of all, in doing anything, it is not necessary for God to do any cost-benefit-analysis before He takes actions. Why? Because God is eternal. He is free in the dimension of time and is able to travel freely to and fro along this dimension. Translating this into the time it takes in getting something done, it is zero. Therefore, God’s energy and power becomes infinite. That’s what we mean in physics when we say theologically that God is almighty. When God’s energy/power is infinite, no work is able to cost God anything. That’s is to say, the word “cost” does not exist in God’s dictionary!
Nevertheless, costs do exist in our universe. Energy has to be dissipated in getting work done because the universe we know exists in time. For example, the energy to get things done, such as the multiplication of bread to feed 5000 people from five loaves and two fish, is huge in our eyes. [Using the famous Einstein formula E=mc², and assuming 100 gm of starch for an adult per meal. Therefore 5000 * 100 gm = 500 Kg of mass should be created. Take the speed of light to be 3 x 108 m/s. It costs God 500*(3x108)² Joules of energy: 4.5x10¹⁶ KJ, where 1 KJ is energy of running a 1 Kilo-Watt heater for 1 second. Given that there are 3.1536x10⁷ seconds a year. The amount of energy God created is enough to run 1 million 1KW heaters for 1.427 million years!] Nevertheless, it is negligible in God’s eye because previously, God fed sixty thousand Israelites for forty years in the wilderness with manna!
From this first premise, we can deduce that if God so wishes, He would save humanity without the need to count the amount of costs, even suffering death to repay all our debts! This is exactly what the Father is doing when He sends His only begotten Son to become flesh (John 1:14) and to die on the cross to redeem humanity. He couldn’t care less the actual costs He has to pay. Costs do not bother Him, but love does. Therefore, the last label we can apply to God is utilitarian.

On the other hand, we find “bad guys” reasoning in a utilitarian manner in the gospels. For example, Jesus had raised Lazarus from dead. The status of the Jewish religious authority was furthered eroded and threatened. Therefore Caiaphas the High Priest wanted to make sure that Jesus should die and persuaded the Sanhedrin to hand Jesus over to the Romans. He said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” (11:49-50) Killing an innocent person is evil because it breaches the Ten Commandments. But killing the whole nation is an even greater evil. In order to save the whole nation, they were willing to give up the life of one innocent person! To soothe their conscience, they would make up crimes to frame the innocent. It is prudent to choose the lesser evil! The logic was good to the ear and Caiaphas prevailed.
Take another example, when Mary the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus with a liter of costly perfumed oil, Judas complained, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” (12:5) Let’s put aside the motive of Judas’ complaint and simply consider the validity of his logic. His rationale was truly utilitarian. Jesus was only one person whereas 300 days’ wages would be able to feed 300 families! The usefulness of the money would be greater if it were spent on relieving the plights of 300 families instead of on showing gratitude to a single person. The logic was impeccable. But in the end, Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. His demise was tragic. These two examples show that at least God does not buy utilitarianism.

Let’s take a look at the symbols in the parable of the barren fig tree. The master of the vineyard is a symbol of God the Father. Of course the gardener is Jesus Christ who intercedes for us. The vineyard has been a popular image the prophets conjured up to describe the Israelites (Isaiah 3:14, 5:1; Jeremiah 12:10; Ezekiel 28:26; Hosea 2:15; Amos 4:9, Micah 1:6). But vineyard is not the exclusive symbol. There are others, such as the fig tree. Usually fig and vine are mentioned in the same breath, symbolizing the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1 Kings 4:25), or Judah alone (2 Kings 18:31; Jeremiah 8:13). Furthermore, Jeremiah had a vision of two baskets of figs, one baskets of good figs and the other evil (24:1-10). The good figs symbolized the Jews exiled to Babylon and the evil ones were those remained behind and relied on the alliance of Egypt. Therefore, when Jesus told this parable, the barren fig tree was Jerusalem, her citizens together with their religious authority.

Here are the master’s words, “For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So, cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?” (Luke 13:7) St. Augustine interpreted the “three years” as three ages in the Salvation History: the age of Patriarchs, the age of prophets and lastly the age of the gospel. God visited the Israelites and interacted with them throughout these three stages and yet the Israelites did not believe and live a righteous life. The fourth year represents the age of the Church. With the help of the Son of God, hopefully the Church, the People of God, is able to bear the righteous fruit which the Father demands etc.
It is not the interpretation by the Church Fathers which troubles me. Rather, it is the utilitarian logic of the master of the vineyard that makes me uncomfortable. “Why should it exhaust the soil?” Some Church Fathers suggested that the Church have more Gentiles than Jews nowadays, the fourth year. The addition of Gentiles would save the day. The soil is not wasted etc. But that’s not the point. How can God reason in a utilitarian manner? If utilitarianism is right, then Caiaphas and Judas cannot be wrong!

