September 16th Reflection - It's Tough out There - by Bill Lynch

Amos 8:4–7
Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
   and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
saying, ‘When will the new moon be over
   so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
   so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
   and practise deceit with false balances,
buying the poor for silver
   and the needy for a pair of sandals,
   and selling the sweepings of the wheat.’

The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

Reflection
Greed and power and gain uncontrolled by government and self breed this trample on the needy. It breeds selfish desires that seek to widen the gap between those that have the means to live in abundance and those that can't live on what they can gather through work. It's when greed has gone too far and the community suffers for the gain of one or two living in abundance way beyond need.

But when those that have mock and antagonize those that need; it becomes shameful. The needy are taken advantage of in this case. It has become a commercial racket for the rich to sell to the poor and take what little the poor do have in order to live. Weights and scales are deceptive and honesty is lacking in all deals.

This is the situation of the passage. Less was being sold for what was promised for more than what they said it would cost. Especially with the grain needed for food. So, the purchases were soon made on credit. Silver for a loan for the poor person for the purchase of sandals leading to the rich taking the poor into slavery at some point, because the poor would default on the loan.

Needless to say, God loves the poor and abhors the actions of the rich in taking from the poor.

Prayer
Lord, it almost sounds like today. I see products and goods at expensive price that the poor can't afford. I see the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. I see greed in companies for more and more and more. Make me rich in compassion and love to those you give to me this day. Make me to see the times that I take advantage of the needy and change. Make the needy and the poor full of life and vitality that they too can reap the rewards of pay for work that enables them to survive and flourish. Give us all the respect we need, one for another. Let us see and welcome the poor, the oppressed, the sinners and the tax collectors and bridge the gap between one with another with love and respect. Show me your will and your way in the difficult situations of life... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen