THE DEMANDS OF THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY

 

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke (Schoenstatt Fathers)

Readings: Amos 7:12-15, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:7-13

 

The prophetic ministry is not for the faint-hearted. As we saw in the readings of last Sunday, those who carry out prophetic duties often experience rejections, ridicule, taunts, persecutions and oppositions. The most unbearable aspect of these difficult experiences is that they usually come from the very people that the prophet is sent to guide; the people we least expect them from. Ezekiel was ignored (Ezekiel 2:2-5), Paul underwent pains and perils for the sake of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 12:7-8) and Jesus was rejected by his own kinsmen (Mark 6:2-4). The readings of this Sunday continue to analyze the onerous demands that the prophetic ministry makes on those called to be messengers of God.

In today’s first reading, we read about the conflict between prophet Amos and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel (Amos 7:10-17). Amos was from the Southern kingdom of Judah. He was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees. But the Lord called him from shepherding the flock and sent him to go prophesy to the house of Israel in the Northern kingdom (Amos 7:14-15). His preaching challenged the social, political and religious structures of Israel especially for their failure to uphold ethical responsibility. Since what he said challenged the people’s ways of conduct, his preaching was not met with a resounding acceptance but with fear, hostility and suspicion. Amaziah the priest for instance saw Amos and his preaching as threats to his position and means of livelihood and as a result, he tried to paint a negative image of Amos before the king. He even went as far as asking Amos to leave Israel for Judah, his own kingdom (Amos 7:12-13).

Dear friend, the prophetic ministry is for those who like Amos are both courageous and uncompromising; those who can always stand their ground even in the face of stiff opposition, intimidation and rejection. The threats of Amaziah could not deter Amos or make him compromise the truth of his message. In a time when many messengers of God see prophecy as a money-making career, the example of Amos confronts us. In a period when many Christians lose their prophetic voice once they begin to dine with the rich and the political class, the example of prophet Amos challenges us. In a time when many prophets are paid to either keep silent or to prophesy in favor of the oppressor, the example of Amos stares us in the face. Prophets are called to speak truth to power without fear or favor and Amos stands as an example to be imitated.

Also, while sending out the Twelve in the gospel reading, Jesus notified them of the possibility of encountering oppositions and rejections from the people. He charged them that if any place will not receive them and refuse to listen to their message, when they leave, they should shake off the dust that is on their feet for a testimony against them (Mark 6:11). As messengers of God, from time to time, we will encounter people like Amaziah, who will persecute us and oppose our teachings. Jesus teaches us that the best way to deal with such experiences is to always shake them off and move on. The fate of a prophet should never affect his faith.

The instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples in the gospel reading should serve as the guiding principles for all us who are prophets either by special calling or through our baptism. To effectively carry out our prophetic duties, we must detach ourselves from material possessions and depend on God rather than on human techniques. We must not easily be swayed. We should bear in mind that even in our time, there are people who like Amaziah, do not like prophets who try to shake them out of their comfort zones, pointing out their inadequacies and challenging them to remain in the path of justice and righteousness. Do not fight the truth or compromise the truth because Jesus Himself is the TRUTH.