Take a step back. The world is full of evil. The story of Job tells us that without God’s permission, evil cannot prevail. Why God allows evil is another thorny question which theologians are having a hard time struggling with. If we accept such a premise, one may argue that God does not approve utilitarianism but allows it to exist. It is a respectable branch of ethics which is guiding a lot of people in their decision making in a rational manner. Indeed, the existence of utilitarianism is not without merits. Plurality is always better than uniformity. If only one ethics system is permitted, the ideology of a country would suffer malnutrition and her culture a poverty of ideas. Lastly, we may argue that God is not utilitarian but most of us readers are. Therefore in order to keep the parable simple, not requiring extra explanations and qualifications, Luke personified the master in a human understandable manner. I will not oppose this argument.

Brethren! Allow me to apologize for such a dry and rational workout. The good Lord says, “Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16) I use this in a defensive manner that I am only a fig tree. Don’t look for grapes in me! I have to confess that for years I have been trying hard not to be so rational but more spiritual, obviously without success. There are some unknown obstacles that divert my efforts. Perhaps I’m applying my efforts in a wrong direction or perhaps I need to let go and entrust my soul into the hand of the Holy Spirit to carry me where it pleases God.
Pray for me.
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: wchimereflections.blogspot.com

On Social Justice

The Catholic Church opts for the poor. This is her position on social justice. She is carrying on the prophetic tradition. In the current situation, a prophet speaks for the poor and the under-privileged. A prophet takes up the role of the conscience of the society.

It is hard to believe how the poor are exploited. Read this.
saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great, and deal deceitfully with false balances,
that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and sell the refuse of the wheat?" (Amos 8:5-6)
To buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals! How we can reduce a human being to a pair of sandals!

Recently, a legislator said that the minimum wage of workers should be set at twenty Hong Kong dollar an hour. He stirs up a barrage of outcries and is nicknamed "Twenty Dollar Cheung". At present, the monthly salary of a domestic helper stands at $3850. Let us add $2150 for housing, transportation and food etc. to make up $6000 a month. Divide it by $20 per hour. It means a worker has to work 300 hours a month in order to earn this wage. Roughly, it means a worker has to work 10 hours a day, 30 days a month at this wage level. Imagine the quality of life of such a worker! Will he be able to feed a family of four, if a meal for one costs $20? He needs to spend 4 x 2 x 30 x $20= $4800 per month! How much is left for housing, for transportation and for school fees etc. He has to reduce spending on food! No wonder the public is outrageous!

The legislator ran restaurants. When one of his restaurants, in which I happened to hold my wedding banquet, was wound up, he was supposed to pay wages and severance payments etc. to his employees. But as a legislator, he knew the labour ordinance well. Instead of digging into his own pocket to pay the employees, he applied for the Protection of Wage for Insolvency Fund (PWIF) to pay his employees. He did not spend a single cent. The taxpayers paid for him! I learned this from the lips of a retired labour officer. Now, I understand more the truth of the complaints of Amos. Society has changed. You don't need to buy the needy for a pair of sandals. You buy them without spending a single cent. The taxpayers pay for you! No wonder businessmen are eager to gain admittance into the legislative chamber. No wonder the democratic camp fights really hard for the abolition of functional constituency through which "Twenty Dollar Cheung" got admitted into the legislative chamber.

Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky (Psalm 85:11).
Dear Lord, how will You carry out Your righteousness for the needy in Hong Kong? We long for Your faithfulness, as a deer thirsts for fresh running streams. Amen.

We need more convincing people

What the (political) world needs now is more convincing people, people who are able to persuade the crowd with their words and actions. Not only do we want eloquent people, but we also want people of action. In ancient times, these were saints. In Biblical times, these were prophets.
We finished the 21-hour Patrology seminar today. We have learned a lot. Fr. Victor Aguilar from Macau, helped us build a link between our religious practices today with what is described in the New Testament. The Age of Church Fathers is the missing link. These Church Fathers responded to the crises of the day and left us with their teachings, church organization and liturgy etc. In time of crises, God would raise, for the Church, many outstanding saints. A greater enthusiasm for monasticism would also appear. Many people would seek deeper union with God through a solitary life or a cenobitic one.

