TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YR C
Am 8:4-7; Ps 113;
1 Tim. 2:1-8; Lk 16:1-13
A JUST SOCIETY FOR THE POOR
Amos was a prophet who functioned during the reign of Jeroboam II. Even though he was from the south, he prophesied in the Northern kingdom. At this time, the Empires of Assyria and Egypt were weak and so Israel enjoyed some peace and prosperity. This prosperity was achieved by the exploitation of the poor. It is this injustice that the Prophet Amos denounced.
Amos chapter 8 (where our first reading is taken from) begins with a vision of a basket full of ripe fruit. In this vision, Amos did not have the opportunity to intercede for the people and God indicated that the time is ripe for his punishment against them.
The Lord will punish his people for their injustice towards the poor on whose backs they make their riches. The poor have always been of special concern to the Lord. Scripture says, “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord and He will repay him for his good deed” (Proverbs 19:17) and even Jesus noted that the poor are always with us.
The responsibility for the poor (including the widow, orphan and stranger) goes beyond not exploiting them to also caring for them. When we read Leviticus 19:9-10, the Lord instructs that when the people harvest, they should leave some in the field for the poor and the stranger. To exploit and cheat them then, is great injustice.
The Lord demands justice from his people because he himself is a just God. His people cannot exhibit any character other than his own. His choice of Israel, and by extension all Christians in Christ Jesus demands that we too show justice.
Justice concerns the ordering of society in such a way that most lives can flourish and an unjust society is one that allows very few to thrive. A just society is also a society that requires a special concern and protection for the less powerful and those who do not have the capacity to protect their own welfare.
In the Old Testament those without the capacity to protect their own welfare refer to the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the needy and the poor. Do we not have these people still with us? How much effort do we make to care for them? Most poverty alleviation programmes have the poor as the goal but most of these ends up in the pockets of politicians and all those involved in the projects. Many politicians and civil servants become richer with poverty alleviation projects while the poor become poorer. The Lord says the time is ripe for your punishment.
How about the gradual effort to create a society where choice is valued more than the lives of babies. Who is weaker in our society than the unborn child; who is protecting them? In order to be able to kill them, we seem to redefine what life is and when it begins. Is there anyone who can offer these unborn children some voice?
The Prophet Amos uses their own words against them: they say, “when will the full moon be over… and the sabbath…”. They hated the sabbath because it was a hindrance to their evil schemes. They were not able to make more money. Seeking to do away with the Sabbath is also injustice because it is an opportunity to rest, rejuvenate, take care of the poor and free slaves. (Exod. 23:10-11; Deut 15:12-18).
The Sabbath laws have a theological and divine dimension to the lives of the people. It reminds them that all they have is a gift from God and God governs all things. From the thinking of these people, God, the one who guarantees their success is becoming a nuisance to them by his laws. They seek to free themselves of their religious obligations so they can do what they like. Well sometimes, don’t we too feel that the obligations and moral demands of our faith hinder us in undertaking certain economic decisions and activities?
Furthermore, the displeasure with the law can lead to bending it to our liking. This happens when laws are either made or broken to suppress, cheat and deprive the poor of what we should give them. Our society is gradually becoming a place for the strong and the connected. Poor people lose their lands and property to the rich and powerful, poor people pay more for little service while the rich and powerful pay nothing or very little. But God is watching.
Considering all these, we can see that injustice can be systematic. When you find yourself looking for other ways to get what you need than the right way, there may be a systemic problem. One of my friends recently went to access a service in one of the government offices and said he had to pay some unofficial fees. When I interrogated further, he said, “Fr. without it you won’t get it ooo”. This is systematic corruption and injustice. What happens to the poor and others who cannot pay unofficial fees. We must agree that in some small or big way we all participate somehow in this system of injustice. May the Lord grant us the courage to help change and do better.
When we contribute to the unjust system, we are no different from those Amos condemns who will “ buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals; (Am 8:6). Let us all work for a just society in our little corner. Wherever we find ourselves, whether in the markets, offices, home and church, let us insist on the right and just thing to be done. Let us be honest in our dealings with others, especially, the poor and those who do not have any helpers. God hears the cry of the poor and comes to their help against their oppressors.
God swears by “the pride of Jacob” to punish these people who exploit the poor. To swear by the pride of Jacob is to swear by himself and his holiness. The rich and powerful are guilty of the oppression of the poor and God will come at them. This kind of injustice will not go unpunished.
May God grant us the courage to be able to fight the injustice in our societies and may we be seen doing what is right to build a country and world of love and care.
God bless you.
BY Rev. Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
