“Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?’ The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: ‘Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.’” (Amos 8:4-7)
The context of this portion of the prophecy of Amos is a vision of basket of ripe fruit. Although that sounds inviting, it is really a precursor of tribulation. The time was ripe for God’s judgment. Amos lists the sins for which Israel was going to suffer punishment. These had to do with their religious hypocrisy as well as their greed and selfishness. Though they proclaimed that they kept the feasts and the Sabbaths, they were more interested in making a profit through dishonesty. They cheated their customers with high prices, shoddy goods, and grain that had been mixed with dirt. The Lord was very upset with them. Their abusive unkindness toward their brethren showed that that they had rejected God and His Law. For that reason, He would no longer accept their offerings, hear their prayers or speak to them. They would go into exile without another word from the Lord.
Have you ever wondered why God has not always answered your prayers? Could it be because you are prejudiced, spiteful, mean or dishonest in your relationships, attitudes, lifestyle and/or business? The Lord shows us in these words of Amos that He desires His people to seek justice, mercy and fair treatment for all people. We may think we are okay with God because we are baptized and confirmed. We may believe all the right things. We boast that our expressions of religious devotion and piety are holy and profound. We may say all the right things, perform all the right rituals, sing all the right songs but if we cheat others or treat them with prejudice, unfairness, unkindess, or injustice, or take advantage of them for our profit, or allow others to do so, our actions reveal that we may not actually know God nor He us. We cannot say we love God if we ignore His desire for loving and righteous treatment of others. Because we have experienced God’s unconditional mercy ourselves, not because of our works of charity, we will want to extend that same mercy to others. And by God’s grace through His Holy Spirit and His Church, we can do so.