Not everybody is called to be prophets. Each one of us is gifted in different ways. God only wants us to make good use of the talents He has given us. In the case of prophets, they must be prepared to be unpopular. Many times, prophets worked behind the scene to divert God's intended punishment. For example, Moses prayed to God to spare the rebellious Israelites who had made a golden calf to lead them out of the wilderness (Exodus 32:11-13). In reading Amos 7, we find the Amos did the same.
First of all, God showed Amos that He intended to send locusts to eat up all the crops. Amos intervened.
I said, "O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"
The LORD repented concerning this; "It shall not be," said the LORD (Amos 7:2b-3)
Then God showed Amos that He intended to consume them with fire. Amos intervened again with similar words.
Then I said, "O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"
The LORD repented concerning this; "This also shall not be," said the Lord GOD (Amos 7:5-6).
God had chosen well. Amos loved his own people. A prophet should love his own people without seeking rewards or gratitude from them.

Indeed, Amos was not welcomed by the people in authority. Here, we find an exchange between Amaziah the priest of Bethel and Amos.
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words." (Amos 7:10)
Amaziah expected the King to take action to remove Amos from Israel. More than that, he took the matter into his own hand and persuaded this trouble maker to flee.
And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there;
but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." (Amos 7:12-13)
This is my turf. Don't mess it up. You are not welcomed here. Go elsewhere.
Of course, Amos did not leave. He stood his ground and continued to convey God's message to Israel.
The Democratic Party will stand their ground and continue their fight for universal suffrage. But they need to be more convincing. They need to back up their words with actions.

Dear Lord, without Your mandate, our voices and actions are feeble. Stand by us to build Your Kingdom on earth here and now. Amen.

When Democrats are not democratic

For practitioners of a religion true to the meaning of the term religion, their faith and morality must be compatible. Their faith will demand a certain behavioural norm. Some "religions" are "cults" because they encourage and practise harmful behaviours to the members within the cults as well as those in the society at large. We will not consider their case. Some practitioners of a religion fail to live up to the norm of their faith. These are hypocrites. We will put them aside for the time being. True believers practise what they believe, what they preach. Most Chinese believers practise their faith silently. They are not expressive in words. That doesn't disqualify them as true believers. Some are more gifted in speech. They are eager to practise and preach. They are true to their faith.

The recent controversy over election reform deals the democratic camp a heavy blow. The Democratic Party is accused of striking a secret deal with the Central Government, thus betraying the pan-democratic camp in their fight for universal suffrage in 2012. The Democratic Party is trying to contain subsequent damages of massive party members quitting.
The Central Government sees huge waves of protests from post-80's and post-90's in the Hong Kong society. They are a force to reckon with. Yet, no political parties in Hong Kong are able to command them. Therefore, the Central Government is prepared to concede moderate demands from the democratic camp in order to contain the waves of protests from these youngsters. It is believed that the Central Government has received and accepted the proposal from the Democratic Party early this year. However, she needs to delay the announcement of her acceptance as close to the voting day as possible so that the other political parties will not have a chance to extract advantages from the Central Government. The Democratic Party has to cooperate with her and keep its mouth shut. This makes the Democratic Party appear to be a traitor in the fight for universal suffrage. Party members have to tolerate verbal and physical abuses from radical legislators within the chamber and hot-blooded youngsters without. Their personal safety is under threat during the annual marching tomorrow ...
Of course, there are different paths to achieve universal suffrage. The Democratic Party has chosen one which make them appear undemocratic. They have failed to practise what they preach. They have compromised the ideal they have been upholding. Alas! Compromises are political realities.

The Israelites had been warned and punished for practising idolatry. Now that they worshipped God, offered Him sacrifices and performed the required rituals, yet, Amos the prophet continued to scold them.
I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings, I will not accept them, and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:21-24).
Even though the Israelites performed their rituals, God wanted no part of them. What God wanted was justice and righteousness. God wanted their actions to be compatible with their faith.
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.
Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph (Amos 5:14-15).
Life was simpler in ancient Israel. Seek good and God would be with them. God loves charity more than sacrifices.
Modern politics is a game with a different set of rules. The Chinese Communist Party is comfortable with only a castrated version of democracy. She will never let go her grip on the power of the Central Government. Western democracy is not her cup of tea. Hers is a different set of good and evil. The game will play on. The Democratic Party is no more than a pawn in her chess set.

Dear Lord, You are our Universal King. The Central Government and all other governments are but pieces in Your chess set. I pray that Your rules of game prevail. Amen.

Heavy was the yoke

In the Jerusalem Council, there was much heated debate. Enough opportunities had been given to both sides to put forth their arguments. When enough had been said, Peter rose to speak. After Peter had swung his weight behind Paul, the assembly was silenced.
What kind of silence was that? Was it a protest against Peter's exercise of his authority? Could any apostles impose their wishes without finding reasonable ways to convince the congregation? I can safely say that all the answers are negative. The silence was not a protest. No apostles could impose their whims without reasons. Could the silence be a sign of resignation, seeing that the battle was lost? Negative. It was because James, the official leader in Jerusalem put the final seal on the matter. Those assembled had come up with the best way to convey the decision to the Gentiles. Moreover, the decision itself was a compromise, a gesture of good will from the Gentiles. Let's look at the matter again in greater details.

Peter made use of his experience with Cornelius to show that God wants all to be saved. Here, Peter proudly claimed his priority over Paul. He, not Paul, was the first to admit the Gentiles.
Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe (Acts 15:7b).
God gave the believers the Holy Spirit which was God's guarantee of their salvation. He gave them, Jews and Gentiles, without distinction so long as they had faith in the risen Lord. Moreover, salvation did not come from the observance of the laws but from faith in the risen Lord
And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; 
and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith (Acts 15:8-9).
How did Peter make use of this incident? Previously, to this same group of people, Peter played nuts. He was only an innocent instrument of God. It was God's will, not his to admit the Gentiles.
If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:17)
But this time, Peter accused those who insisted on circumcising the Gentiles guilty of putting God to the test! It was a serious accusation! The circumcision party had not learnt from their previous mistake. Since they were not able to challenge Peter's authority, they picked on Paul. Not only was such behaviour cowardly, but they also put God to the test!
Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? (Acts 15:10)

The accusation against the circumcision party was based on circumcision itself. Peter described it as a yoke which neither the Israelite ancestors nor the contemporary Jews were able to bear. What did Peter mean by this? Why did he call it a yoke? Wasn't circumcision a sign of covenant, a sign for the Jews to be proud of? What made him say that they themselves were not able to bear?
In fact, during the inter-testament period when the Jews were ruled by the Greeks and when the Maccabees fought for national independence, many Jews submitted to the ruling ideology and even underwent surgery to remove their marks of circumcision (1 Maccabees 1:15)! Reality of life made circumcision too heavy a burden to bear.
OK. Even though some contemporary "lawless" Jews had forsaken their covenant, on what basis did Peter claim that their ancestors were not able to bear the burden of circumcision? Had any patriarchs, judges, kings, prophets and priests NOT circumcised? It would be unfair for Peter to accuse them without supplying relevant evidence. Anyway, this is a good research topic for bible students.
Of course, if the burden referred to the keeping of all the Torah, it was heavy indeed. Saul was disobedient. David committed adultery and murder. Solomon worshipped idols in the Temple he built. See how these great kings fall!
Therefore, when Jesus came, he assured us that his yoke is easy and his burden light.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

Dear Lord, receive our exhausted souls. You are our Good Shepherd. In You, may my soul repose. Amen.

Appendix:
After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,
that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.
μετὰ ταῦτα ἀναστρέψω καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυὶδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν καὶ τὰ κατεσκαμμένα αὐτῆς ἀνοικοδομήσω καὶ ἀνορθώσω αὐτήν,
ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν κύριον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐφ' οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ' αὐτούς, λέγει κύριος ποιῶν ταῦτα
γνωστὰ ἀπ' αἰῶνος. (Acts 15:16-18)
ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἀναστήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυιδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὰ πεπτωκότα αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ κατεσκαμμένα αὐτῆς ἀναστήσω καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω αὐτὴν καθὼς αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ αἰῶνος,
ὅπως ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἐφ̓ οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ̓ αὐτούς, λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα. (Amos 9:11-12)

The Lord repented

Today, we read of the response God had when the Israelites built a golden calf to lead them through the wilderness. Moses had gone up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments. He had left the Israelites behind for forty days and they grew impatient. Therefore, they forced Aaron to build them the golden calf.
And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people;
now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; but of you I will make a great nation." (Exodus 32:9-10)
Moses declined the offer, reminded God of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses had successfully persuaded the Lord to change His mind.
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people (Exodus 32:14).

How could God change His mind? Listening to the judgment Ezekiel passed on the bloody city, Jerusalem.
I the LORD have spoken; it shall come to pass, I will do it; I will not go back, I will not spare, I will not repent; according to your ways and your doings I will judge you, says the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 24:14).
Isn't God eternal and all-knowing? Should we understand the portrayal of God in Exodus as an anthropomorphism?
In Torah, this is the only place where we find God repented of the evil He intended for the Chosen People. In order to have a fuller picture of God's repentance, let me do a little survey to find out where else God had repented.

