7th Sunday after pentecost

It’d be easy to preach today and rail against people ‘out there’ cancel culture on both sides. Unfortunately, As David Foster Wallace says- that’s like trying to explain water to a fish. This is just how we all live- with a desire to execute and exile. God has more for His world than mere distance.

2 Vignettes of Judgement

Today we examine two different stories, two different law givers and how they were circumvented. John the baptist and Amos and then we hear of Christ.

John the Baptist

1st the main character.

Herod Antipas in Mk 6 is in a word, icky.

Look at this family tree- see these weird little bumps = those shouldn’t exist.

Here’s what we know about Herodias - it gives some… texture to the story.

“The daughter of Aristobulus (son of Herod the Great) and Bernice (daughter of Herod the Great’s sister, Salome). She was probably born between 9 and 7 B.C., shortly before Aristobulus died in 7 b.c. According to Josephus (Ant 17 §14) she was betrothed about 6 b.c. to Herod the Great’s son Herod, whose personal name seems to have been Philip. Apparently Herodias bore to her first husband a daughter, whom Josephus says was named Salome (Ant 18 §136). While Herod Antipas was visiting the residence of his half-brother Herod Philip, Herodias became interested in Antipas and agreed to divorce Philip for Antipas (Ant 18 §110).”

What this means is that Herodias is Herod’s Antipas’ niece. Also, Herodias is the offspring of 1/2 siblings. Herod Antipas married his niece and had his great niece dance for him.

Everybody say gross.

Now- the crazy thing is. To them- this was justified. They wanted each other. The historian Josephus retells us the story.

In our world today, we live with the same exact logic. If I want something, if I desire something or someone and it is consensual and mutually desired- WHY CAN’T I HAVE IT?

In short, Christians are people who are relatively unconcerned with our desires because we know they will change. We yield all things to the Creator- even our desires.

You and I are meant to be image bearers in the Kingdom of God. Everything we do and are is meant to reflect God’s light and order to His creation.

This is what John the Baptist was after when he announced disapproval.

When we don’t do this - when we only take up the mantle of self we turn in on ourselves and the family tree in the kingdom of God becomes family root ball.

Herod and Herodias are ingrown in more ways than one.

This is the problem with to thine own self be true- someone always gets hurt. You or someone else further down the line. We don’t live in a vacuum.

Punchline: John the baptist had the audacity to speak the truth about being self serving to the rulers of the age. He tried to enforce the sacred order and dealt with the repercussions- mostly on His neck.

Amos

In the OT book of Amos God is calling Amos to simply call it as he sees it. “Amos, what do you see?” What is it that Amos sees? A plumb line.

This is whats known as a Hapax Legomenon. It is a word that only occurs once in a book- We’re PRETTY sure that its a plumb line. A piece of string with a lead weight attached to it that is used to tell if something is vertical. In this case the Lord is measuring the house of Israel, God’s chosen people.

A plumb line is typically used to measure physical buildings. Here it is used to measure the house of Israel:

Amos 7:9 ESV

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.”

The house ofJeroboam are descendants of the first king in the Northern Kingdom after Solomon dies. Jeroboam is responsible for splitting God’s house. There’s a haunting passage:

2 Chronicles 10:16 ESV

And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents.

This is what happens when we each do what we think is best. Ultimately if we look inward for our purpose, our joy, our hope - we end up isolated.

Amos sees that God is literally considering whether His people measure up. He has an option; Does Amos share the truth OR does he tell the world ‘look to your own house’?

Would you share the truth? How would you react to the truth that you were a despot and glutton?

Punchline: Amos had the audacity to speak the truth - he was then exiled:

Amos 7:12 ESV

And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there,

Application

First, Each of us are faced with the harsh realities of the Law and our gut instinct is to destroy it. To self justify. To kill the lawgiver and do justice to ourselves.

Ezekiel 18:25 ESV

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

Second, we enlist help. We either look to peers that reinforce our feelings of hurt and betrayal or we hunt for articles and communities that will vindicate us.

This is where the church is guilty - we have become these little pustules of unjust judgement and inbred thinking in a variety of ways. Our trust in elections and willingness to cater to the crowds are two examples.

Third and finally, and this is the death blow- we exercise our own judgement by not only pronouncing ourselves innocent but also claiming that the one who brought our sins to light is actually an oppressor and must be summarily dealt with:

For John this is a beheading

For Amos it is exile

For Christ it is the cross

See it is tempting to point to each of these other characters as the oppressor, Herod, Jeroboam, even the John the Baptist, the law, the church. In reality it is us.

The enemy is not law, nor lawgivers. The enemy is sinful, selfish, desire.

Justice always demands blood. Each of us would prefer it be someone else’s blood.

So does God. God sent His son that we might gain life and have it abundantly.

So what is the good news?

Ephesians 1:7–10 ESV

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Christ came to this world so that our lives may be united with a greater purpose. To the unbaptized- to those outside the church His purpose is a mystery, even an affront. Do not be surprised if Christ and His church are slandered - expect it and be ok with it. Our job is to return to the world with lavish grace, impenetrable hope.

John the baptist will regain his head in the resurrection. Talk about uniting all things!

See, Christians people who are fundamentally uninterested in our own needs because they are all secured in Christ - we are interested in the building of the Kingdom of God and watching His creation flourish. God has more for His world than mere distance or emotional numbness- His plan is union with all creation.

May you know justice in Christ that concludes with your holiness, blamelessness and adoption. May you share this peace in your soul, and bring liberty from isolation that all may be one with His body.

Amen.