I Am Called to God’s Justice: Micah 6: 6-8; Matt. 28: 16-20
It is always fun to watch a congregation squirm when they start hearing the Micah 6:8 scripture. Usually when church hears this read, they know exactly what’s coming. It’s like when you’re at a tent revival in the summer heat and hear the scripture about there shall be two in the field and one gets called up to heaven by God. You hear this, and you know exactly what kind of sermon is coming. And even as the sigh of relief comes with the end of those three verses in Micah 6, your eyes shoot back open and the whole church gets waves of panic hearing that the Great Commission scripture is next. Both? In one Sunday? Is it even legal for the pastor to do that kind of double whammy? As the resignation to get through sets in, you watch the congregation look around as if to say, “Alright, who sinned so badly that it caused all of us to get BOTH the justice scripture and the Great Commission in one Sunday?”
My friends, let me put you at ease. There’s no social justice-fire and brimstone-missionary overseas-call to get out there coming for you in the sermon…today at least. I think the best path to take with Micah and Matthew is to look at the question, “What now?” I’ve heard it a lot in the past few days and weeks as we find a new sense of normalcy in our world. As precautions and restrictions for COVID are eased, as the protests of last summer give way to a bit of calm, as things get a little quiet and go back to a routine, we may find ourselves asking, “What now?”
I’ll give you an example. I’ve spent the better part of a year working from home or the church office. Am I now expected to return to commuting 580 miles per week to and from my office? Our churches are pretty much fully open…so will people come back and how will worship look with this new-found online presence? Do I just go right back to the routine of my usually Friday dinner at the Mexican restaurant? What now? What do we do now? What I’ve found is that the discomfort of 2020 has given way to the dis-ease and dis-temperament of 2021. Every group I’m in whether work, church, my circle of friends, everyone is just a bit on edge and irritable. It’s like the folks back in Micah’s day.
The whole of Micah 6 is an indictment of the people of Israel. While this heavily quoted scripture sounds nice, if you go back to verse three, you find God saying this: “Oh my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!” God here is quoting their questions of old days seeking how to truly follow God…what should we do? God has told you: do justice, love mercy, walk humbly. But those days of old are gone, and the people of Israel do not care what they should bring to God or do for God. The whole of the people and God as their leader are uncomfortable, uncertain, and unwilling to work together with God for what is holy and right.
And so, beginning in verse 9, God proclaims the evidence and pronounces the verdict. They are guilty. Some translations in verse 13 have God saying he will wound the people, but some say it this way, “Therefore, O people, I will ruin you:” justice without mercy, justice without humility, justice for a people who wanted nothing to do with those three things: justice, mercy, or humility. So, what now? For Israel, after two more minor prophets, God went silent until the birth of Jesus in Matthew.
Perhaps the way to reinvigorate our life today is to take to heart a portion of the Great Commission. Matthew 28:20 says, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” Sometimes we teach the new disciples, and sometimes we give the old disciples a refresher course. We are to obey all the commands given…and the Lord has told us what is good, and what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.
Is it right for us to dwell in anger and irritation? Is it right for us to continue in old ways with old prejudices? Is it merciful for us always be giving a piece of our mind? Is it merciful to use accountability as a weapon instead of as a tool for growth? Do we actually choose justice, mercy, and humility, or do we simply hang a cute plaque of these words on the wall that we got on discount at Hobby Lobby?
God’s call here is not a sentiment or feel-good phrase. It is a wake-up call for a world and a church that is tired, confused, struggling to find its way in a world where its authority is waning. What now? What are we to do—burnt offerings, bow down, bring our best rams and calves, bring rivers of olive oil? These people even offered to sacrifice their children at some point Micah tells us. No, God doesn’t need us to act a fool to be fixed! Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly—that’s what God has said.
You know these requirements got a lot easier with Jesus. I imagine he drew upon these prophetic words of Micah when he told the people that all of God’s law and requirements boil down to two things: love God and love your neighbor. Eventually we will have to leave our sanctuaries, our homes, our neighborhoods. This is what we take with us. This is how we live our faith in the world. It’s not the sermons we preach. It’s not in the shouting, “I go to church!” It’s not even in the “like and share” things on Facebook that remind everyone of your beliefs.
No, faith is known and told by who we are (our character) and how we live Sunday at noon through next Sunday at 10 AM. That’s how you teach people of Jesus and his love. You live it in your character and in your daily actions. There is no better pattern for that life that what God has given us: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. But if that is a bit much to remember, Jesus made it even simpler when he taught the people what all of God’s law really comes down to: Love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. This is what is good. This is what God has called us to and requires of us, each and every one.
I know at the beginning of this sermon I told you it would not be a hard-hitting whammy given both of those tough scriptures. I guess I spoke too soon there. Oops. Maybe I can excuse it by saying I wanted to give you all the mercy part before I got to the justice part? The truth is that we should not see these two scriptures as a double whammy, but instead, as a double portion of opportunity. As the old hymn says, “Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and his love.” It is quite simple to tell this story. Go out and teach that God has told us what is good: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the God who loves you.
Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/395265278497130