Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany

January 30, 2005

Peace Lutheran Church

Las Cruces, NM

Pastor Steve Loy

Readings:  Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

Over the last few weeks Jeanne and I have both had the chance to worship in other settings. Jeanne was in Albuquerque two weeks ago for the consecration of the new Episcopal Bishop of the Rio Grande Diocese. She reveled in the pomp and circumstance of the high church worship at the cathedral. Last weekend I attended the Rocky Mountain Synod Middle School Youth Gathering in Colorado Springs. There were over 700 youth and 200 adults. I can't remember the last time I was in a room with that much energy. There was a musical group called Lost and Found, speakers and workshops. My worship experience isn't what I would call high church, the jumping and shouting was what I would call high impact worship.

We are going to spend some time with the Micah reading this morning and I thought the most effective way to talk about Micah would be to pull a page out of our Monday Crossways material and do a little teaching. The prophet Micah spoke in eighth century B.C. to a nation that was prosperous and secure. The nation of Israel believed they among all the nations were chosen by God. To better understand Micah's prophesy we have to remember what came before him.

Consider with me three questions: How does the community know God's presence? How does the community worship God? And what do they hope to get from it?

To understand Micah we have to go back to the exodus from Egypt. The exodus is a critical time in Israel's theological formation. That event shapes how they understand God for the rest of history. When Israel comes out of Egypt how does the community know God's presence? They know God's presence through the leadership of Moses and Aaron and the pillar of cloud and fire. How does the community worship God? They sing and dance and depend on God to provide for them.

And what do they get? You might remember that in the wilderness God provided manna and quails so that Israel wouldn't starve to death. Every day they had to gather the manna. They couldn't store it up or hoard it and the manna became a symbol of Israel's radical dependence on God. And what do they hope to get from their relationship with God? They hope to be kept safe and provided for in the wilderness until they enter the land promised to Abraham.

As Israel moves toward the Promised Land and they begin to do battle with the Canaanites and Philistines their relationship with God changes somewhat. During the time of conquest how does the community know God's presence? They know God's presence through the Ark of the Covenant. How does the community worship God? They sing and pray and they devote themselves to holy war. In some ways slaughtering their neighbors and taking their land and their homes is viewed as a part of a person's devotion to God. God is the one who fights for them and a man's preparation and devotion to holy war is critical to the nation's survival as well as their relationship to God. And what does Israel hope to get from it? They hope to gain the Promised Land and become a nation like the other nations around them - prosperous, and independent with a homeland.

Over a period of two hundred years Israel develops into a nation in Canaan. The period of the judges evolves into the demand for a king. With the king comes stability and unity and a dramatic change in Israel's understanding of God.

During the period of the kings how does the community know God's presence? They know God through the temple. Every person was expected to visit Jerusalem at least once a year and to bring an offering that would be sacrificed at the temple. How does the community worship God? They worship God through the offerings made by the priests. There would be songs and prayers, but the high point and central part of Israel's worship was the sacrifice offered to God. The whole temple cult depended on Israelites bringing their sacrifices. When a family from Galilee made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem they would bring a sheep or a goat, some grain from their field and a jug of wine. A portion of that was prepared and given back to them for a meal at the temple, but the majority was kept by the priests to feed the temple personal and to keep the operation running. What did they get from it? They got the promise of God's favor both as individuals and as a nation. They were promised God's protection and atonement for their sin. They viewed God as an angry God that had to be appeased in order to keep God from lashing out and destroying them.

That is the system that was in place when Micah prophesied. The people of Israel believed that the welfare of the nation depended on the sacrificial system. The people of Israel believed that their relationship with God, their very survival depended on the sacrificial system. The root of the word religion is ligature, something that is used to bind. Religion is intended to bind people to God. The sacrificial system was Israel's religion, their way of staying connected to God.

Micah says, "the Lord has a controversy with his people and he will contend with Israel...

With what shall I come before the LORD,

and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, (and the priests say, Yes)

with calves a year old? (and the priests say, Yes)

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, (and the priests say, Oh Lord let it be so)

with ten thousands of rivers of oil? (oh yes).

This is like asking a pastor may I give your church $1,000? Would the Lord like me to put $10,000 in the plate this Sunday? The only right answer is yes!

And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice - and the priests cry - no not justice, money... and to love kindness - and the priests say - no not kindness, sacrifice... and to walk humbly with your God - the priests - not humility, show God that you can out give someone else. Show God how good you are, practice religion.

Micah thumbs his nose at the sacrificial system, challenges the standard religious practices and moves God out of the temple into the streets. Micah says that God's presence is known in the community through our behavior toward other people. Micah says that God is worshipped whenever we act justly, whenever we show kindness, or live with humility. And there is no payment from God, living is its own reward. Micah's motives are not to appease an angry God, but to know that when we do justice, love kindness and walk humbly we imitate God who does the same.

Can you see why Jesus ended up at odds with so many in the established religion of the day? Priests, Levites, Pharisees and Sadducees each in some way supported the religious and political system of their day. Like the military industrial complex, of today, that has now received the blessing of the religious right, the king's court and the religious structure of Micah's day worked hand in glove for the supposed well being of Israel. Jesus sides not with the political religious system of his day, but instead, claims the message of the prophetic tradition, inviting his followers to join a different politic; a politic that depends not on violence and physical power, but on justice, kindness and humility. Jesus is a part of the prophetic tradition, not the established religious system. In fact, the way of Jesus is the undoing of religion. Our behavior doesn't bind us to God, Jesus binds us to God. Jesus is our religion.

According to Micah, God is present in living life. According to Micah true worship of God, is far less what we do here in this room and far more what we do in the work place, in our neighborhoods, in our families and with our checkbooks. And if you think you are buying off God with your good behavior think again. Jesus lived Micah's words. Our God is already doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly and binds us to himself so that we can do nothing less.