1st Reading – Amos 7:12-15

Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos,
“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!
There earn your bread by prophesying,
but never again prophesy in Bethel;
for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,
nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”

The Book of Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament. It is named after its author, Amos, who was called by God to deliver a powerful message of social justice, divine judgment, and repentance to the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of relative peace and prosperity under King Jeroboam II (786-746 BC).

Today’s reading is an excerpt from the middle of a shouting match. Amaziah, a priest serving at the sanctuary in Bethel, is throwing Amos out of the city.

To understand this scene we need to know a little about the historical setting. When Amos was a prophet, the kingdom that David had established by uniting the twelve tribes of Israelites was no longer in existence. In 922 BC, the kingdom divided: ten tribes formed the northern kingdom of Israel, while two tribes constituted the southern kingdom of Judah.

Amaziah, priest of Bethel,

Bethel means “house of El (God).” The city is about 14 miles north of Jerusalem, just north of the border between the two kingdoms.

When the kingdom split, the Israelites in the north no longer had access to the holy city of Jerusalem, the political, religious, and cultic center of the nation. To remedy this, the king of (northern) Israel established a shrine in Bethel as a cultic center.

Amos was from the southern kingdom and traveled to Bethel specifically to preach against the cultic practices there. Earlier in the book, he told the Israelites that because they had substituted worship for right behavior, God rejected their sacrifices (Amos 5:21-24).

Amos also issued a prophecy of doom for the northern kingdom: Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land (Amos 7:11).

said to Amos, “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!

Notice that Amaziah calls Amos a visionary, or “seer” (hōzeh) rather than a prophet (nābî’). This was probably sarcastic and intended as an insult.

Amaziah is basically telling Amos to go home where he belongs.

There earn your bread by prophesying,

This statement reflects a distortion of the prophetic office and underscores the very practices that Amos condemns. By referring to prophecy as a commercial profession like any other, to be pursued for financial gain, Amaziah contradicts the biblical understanding that prophets are called and appointed by God, not for personal profit (Jeremiah 23:21).

This statement also implies that prophecy is location-dependent and subject to the approval of religious authorities. This undermines the prophetic role as a messenger of divine truth, accountable only to God.

but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”

Amaziah was not a priest of Yahweh, but a priest at the cultic shrine and an official employee of the crown. He doesn’t want the king to be insulted at his own shrine.

Notice that the primary allegiance of the sanctuary is to the king and the kingdom, rather than to God. This misalignment supports Amos’ accusations that Israel’s leaders and people have turned away from genuine worship of Yahweh and are instead following practices that serve their own interests (Amos 2:4, 4:4-5).

The religious institutions of the northern kingdom have become instruments of the state, prioritizing political power over faithful adherence to God’s commands.

Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;

Amos responds by highlighting his humble origins. He was not born into a prophetic family nor trained as a professional prophet, as Amaziah has implied. Neither does Amos belong to a guild of prophets, such as the one described in 1 Kings 22, with the story of Micaiah ben Imlah.

I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.

Instead, Amos was a shepherd and a caretaker of sycamore trees, indicating that he was leading a self-sufficient life before his calling.

In other words, Amos is an independent agent: he does not depend on a king or a priest for support, so he is not beholden to them. His only concern was doing the will of God.

(The sycamore tree bears fruit that resembles figs, which had to be carefully tended. This process involved making small incisions or punctures in the fruit to hasten ripening and reduce the likelihood of insect infestation.)

The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”

Amos asserts that it was God who took him from his ordinary life and commanded him to prophesy to Israel. This divine mandate underscores the legitimacy of his mission and emphasizes that his authority comes directly from God, not from any human institution.

In today’s gospel reading, we will see that Jesus’ apostles were similarly chosen to preach God’s word, and Jesus prepares them for the same kind of rejection that Amos endured.

2nd Reading – Ephesians 1:3-14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.
In him we have redemption by his blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us
the mystery of his will in accord with his favor
that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance
toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

This week we begin a seven-week study of the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul’s great treatise about the worldwide church.

Ephesians is considered one of Paul’s later works, likely composed during his imprisonment in Rome around 60-62 AD. Unlike some of his other epistles, which address specific issues within a single congregation, Ephesians is more general in nature, suggesting it may have been intended as a circular letter to be read by multiple early Christian communities.

