You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. – Amos 5:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 22, 2013): Amos 5

There is a line in the song “If I Were a Rich Man” from “Fiddler on the Roof” that intrigues me.

If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack
To sit in the synagogue and pray.
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall.
And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all.

Of course, in the musical the character is musing over the things that he could do if he were a rich man. But the comment highlights what has been an unfortunate reality of life since time began (at least until the onset of the welfare state.) Simple survival has been the main activity of the poor. They have not had time to spend on religious or political questions – they have been busy doing other things.

One thing that we miss in the story of Jesus is that the Pharisees, the group of people that for us has become part of the villain cast, was actually a group that was looked up to by the common person in Jesus day. That realization changes everything that we hear Jesus say about the Pharisaical traditions. These were the ones that the people aspired to be like. Yet, Jesus was seemed to have very little good to say about them. The Pharisees were revered is because they were the ones that had time to think and reason – these were the men that had the time to sit and pray, the ones with seats at the Eastern wall, the ones who had time to discuss the holy books. In many ways, they were the privileged class.

The story of the privileged class is a long one. But by and large these are the ones that have decided the laws for our nations. And throughout history, it has often been easy to tax the poor because they were the ones too busy trying to survive to join in on the conversation. Even today, this problem is discussed every time the subject of taxation is raised. And the people in the conversation will list off very articulately the reasons for why the rich should not bear the tax load. But the poor are not represented – they are still too busy just trying to survive.

Amos looks at the grain tax and the straw tax and sees it as another example of the rich finding ways to steal money from the poor. And his message is that in spite of the wins that the rich feel they have obtained, it is only a temporary situation. They will build their houses of stone (in that day a luxury) but will not live in them for long – because the tax structure that they have built will crumble under its own weight. God has heard the cry of the poor – and he is already on his way, ready to answer.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Amos 6