Fifth Wednesday in Lent 3/20/13

Midweek of Lent 5 Date: 3/20/13 Text Amos 7:14 Title: Lion Alert! When I was attending Concordia Seminary 11 years ago Penny and I visited the “Big Cat Country,” exhibit in St. Louis Zoo. There we saw what I am sure is one of the biggest lions in captivity, maybe even in the wild. His name was Oba. That’s O-B-A. There is no doubt that you would not want to face this lion in the wild. He must have weighed 500 lbs., had a huge mane, and paws that were bigger than my head. If all that was not enough his teeth along with his roar would put the fear of God in you. While there is no doubt that he should have been running free back in his native country I would not want to be living near him. It was good to have a big moat between him and me. No personal face to face meeting for me. OBA needs to stay forever in his cage. In a sense that is what was going on with Amaziah, the priest at Bethel. He built a career around keeping the Lion in his cage. Only his case the lion was not named OBA, this Lion’s name is the LORD or in Hebrew “Yahweh.” In Amos 1:2 the prophet announces, “The LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem!” The last thing Amaziah wants to see is a loose lion.” So whatever the cost, whatever the compromise, this Lion Yahweh must never, ever roar in Israel. Amaziah’s policy toward any prophet that lets the Lion Yahweh loose Israel, he must leave the country and take the Lion with him. Amos, a Judean cattleman and farmer from Tekoa enters crying out, “For three sins of Israel and for four, I will not turn back My wrath” “Lion alert! Lion alert! Call 911!” Amaziah must begin his play it safe, keep the church safe policy, for Amos’ God is saying to Israel. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins. Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD; it will be a day of darkness and not light. I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Woe to you who are at ease in Zion who do not grieve over Joseph’s ruin.” This is no still, small voice, as when God spoke to Elijah. This is no gentle Jesus meek and mild. And this is no tame, purring kitten. This is, as Amos said, “The lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken, who can but prophesy?” That proclamation does not work with Amaziah’s safe church policy, so he tells Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.” What he is saying to Amos is “Amos, this temple isn’t big enough for the two of us. So get out of my face you prophet wannabe! You don’t fit into my definition of church, for my motto is toleration, let sleeping dogs lie. I long to cooperate, to you, all I have to say is “goodbye and don’t let the gate hit you on the backside on your way out!” The priest Amaziah is an expert in image building, marketing techniques, public relations, and salesmanship. In fact, in Amos 7:11, when he reports to his boss the king Jeroboam be Joash what the prophet is preaching, Amaziah conveniently avoids the sticky issues of syncretistic, that is all religions are of value, so it is okay to worship together, poverty, oppression, and social injustice. Amaziah knows that he will not be in the king’s favor if he were speaking what Amos is saying. He has to do what he can to protect his religious organization at Bethel. The church is growing, making money, and everyone is happy. What a deal! Do not be deceived! What was going on in Amos’ day there is going on today. There are powerful forces in our lives, in the church, and in our world shouting to us, “Be an Amaziah clone! Be content with religious clichés and jargon instead of blazing, burning truth! Sit satisfied in church with the motto, “Come all. Be happy. No worry.” We live in a culture that systematically wants to de-fang and de-claw the Lion Yahweh. We should not be surprised for we are told in 2 Timothy 3 “There will be terrible times in the last days . . . people will have the form of godliness but deny its power.” Amos replies to Amaziah; I am paraphrasing, “I am not a religious professional, paid to make pious pronouncements on public platforms. I will not be bought, compromised, deterred, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, back up, or let up until my time is up.” We should not be surprised with his stick-to-it-ness. For Moses confronted Pharaoh with the LORD’S thunderous, “Let my people go.” Nathan courageously puts his life on the line when he summons David with the words, “You are the man.” Elijah takes the heat from Ahab, who calls him “the troubler in Israel.” Jeremiah daringly rewrites God’s word after king Jehoiakim sliced it, diced it, and burned it. And Daniel’s dream at night shattered Nebuchadnezzar’s illusion of the day in Daniel 4. Following in their footsteps while also fulfilling their prophecies in himself, is the greatest prophet of all time, Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. He made a whip and then used it to cleanse his Father’s house. Another time he looked the religious leaders of his day straight in the eye and said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones.” But this Lion Jesus is also the Lamb, and his mighty power is made perfect in weakness. Jesus allows soldiers to march him along the Via Dolorosa which means “The Way of Grief” while carries the cross stained already with his blood from his butchered back. Jesus lets his executioners to strip him naked, shove him to the ground, and pin him to wood with their tools of torture. And Jesus absorbs the spit and the insults without asking his Father to dispense twelve legions of angels. Societies don’t execute get-along people. They destroy people who shake their religious establishments to the very core. “There,” they said on that Friday afternoon, “There is no more Lion alert. He’s crucified, dead, and buried!” But, coming forth from the tomb, the Lion roars! We are told in Revelation 5:5, “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He has triumphed!” There is nothing dead about our Jesus! His is no syrupy, sentimental love. But His fierce love for you is driven by nails, marked with scars, and crowned with thorns. The Lion roars with the words, “It is finished.” Receive and rejoice in that forgiveness, I speak to you as God’s spokesman, “I forgive you of all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Rejoice and be glad in the Lord. Amen.