Today’s reading is a hymn of praise to God for his plan of salvation. In its native Greek, this passage is one long complex sentence full of relative pronouns and clauses, giving it a unique and cohesive structure.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

The blessing that begins here resembles a Jewish barakah, a short prayer of praise and thanks often recited in various daily activities, religious rituals, and ceremonies. Barakot (plural of barakah) are typically structured with a standard formula that begins with the words “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,” followed by a specific reason for the blessing.

A trinitarian structure is recognizable in references to “the God and Father”, “our Lord Jesus Christ”, and later (v. 13), the Holy Spirit.

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,

As is always the case in Christian theology, the blessings of God come to us through the agency of Christ. This point is mentioned in every verse of the hymn, indicating its importance.

as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,

Salvation in Christ is not an afterthought; it was God’s plan from the very beginning, “before the foundation of the world.”

to be holy and without blemish before him.

The concepts of being holy (hagios) and “without blemish” (amōmos) reflect Old Testament theology. In the Old Testament (Septuagint), amōmos is the term used to describe the animals to be offered as sacrifices, which were to have no physical defects (Exodus 29:1, Leviticus 1:3, Numbers 6:14).

In the New Testament, this term extends to moral and spiritual purity, indicating a state of being free from sin or moral defect.

“It is asked how anyone can be saintly and unblemished in God’s sight. … We must reply (that) Paul does not say He chose us before the foundation of the world on account of our being saintly and unblemished. He chose us that we might become saintly and unblemished, that is, that we who were not formerly saintly and unblemished should subsequently be so.” [Saint Jerome (386 AD), Commentaries on the Epistle to the Ephesians, 1,1,4]

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will,

The source of the Christian’s divine sonship is Jesus Christ. God’s only Son, one in substance with the Father, took on human nature in order to make us sons and daughters of God by adoption (Romans 8:15,29; 9:4; Galatians 4:5).

Notice how, as always, the initiative is God’s — and that initiative is rooted in love.

for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.

This is a recurrent theme in Ephesians: Mankind, understanding God’s plan, should praise him and give thanks.

“He who does good with his hands praises the Lord, and he who confesses the Lord with his mouth praises the Lord. Praise him by your actions” (St Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, 91, 2).

In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.

Paul describes salvation in terms of redemption and forgiveness, achieved through Christ’s sacrificial death.

“Forgiveness of sins follows redemption, for there would be no forgiveness of sin for anyone before redemption occurs. First then we need to be redeemed, to be no longer subject to our captor and oppressor, so that having been freed and taken out of his hands we may be able to receive the benefit of remission of sins. Once our wounds have been healed we are called to live in accord with piety and the other virtues.” [Origen (post 244 AD), Commentaries on Ephesians].

In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor

God’s salvific plan was fully revealed to us in Jesus Christ. This revelation is a blessing in itself: It enables us to recognize God’s infinite goodness and wisdom and respond to his invitation to participate in this plan.

that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

God’s salvific plan not only redeems humanity from sin, it embraces all history and all creation, uniting all things in Christ.

The harmonious unity of creation was destroyed when sin entered the world; Christ reunites creation and leads it back to God.

In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

“We who first hoped in Christ” likely refers to Jewish Christians.

Paul is acknowledging the magnificence of God’s saving plan in the fulfillment, through Christ, of the ancient promises to the Jewish people: the coming of the Kingdom of God and the messianic gifts (Matthew 4:17, 12:28; Luke 4:16-22).

In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 

“You also who have heard” probably refers to the Gentile converts to whom Paul is writing.

God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is the first installment (arrabōn, meaning “pledge” or “down payment”) of our inheritance in Christ as adopted sons and daughters of God.

“He shows how great are our expectations. This grace is already being given, through which miracles were worked: the dead were raised, lepers cleansed and demons driven out. All of these and similar things have the status of a pledge, so it will become obvious that the faithful will enjoy in the future a much greater grace.” [Theodoret of Cyr (ca. 425 AD), Epistle to the Ephesians, 1.14]

Gospel – Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick —
no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals
but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

This gospel reading is an account of the first missionary journey of the Twelve. It immediately follows last week’s reading, when Jesus was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth.