Amos served as a prophet in 750 B.C. We find God repented after Amos begged Him to stop sending locusts and fire to punish the people.
I said, "O Lord GOD, forgive (cease), I beseech thee! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"
The LORD repented concerning this; "It shall not be," said the LORD (Amos 7:2b-3, 5-6).
Here, we read of how a prophet interceded for the people and God repented. The Exodus story rings a similar tone.
Jeremiah served as a prophet in 626-586 B.C. His prophecy was unpopular. The priests and prophets spoke against Jeremiah in front of the princes and the people. They wanted to put Jeremiah to death (Jeremiah 26:11). Some elders of the land defended Jeremiah, quoting the case of Micah of Moresheth who prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD repent of the evil which he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great evil upon ourselves (Jeremiah 26:19)
In this case, it was a king, King Hezekiah who entreated the favour of God and God repented.
Jonah was a legendary prophet serving in 450 B.C. He fled from God's commission to proclaim judgment on Niveveh. Nevertheless, Jonah accomplished his mission but he was angry of the mercy God shown to the people of Niveveh. In his prayer, Jonah expressed his understanding of the mercy of God.
And he prayed to the LORD and said, "I pray thee, LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil." (Jonah 4:2)
In this case, God did not need a mediator to intercede for the sinners. God is merciful by nature.
Joel served as a prophet in about 400 B.C. The Jews had already returned from the Babylonian Exile for more than a century. The editing of Torah had probably completed but the spiritual life of the people was deteriorating. Joel urged them to repent.
"Yet even now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.
Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the LORD, your God? (Joel 2:12-14)
Joel taught the people to return to God because God is merciful and repents of evils.
The Prophets are relatively easy to date but it is more difficult to do likewise for the Torah and other history books such as Samuel's because they are works of compilation. For example, we find the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:35) or when the Lord sent an angel to kill off the Israelites because David had conducted a census, God repented and stopped the angel of destruction (2 Samuel 24:16). It is difficult to determine what stage of development of this concept of God's repentance had reached.
In short, through the stormy relation which the Chosen People had engaged with God, we know that God is merciful. It takes only one person to persuade God to turn away from His intended punishments of the people.
Throughout the whole Old Testament, men failed to listen to God, obey His words and keep His commandment on their own. Time and time again, God had to withdraw His intended punishments, to give men a second chance, a third chance and many more chances. The age of Law was a failure. Thus, God initiated the age of Grace. It is the New Testament. Perhaps God has grown tired of chastening His Chosen People. Therefore, God forgives them once and for all through Jesus.

Dear Lord, through Your passion, You have earned for us our redemption. May we partake in Your fasting and sufferings so that we may become truly the sons of God. Amen.

15th Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

The theme of today is evangelization. It is very appropriate for the Year of Vocation. Of course, Fr. Kwan would not confine this vocation to priestly vocation. He would like all of us to understand that through baptism, we share the prophetic role of Jesus.

To be a prophet means to be a spokesman of God. God does not speak directly to men. He speaks through prophets. In the Old Testament, prophets were usually very unpopular because their messages were not pleasing to the hearing. Seldom were these messages good news. Take the case of Amos. Amaziah the priest of Bethel told Jeroboam, the king of Israel what Amos had prophesied. He advised the king to forbid Amos from speaking in the name of God any more.
For thus Amos has said, 'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.' (Amos 7:11)
When Amaziah told Amos to go elsewhere, Amos made the following prophecy against him.
"Now therefore hear the word of the LORD. You say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.'
Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Your wife shall be a harlot in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be parceled out by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'" (Amos 7:16-17)
Who could accept such bluntness? Therefore, most prophets in the Old Testament did not meet a good end.

To be a follower of Jesus is better. At least, the message we spread is called the gospel, the Good News. People are more receptive to good news than bad ones. But why should Christians spread the gospel? What doesn't Jesus spread it himself? St. Paul even had the following insight.
For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)
We are not bishops, priests and nuns. Why is evangelization a necessity for us? Why is it a woe if we do not preach the gospel?
The same question is often asked why Peter did not write a gospel himself but asked Mark to do it. Some would suggest that Peter did not know Greek. He had to rely on John Mark to do it on his behalf. This is hardly a satisfactory reason. Rather it was for the good of Mark. In writing up the gospel, Mark had an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the gospel for his and our salvation.

