Monthly Devotional – September 2024

The Just and Upright Mason

In the Fellowcraft Degree, the scripture of Amos refers to the Lord standing upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. As we know, a plumb line is used to make sure that a wall is straight up and down and not crooked in any way. The wall in this scripture is a symbol of God’s law and God was telling the prophet Amos that he was going to judge Israel by its uprightness and adherence to those laws. In our Masonic degrees, we again and again are instructed to be upright. When we learn to advance and when we take each of our obligations, the Senior Warden makes sure we are straight and true in our posture. When the plumb is explained to us, we are told to walk uprightly before God and man. When we return to the northeast corner of the Lodge as an Entered Apprentice, the Worshipful Master tells us that we are a just and upright Mason and that we are to walk and act as such. I am sure that you felt just as strong a thrill as I did when hearing those inspiring words.

What does it mean to be a just and upright Mason? The word upright is generally understood to mean honorable, acting with integrity, and to be respectable within the community. Our Masonic teachings emphasize many times our responsibility to be a good example to others, to treat each other with fairness and brotherly love, and to be just and honest with all people. In Israel’s case, they had stopped doing those things, had repeatedly broken the Commandments, and God told Amos that He would “not pass by them anymore”; a reference to the Passover in Egypt when God spared Israel’s firstborn. We know that the Lord is a God of infinite love and grace and mercy, but He is also a God of justice and righteousness. As Masons, we are also called upon to exhibit the same qualities: to do good unto all, to live in peace with others, to care for our widows and orphans, and to give charity to the destitute. And perhaps most difficult of all, in the spirit of justice and righteousness, we are instructed to use our most friendly manner to admonish a fellow brother of his error and aid a reformation. It is not an easy task for us Masons to adhere to that perfectly upright wall made by a plumb line; but when we pray for God’s assistance and guidance to walk in His ways, we will be given the strength to do so. May your path be blessed!

Please direct any comments or questions about this message to tvarner536@aol.com.

Thomas L. Varner Jr.
Grand Chaplain

This monthly devotional has been approved by the Grand Master, Most Worshipful Jack Kayle Lewis. It is the latest in a series discussing Biblical references in our ritual.