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out

Jesus, possessing divine authority, commissions the apostles much like a king or ruler would send out envoys or delegates. This is not a casual invitation but a formal appointment to a specific task.

The apostles are not acting on their own behalf but as representatives of Jesus, carrying his authority and message.

two by two

The pairing of disciples serves practical purposes (mutual support, companionship, and validation of testimony) and spiritual significance (Jewish law required two witnesses for valid testimony; see Deuteronomy 19:15).

and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

Jesus empowers the disciples with his own authority, emphasizing the continuation of his mission through them. This authority over demons signifies their participation in Jesus’ work of establishing God’s kingdom.

Mark mentioned earlier in his gospel that Jesus appointed the twelve for this very purpose: “He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons” (Mark 3:14-15).

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.

Jesus requires his disciples to depend entirely on God’s provision and the hospitality of others, emphasizing faith, humility, and the urgency of their mission. This ensures spiritual growth for the apostles themselves as they preach repentance.

Sandals and a stick helped ward off animals and protect them from snakes. A sack or bag would have allowed them to carry things they receive along the way; the lack of one communicated to those they encountered that they did not seek to benefit personally from their ministry.

This reliance on others to survive balanced the tremendous power they were about to exert in Jesus’ name. Having nothing to offer or attract people except their spiritual gifts ensured they would never draw followers for the wrong reasons.

He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.

This instruction prevents the disciples from seeking better accommodations and encourages contentment with what is provided.

It also fosters stable relationships and demonstrates respect for the hospitality offered, reinforcing the sincerity and humility of their mission.

Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.”

Here Jesus is preparing them for rejection and failure. When this occurs, they are simply to move on.

To shake the dust of a place from their sandals was the symbolic act that Israelites performed when returning from a foreign land — a precaution that no unclean substance should profane the Holy Land. Any Jew who received this gesture would recognize it as a solemn warning.

So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

This mission of the apostles closely parallels that of Jesus. They preach repentance, not salvation through Christ, as there has not yet been a resurrection.

In Jesus’ time, illness and demonic possession were viewed as concrete evidence of evil in the world; healings and exorcisms were seen as manifestations of God’s power over evil. Performing these kinds of healings lent credibility to the apostles’ message of repentance.

Mark is the only evangelist who speaks of anointing with oil. Oil was often used for treating wounds (Isaiah 1:6, Luke 10:34); here, the apostles also use it for the miraculous cure of physical illnesses. This lays the foundation for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament in which anointing cures wounds of the soul and – if appropriate in God’s plan – bodily diseases as well.

Connections and Themes

• Divine calling and the prophetic ministry. This week we continue to examine the prophetic life. In our first reading, Amos emphasized his divine mandate in the face of opposition from Amaziah, the established religious authority. The apostles also received a divine mandate and were prepared at the outset by Jesus for rejection. Both Amos and the apostles relied not on their own resources or human institutions, but on God’s calling and guidance, emphasizing a deep dependence on divine support.

• Unlikely messengers. Throughout scripture, God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Amos was a humble dresser of sycamores, called by God to be a prophet to Israel. Many of the apostles were fishermen. Paul was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). None had any ministry experience or formal training. God’s selection is not bound by human expectations or qualifications.

  We too are called. Our brokenness, vulnerability, or insecurities might make us reluctant to accept our mandate. However, Paul reminds us in the second reading that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit through our baptism. Not only that, but every spiritual blessing in the heavens has been bestowed upon us — a tremendous statement about the resources and strength that have been given to us for this task.

• Focus on the mission. We must remember to travel light, as Jesus did. Disordered concern with worldly things only weighs us down and distracts us from our mission. This is true not only for material wealth, but also power, privilege, and ideologies. We must constantly ask ourselves: Am I merely reaping the benefits of my ministry and serving my own desires, or am I genuinely serving the faith?

• Embracing rejection. We must also risk rejection, as Jesus did. Amos was thrown out of Bethel for pronouncing God’s message. Paul was exiled and imprisoned for preaching the gospel. Jesus was rejected as a “prophet without honor” by those who knew him best (Mark 6:4). What are we to do when this happens? Like the apostles, we shake the dust from our sandals and move on. Amos models this instruction quite well: Immediately after departing Bethel, he immediately delivers his strongest message of all, denouncing those who “trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to ruin” (Amos 8:4).