Writing up the gospel is one of the many ways to evangelize. We have to practise the gospel in order to spread it. Jesus has this to say when he sent the 12 apostles out to preach the good news.
And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;
but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.
And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." (Mark 6:7-11)
I often muse that Buddhism and Taoism can be a solitary faith. You visit the holy mountains and find a cave to settle down. Meditate and attain enlightenment. Then you are saved. In contrast, Christianity is a faith of community. You need at least one partner to practise the essence of Christianity --- charity. Of course, if you are the sole survivor of the Third World War, you should not give up because God would raise children of Abraham from stones. John the Baptist had this to say.
Bear fruit that befits repentance,
and do not presume to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham (Matthew 3:8-9).
Therefore, Jesus sent the 12 apostles out to preach in pairs so as to bear witness to the essential teaching of Christianity --- charity.
But Jesus told them to bring nothing except a staff and a pair of sandals. Indeed, evangelists do not rely on food, money and extra provisions. Fr. Kwan made a perceptive point. Evangelists rely on God and God alone. Every baptised Christian partakes in the prophetic role of Jesus. We become spokesmen of God to bring His good news to men. It is for our own benefit because we learn to rely less on material provisions but the providence from God.

Dear Lord, I pray that our life can be a living witness to Your gospel. May we bring Your salvation to our neighbours. Amen.

Amos the social critic

Amos begins with judgment pronouncements on the nations.  Among the 8 nations criticized, Judah and Israel stood apart for their sins. Take a look at the offences mentioned, the reasons they were judged and punished by God.

1. Damascus:
   they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron (Amos 1:3b).
2. Gaza:
   they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom (Amos 1:6b).
3. Tyre:
   they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood (Amos 1:9b).
4. Edom:
   he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever (Amos 1:11b).
5. Ammon:
   they have ripped up women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border (Amos 1:13b).
6. Moab:
   he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom (Amos 2:1b).

We can easily see that these were war-crimes. God judged and punished these barbaric neighbours for their crimes against humanity. However, God demanded something different from Judah and Israel.

1. Judah:
   they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes,
   but their lies have led them astray, after which their fathers walked (Amos 2:4b).
2. Israel:
   they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes --
   they that trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
   a man and his father go in to the same maiden, so that my holy name is profaned;
   they lay themselves down beside every altar upon garments taken in pledge;
   and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined (Amos 2:6b-8).

If keeping God's statutes was not clear enough, the enumeration of the five sins of Israel should leave the readers no doubt that God demanded social justice. Heading the list of five sins were exploitation and oppression of the poor and needy. Adultery came third. The list ended with their profiteering from the poor and needy. For Yahweh, moral and spiritual loftiness meant justice towards the poor. Idolatry was not even mentioned!
Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:23-24).

Therefore, let me collect the famous passages on social justice found in Amos.
Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are in the mountain of Sama'ria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their husbands, `Bring, that we may drink!' (Amos 4:1)
Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
O you who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth! (Amos 5:6-7)
Therefore because you trample upon the poor and take from him exactions of wheat,
you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins --
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate (Amos 5:11-12).
Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the stall;
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David invent for themselves instruments of music;
who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! (Amos 6:4-6)
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy, and bring the poor of the land to an end,
saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain?
And the sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale,
that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great, and deal deceitfully with false balances,
that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and sell the refuse of the wheat? (Amos 8:4-6)

When Pope Leo XIII published an encyclical letter on the condition of the working classes, the Rerum Novarum, on May 15, 1891, he did not quote any passage from Amos who found favour among progressive social action advocates.
Well, may be I should stop here. But before I leave Amos, I should give him a fair hearing. Amos did not just pronounce annihilation of Israel such as
"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground;
except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," says the LORD (Amos 9:8).
God would leave a remnant of Judah! Amos ends with a hopeful note.
I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land which I have given them," says the LORD your God (Amos 9:14-15).
After all these reflections, Amos remains, at least for me, a champion of social justice.

My dear Advocate, I am a pessimistic man. It is a luxury for me to pray that justice and righteousness would flow like an ever-flowing stream. I pray that I am not a perpetrator of injustice. Help me treat my children, my students and my subordinates with fairness and justice. Amen.

