Proper 10

Welcome Statement

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Old Testament Reading - Book 1:1 ABC

Amos 7:7–17 NRSV

This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’ ” And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your 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.” Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ “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 become a prostitute 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.’ ”

God Holds a Plumb Line

A plumb line is used to test vertical straightness—it doesn’t change, doesn’t lie.

God’s justice is the standard, not our traditions, not popular opinion, not political alignment.

The plumb line exposes what we’ve learned to ignore: compromise, spiritual drift, systemic injustice.

Today, we must ask: If God dropped the plumb line in our church or our life, would we be standing straight?

The Limits of Gods Patience (OT)

Earlier in Amos, God relents after visions of judgment (locusts, fire). But now He says, “I will not pass them by again.”

God’s grace is deep, but when a people persist in injustice, He stops pleading and starts acting.

This isn’t harsh—it’s holy. A cracked wall endangers lives. God’s judgment is often protective, not just punitive.

The World Rejects the Word of God

Amaziah (the priest) tells Amos to stop talking—go home.

Institutional religion doesn’t want disruption. It wants peace, comfort, stability.

But real prophets don’t work for palaces or pulpits. They answer to God.

We face this today when Christians speak up against racism, nationalism, greed—and get called “divisive” or “political.”

The Prophet’s Integrity

Amos replies: I’m not in this for power or prestige. I didn’t ask for this. God called me, and I obeyed.

That’s the kind of voice God still uses: ordinary people with holy courage.

You don’t need a pulpit to speak truth—you need alignment with God’s heart.

A Warning Ignored Becomes a Tragedy

Amos declares judgment on the king and Amaziah’s house: exile, downfall, collapse.

Not out of vengeance, but because when we resist God’s correction, we set ourselves up for ruin.

We must ask: Is God trying to realign us? Are we listening—or resisting?

New Testament Reading - Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25–37 NRSV

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Aligning with God’s Plumb Line

In Luke, the religious leaders pass by a man in a ditch—outwardly aligned, but inwardly crooked.

The Samaritan—despised, unclean, “outsider”—lives out the plumb line of God’s justice.

Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” That’s alignment. That’s upright love.

Being aligned with God means seeing suffering, stopping, and acting—even when it costs you.

What Does Love Require?

Love Doesn’t Ask, “Who Deserves It?” — It Asks, “What Does Love Require?”

The lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?”, is a deflection—it tries to limit love by drawing boundaries.

Jesus flips the question: it’s not about who qualifies to receive love, but who embodies love.

The Samaritan didn’t stop to evaluate politics, race, religion, or backstory. He acted.

Kingdom takeaway: God’s plumb line doesn’t measure proximity—it measures compassion. Right doctrine means little if it doesn’t overflow in mercy.

Religious Appearance Isn’t Alignment

The priest and Levite—the ones expected to help—pass by. Maybe for “righteous” reasons (ritual purity, busyness), but they fail the test of love.

Jesus shows us that right worship must lead to right action.

The Samaritan, the one despised and excluded, is the one who actually aligns with God’s heart.

Kingdom takeaway: It’s not enough to look upright. God’s plumb line cuts through status and titles—it reveals the posture of the heart.

Closing Statement - Cost of Mercy

Mercy Costs Something—And That’s the Point

The Samaritan gives his time, resources, and emotional investment.

He doesn’t just offer pity—he pays the innkeeper, takes responsibility, and promises to return.

This is costly neighbor-love, not performative virtue.

Kingdom takeaway: Love that aligns with God’s justice is inconvenient, risky, and self-giving—but it’s also the very road to life.

If we want to truly align to God’s plumb line, it requires risk, its inconvenient, but most importantly of all, it glorifies God.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, We thank you for this truth that y

Amen.

Doxology / Benediction / Closing

“Church, may we never settle for walls that look straight but lean in secret.

May the Lord drop His plumb line in our hearts, and may we have the courage to realign.

Go now—not just to believe rightly, but to live rightly:

loving the wounded, speaking truth with grace, and walking the narrow road of mercy.”

May you Have a Blessed Sunday, and rest of your Week! Amen!