Advent Devotional December 9, 2025

Scripture

Amos 7:10–17

10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,

‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’ ”

12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees, 15 and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

16 “Now therefore hear the word of the Lord.
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
17 Therefore thus says the Lord:
Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land shall be parceled out by line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.”

Devotion

The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Komperda ’24

“Too Much”

We all love a good prophet … when they’re challenging someone else, prophesying doom on our enemies, on our side.

I like to ask people of various traditions, “Who are YOUR prophets?” This is not about people’s favorite “prophetic voice.” It’s about who sees through our facades, who gets under our skin, who is holding us accountable to our covenants, who is drawing us out of our own familiarity, tradition, and comfort zones with a word of the Lord. Who would we rather send south to Judah because their convicting words are just too much for our land to bear?

If we are to learn anything from our Scriptures’ prophetic tradition, it’s that faithfulness is ultimately a matter of how we receive God’s prophets, what we do with discomfort, and our openness to the prophetic call to repent and see the world through fresh eyes.

The whole idea of “Immanuel” (God-with-us) which we celebrate during Christmastide is rooted in this prophetic tradition. If you head over to Isaiah chapter seven, you’ll find that “Immanuel” is not a welcome promise to King Ahaz from the prophet Isaiah. Immanuel is a source of discomfort, revealing the chasm between the king’s own political plans and the path of trusting Israel’s God. And when the ultimate Immanuel is born into the world, “the land is not able to bear all his words.” (Amos 7:10) He disrupts the status quo and gets sent away with nothing but a cross on his back.

I hope there are other tidings of comfort and joy in this devotional, for Immanuel brings these, too. Today’s text, however, is a reminder that spiritual growth involves prophetic disruption; the way to Christmas light winds through Advent night; Christ is born through Mary’s labor pangs; new creation emerges from the ashes of the cross.

Prayer

Holy Disruptor, open my ears to the prophets You have sent to my people. Strengthen my heart to bear challenging words. Restrain my fight-or-flight instincts in the presence of discomfort. Prepare me to encounter Your Word however it is made flesh and dwells among us. Amen.

ABOUT PITTSBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Rooted in the Reformed tradition, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is committed to the formation of students for theologically reflective ministry and to scholarship in service to the global Church of Jesus Christ.

Become a Hybrid Student

PTS Neighborhood Collaborative Resource Programs

Faculty

In addition to their on-campus duties, our faculty are experts in their fields and are available to preach and teach. Learn more about their topics of research and writing and invite them to present at your congregation or gathering.

Events

The Seminary hosts a wide range of events—many of them free!—on topics of faith including church planting, mission, vocation, spiritual formation, pastoral care and counseling, archaeology, and many more. Visit our calendar often for a listing of upcoming events.

Visit PTS

Interested in the Seminary? Come visit us!

Stay in Touch with PTS

Sign-up to receive the Seminary's newsletters: Seminary News (monthly), Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry, Continuing Education, Faith Forming Families Network, Kelso Museum, Metro-Urban Institute, Miller Summer Youth Institute, and World Mission Initiative. Alums, there's also one for you!