When your action backfires

We have been fed passages from Amos and gained the impression that he was a social critic. He prophesized against Israel and the rich who exploited the poor of the land. When we read the whole book this week, we form a somewhat different impression. Today, I would like to collect from Amos passages which tell us that God would frustrate our evil plans.
For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel:
"Seek me and live; but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba;
for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nought." (Amos 5:4-5)
Therefore because you trample upon the poor and take from him exactions of wheat,
you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine (Amos 5:11).
Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, and not light;
as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him;
or went into the house and leaned with his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him (Amos 5:18-19).
O you who put far away the evil day, and bring near the seat of violence? (Amos 6:3)
Do horses run upon rocks? Does one plow the sea with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood --
you who rejoice in Lodebar, who say, "Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?"
"For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel," says the LORD, the God of hosts;
"and they shall oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah." (Amos 6:12-14)
What conclusion can we draw from these passages?
One sentence: 謀事在人，成事在天。
Whatever our plans, if they bend justice, God will frustrate us. If they do not follow God's will, God will surely not be happy. He will allow the plans to go all the way to fruition. Then, they backfire and burn us. God will allow us to build pleasant vineyards, but we shall not drink their wine. God will allow us to carry out our selfish plans, but God will extract a high price from us.

These days, our boss seems to have emerged from his depression which has lasted a long time. He has successfully brought down his subordinates. A different person has surfaced, more lively, more friendly. Yet, he will be leaving us soon. Too little, too late. Six long years have been wasted.

My Advocate, I pray for his best. May he realize his ideals in the new posting. May he get along well and make everyone he meets a little bit happier, a little bit more fulfilling. Amen.

What if God is a lousy administrator?

Today, a circular was posted up on the notice board of the school office to the effect that the SMC relieved a teacher of some of her administrative duties. At long last, someone's wish came true.

I am always sympathetic to priests and nuns who are forced to take up the Supervisor position of one or even several schools. I respect them because they have left their home countries and given up everything to follow Jesus. No families, no children of their own, no money and no security whatsoever. Many of them are inspiring people and you may confide in them the darkest secrets of your souls. However, I feel pity for many of them who are very lousy administrators. They could not afford the time and energy to know the staff of a school. The principal becomes their eyes, ears, mouth-piece and hands. My heart aches when I see them being manipulated into instrument of injustice. The morale of teachers plummets to yet another rock bottom.
Where is your God when evil prevails? Yahweh has been so proud of His own Creation and enjoyed beating down the strong. Hasn't Yahweh always been the champion of the underdogs and the poor?
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,
who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
so that destruction comes upon the fortress (Amos 5:8-9).
Priests and nuns have always been right for too long. They are so used to being respected by the laity. With religious aura comes power. But unfortunately, power corrupts. It is all too easy for them to be blinded by a false sense of superiority. Always, they know the best!
So, what good does this SMC decision do for the students and for the school? Why rushed the SMC into making such a hasty decision? All because the Supervisor will start his vocation on July 1! I am a simple-minded man. I find this mind-bogging.
Yahweh knows. Yahweh loves justice. Yahweh protects the oppressed.
Therefore because you trample upon the poor and take from him exactions of wheat,
you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins --
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate (Amos 5:11-12).
Supervisors are not Yahweh. They need to know better. They need to promote justice. They should stand up for the oppressed. Am I demanding too much for the good of the school, for the morale of the teachers and for a proper upbringing of students entrusted into our hands?
Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time (Amos 5:13).
I am too imprudent to voice my frustrations. I expect to be reprimanded.

My Advocate, my heart aches not so much for my colleagues but for the priests and nuns who have been forced into such a thankless job. At the end of the day, people will conclude that Catholic schools are corrupt and dark. The precious blood of Jesus seems to have shed in vain. My faith faints and my spirit downtrodden. This ending of an academic year is not encouraging. Amen.

When misfortunes fall on your neighbours

As a teacher, I see a lot of things happening to my students. I congratulate them for their good performance in school and in public examinations. I feel sad for some of them who waste away their youthfulness in playing online games, dating and copying homework. Of course, I also am a father. What I see among my students would also be happening to my children. That is one of the reasons why I am so stern towards my students. I don't want my children not to make the best use of their talents given by God. Neither do I also want to see my students wasting their potentials.  「見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省也。」 【論語‧里仁】When misfortunes fall on your neighbours, we should be alarmed and reflect.

