Speaking Truth to Power
"The Beheading of John the Baptist" by Rembrandt Click here to listen to this sermon. Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel’” (Amos 7:14-15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The phrase “speaking truth to power” means to confront those who hold important positions, whether in government, business, or religious institutions. Speaking truth to power means to demand a moral response to a problem, rather than an expedient, easy, or selfish response. The phrase speaking truth to power carries a connotation of bravery, of risking either the status quo, one’s reputation, livelihood, or the wrath of the person one is confronting. Martin Luther and the reformers were speaking truth to power as they challenged the abuses that had crept into the C...