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4th SUNDAY AFTER
EPIPHANY
Today we consider what is good and what God requires of us-in
Micah that means doing justice, loving kindness, and walking
humbly before our God. In the gospel lesson what is good is
encapsulated in the beatitudes-a memorable display of virtues that
lay claim to our lives. Hopefully, these passages will be seen as
encouragements and spiritual cultivation-even in the face of
resistance and persecution.
Micah 6:1-8-Do Justice / Love Kindness / Walk Humbly
One gets the immediate impression that we are standing in a
courtroom in Micah 6. God commands Israel to “plead your case,”
for God “has a controversy with his people.” But first God
pleads God’s case-what evil have I perpetrated on Israel? God
demands. “Let the record show that I delivered, provided, and
saved this defendant,” God states. But we hear no defense from
Israel, only silence, followed by an admission of guilt. “With
what shall I come before the LORD?” Will burnt offerings or oil or
the sacrificing of my firstborn pay for my transgressions?” The
final line of our lesson provides a clear, concise answer from God:
“do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.”
Psalm
15—Who is worthy to enter god's
Presence?
Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your
presence? Thus opens this psalm’s theme--with the concomitant
moral responses that reflect a Torah-lover: those who does what is
right, speaks truth only, does not slander or speak evil, who
despises evil and evildoers, but who honor those who are faithful to
God, those who charge no interest on loans, nor pad their wallets
with bribe money to testify against the innocent.
1 Corinthians 1:18-31-Stumbling Blocks to Some; Foolishness to
Others
Paul begins with a defense of the cross, specifically, the notion
of Christ crucified. “To some,” In essence, Paul says, “this
is a silly idea, but for those who are in God’s saving process,
that cross reveals God’s power.” To a community renown for sophia,
Paul’s words must seem fantastic. Yet Paul argues that through all
their wisdom, his world had not gained God. So while his own people
seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, Paul proclaims Christ
crucified. The lesson closes with Paul walking among the pews of the
Corinthians-“look around you,” he says, “and notice that few
of you were wise or powerful or come from the good part of town
before you became Christians. It’s not about pedigree or education
or religion-it’s about Christ. That’s where our boasting comes
from.”
Matthew 5:1-12-The Be-Attitudes
This lesson focuses on the prologue of the Sermon on the Mount.
This begins the first of five discourses that fill the book of
Matthew (cf. Luke 6:20-26 for a very different version). Here Jesus
blesses believers because of what lies in store for them. These
beatitudes hold out a present condition next to a future condition.
Thus, poor in spirit is connected to possessing the kingdom,
mourning is connected to its future condition, obtaining comfort,
etc. If the second half of each beatitude sees a wrong undone or a
good rewarded, it often does this through a reversal of ordinary
values.