When Israel fell in the hands of the Assyrians, people in Judah should be alarmed and the prophets were the first to cry wolf. Amos came from Judah and warned against the Israelites who did not listen. Judeans picked up his warnings and collected them into the book of Amos. A series of 7 rhetorical questions (Amos 3:3-6) finish with his mission statement.
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.
The lion has roared; who will not fear?
The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:7-8)
Amos began his judgment pronouncements to 8 nations. Yet his focus was Israel.
Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are in the mountain of Samaria,
who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
who say to their husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!' (Amos 4:1).
Who were these cows of Basha? The rich in Israel. They exploited the poor and the needy.
Who were the husbands? Yahweh.
What has this disrespectful wife done, ordering her husband to bring drinks? Offering sacrifices to idols (Amos 4:4-5). What was worse, she ignored the warnings Yahweh gave them (Amos 4:6-11). Droughts, famines, wars and killings of the young did not deter them from doing evils. So, Yahweh declared the death sentence to Israel and wiped her out of history.
Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! (Amos 4:12).
"Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" How terrible it sounds!
So, what have we learned from Israel?
God had been patient and given them warnings in concrete actions. Yet, their stubbornness brought them annihilation. My children and my students, don't think that you are still young and can afford to fool around. God slew the young men with sword to warn the people of Israel! Don't think that you are the future of the society and everyone will treat you leniently. Rather, when your peers meet any misfortune or fail the examinations, it is time for you to reflect on your situations. As for myself, my illness has given my friends enough warnings to take care of their own health. The marriage failures of some of my classmates have reminded me to love and communicate better with my wife. In times of difficulties, the sufferings of the friends I know give me strength to hold on.

My Advocate, make me instrument of Your love and peace. May we open our eyes to discern the message You send us in the life stories of our friends and neighbours. May we work towards a greater solidarity among our colleagues. Amen.

Judgment on nations by Amos

I am torn between studying the epistles of St. Paul and the daily readings. The Year of St. Paul has officially begun. We are supposed to spend time learning more about the messages of St. Paul. On the other hand, I have started my journey to reflect and draw inspirations from the daily readings. I don't think I will be able to do both at the same time. Therefore, I will continue my journey and when occasion arises, I will touch on the writings of St. Paul. I do have a plan to read St. Paul. I will begin with the letters to individuals before I touch on those to churches. May God guide me.
This week, I will read the book of Amos. Scholars have agreed that Amos was the first prophet whose sayings have been collected into one opus. It is a book of judgments and the first two chapters contain judgments on 8 nations: Damascus (1:3-5), Gaza (1:6-8), Tyre (1:9-10), Edom (1:11-12), Ammon (1:13-15), Moab (2:1-3), Judah (2:4-5) and Israel (2:6-16). In all these judgment oracles, God was a terrible destroyer and Israel, the chosen people of God, naturally the greatest attention.
The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
And he said: "The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers." (Amos 1:1-2)
Thus Amos 1:1 gives us the setting of the activities of Amos but we are not able to reconstruct much about Amos, the man. Tekoa was south of Bethelem and Jerusalem. So, Amos was a prophet from Judah but his mission was for Israel before Assyria conquered her. We should not be surprised to read "The words of Amos, ..., which he saw ...". "Seeing words" suggests that Amos and many other prophets, such as Isaiah, had visions of God.
Now, God pronounced judgments from Jerusalem. These judgment oracles follow a certain pattern. Take the example of Damascus.
Thus says the LORD:
"For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.
So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,
and him that holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir," says the LORD (Amos 1:3-5).
Each judgment begins with a formula:
Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of (country name), and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
Then an accusation of their sins and the punishment to be meted out. Judgments on all seven nations follow this pattern. The last one on Israel is more elaborated. The punishment on Judah was interesting because God would be burning His own dwelling place!
Thus says the LORD:
"For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes,
but their lies have led them astray, after which their fathers walked.
So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem." (Amos 2:4-5)

Whatever God's logic, it is time to turn to Israel. She drew 11 verses of judgment from God, instead of just two to three, like the 7 other nations. The accusations against Israel were many: the rich exploited the poor (2:6b-7a), fornication (2:7b), oppressed the poor in front of God (2:8a) and defiled the Temple (2:8b). Then, Amos lists a series of good things God had done for them in their history (2:9-11). He then switched back to yet more sins of Israel against Nazarites and prophets (2:12). As for the punishments, while the first 7 nations were purged with fire, Israel would not be. God simply pressed her to the ground (2:13). At last, Amos warned that the swift, the strong and mighty (2:14), the warriors (2:15) and the stout of hearts would not escape the punishments (2:16). We cannot rely on ourselves, our strength to gain salvation.

My Advocate, how often we abuse our authority and strength! Indeed, we are putting fire on our own heads. Amos' message is clear. Let us not depart from Your statutes. If we do, let us see clearly our sins and repent and turn back to You once more. Have mercy on us and let us live to praise You. Amen.