Have you ever felt just shattered? Mangled? Attacked by wolves or lions, so that all that is left is “two legs and a piece of an ear”? Even Amos' message does turn hopeful, eventually. Peter reminds us that God's judgment is reserved for the godless, but delayed so that he may have mercy. “The Lord...is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). (Comments repeated from an E-mail sent December 2, 2003, for December 3, 2003.)

Amos 3:12-4:5

12 Thus says the Lord: As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who live in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.

13 Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob,

says the Lord God, the God of hosts:

14 On the day I punish Israel for its transgressions,

I will punish the altars of Bethel,

and the horns of the altar shall be cut off

and fall to the ground.

15 I will tear down the winter house as well as the summer house;

and the houses of ivory shall perish,

and the great houses shall come to an end,

says the Lord.

4:1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan

who are on Mount Samaria,

who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,

who say to their husbands, "Bring something to drink!"

2 The Lord God has sworn by his holiness:

The time is surely coming upon you,

when they shall take you away with hooks,

even the last of you with fishhooks.

3 Through breaches in the wall you shall leave,

each one straight ahead;

and you shall be flung out into Harmon,

says the Lord.

4 Come to Bethel—and transgress;

to Gilgal—and multiply transgression;

bring your sacrifices every morning,

your tithes every three days;

5 bring a thank offering of leavened bread,

and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;

for so you love to do, O people of Israel!

says the Lord God. (Amos 3:12-4:5, NRSV)

Irony sharpens Amos' judgment announcements. Later in Amos there is a glimmer of hope for the “remnant”: “It may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,/will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph” (5:15), but what remains for now are broken pieces. “As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who live in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed” (3:12). The worship centers will be destroyed (v. 14) as well as the “vacation homes” of the wealthy (v. 15). Wealthy wives of Samaria's merchants are mocked as “cows of Bashan” (4:1). The “call to worship” is also ironic: “Come to Bethel [a worship center]--and transgress!” (v. 4). (This paragraph is repeated from an E-mail sent December 2, 2003, for December 3, 2003.)

Although the following decades would see rapid decline, frequent insurrections, and the fall of Samaria to the invading Assyrian army, Amos lived in a time of relative prosperity for Israel, sometimes called a “second Golden Age,” during the reign of Jeroboam II. (The first “Golden Age” would be the times of David and Solomon.) Amos criticizes the rich of Samaria who have winter houses as well as summer houses, including “houses of ivory” (Amos 3:15), that is, houses “decorated with carved ivory inlay, such as the royal palace in Samaria built by Ahab (1 Kings 22:39)” (Gregory Mobley, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Amos 3:15). He rebukes oppression of the poor, crushing of the needy and luxurious living of wives “who say to their husbands, ‘Bring something to drink!” (4:1). Living in Houston, we might regard “something to drink” as a necessity, not a luxury; and perhaps the same would hold for parts of Israel. But such things are relative, and Amos surely makes his point about oppression of the poor.

2 Peter 3:1-10

3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you 2 that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. 3 First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!" 5 They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, 6 through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. (2 Peter 3:1-10, NRSV)

By calling his letter “the second letter I am writing to you” (2 Pet. 3:1) the writer identifies with Peter and the First Epistle of Peter. He refers again to two primary sources for his instruction, “the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets,” in other words, the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament), especially the prophetic books, and the apostolic witness to “the commandment of the Lord and Savior” (v. 2). Chapter 2 of Second Peter warns about false teachers in a manner closely similar to the Book of Jude; but it is passed over here, and may be considered in conjunction with the readings from Jude for Friday and Saturday of this week (the week of the First Sunday in Advent). But the present reading is particularly concerned with “the promise of his [i.e. the Lord’s] coming” (2 Pet. 3:4). There will be “scoffers” who “indulging their own lusts” (v. 3) will ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (v. 4). They will point to the passage of time as “all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!” (v. 4). But there was judgment then, when “the world of that time was deluged with water and perished” (v. 6). And, though delayed, the next judgment will be with “fire,” for the heavens and earth are “being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless” (v. 7). God’s time is not counted as our time, for “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” (v. 8). Judgment and “destruction of the godless” (v. 7) have been delayed, for the Lord wants “all to come to repentance” (v. 9). “But the day of the Lord will come” (v. 10).

Matthew 21:23-32

The Authority of Jesus Questioned (Mk 11.27-33; Lk 20.1-8)

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. (Matthew 21:23-32, NRSV)

Jesus' authority is questioned by the chief priests and elders, and he responds with a question which leaves his challengers on the horns of a dilemma. He asks about the authority of John the Baptist. “Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” (Mt. 21:25). Their dilemma: “If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, “Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet” (vv. 25-26). So they exchange “No comment” answers, but there is a difference. They said “We do not know,” but he said “Neither will [not can] I tell you by what authority I do these things” (v. 27, emphasis added).

The Parable of the Two Sons is a transparent criticism of the Jewish leaders, addressing “the subject of why those who are lax in observing the Mosaic law receive the kingdom of God” (J. Andrew Overman, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Mt. 21:28-32). One of the sons is all talk, for he said “I go, sir,” but he did not go” (Mt. 21:30). Jesus implies that “the chief priests and the elders of the people” who questioned his authority (v. 23) are represented by the son who said he would go but didn’t. The other son who said he wouldn't go to work in the vineyard, but did (v. 29) represents “the tax collectors and the prostitutes [who] are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you” (v. 31). (Some comments are repeated with adaptation here from an E-mail sent December 2, 2003, for December 3, 2003.)

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com