Take a moment to centre yourself in prayer.
Opening Prayer:
O God, you turn things upside down for us. When we think our days have settled nicely into place, you upset our plans. Your word breaks into our agendas, and shakes us from complacency. And yet when our lives are in disarray, O God, you are the one who gives it meaning, who puts our feet on the earth, who points us to hope.
Help us this day, O God, to hear through the familiar words of beloved scripture and to be moved by the unlikeliness of finding ourselves in the midst of YOUR gospel story, for we pray in the name of the one we followed into the story, Jesus the Christ, Amen
READ Micah 6:1-8
Background: Micah's prophetic proclamations likely come from 711-701 BCE, likely during reign of King Hezekiah. He came from Mareshesh, a “frontier” community, one of the first regions attacked in war. Judah was the buffer between Egypt and Assyria.
Opening Prayer:
O God, you turn things upside down for us. When we think our days have settled nicely into place, you upset our plans. Your word breaks into our agendas, and shakes us from complacency. And yet when our lives are in disarray, O God, you are the one who gives it meaning, who puts our feet on the earth, who points us to hope.
Help us this day, O God, to hear through the familiar words of beloved scripture and to be moved by the unlikeliness of finding ourselves in the midst of YOUR gospel story, for we pray in the name of the one we followed into the story, Jesus the Christ, Amen
READ Micah 6:1-8
Background: Micah's prophetic proclamations likely come from 711-701 BCE, likely during reign of King Hezekiah. He came from Mareshesh, a “frontier” community, one of the first regions attacked in war. Judah was the buffer between Egypt and Assyria.
Micah was likely an artistan, of the middle class, literate but not powerful. He went to Jerusalem to “deliver” his prophecies, but would not have been in the same social strata as Isaiah, who was well-connected with the palace and temples. The book of his prophecies likely include his own words, plus some later commentators attached, referring to exile and post-exilic periods and situations.
Welcome to God’s mini-drama – a new series: "Law and Order Promised Land"
The cast includes the Narrator (prophet): in verses 1-2, 8; the Plaintiff ( God): in verses 3-5; the Defense (Israel): in verses 6-7; and the Judges (mountains and hills) mentioned in 1-2 but present throughout.
The setting is up to the plaintiff – God is the one who has brought case to court, and chooses a jury which is the physical, not social, world, giving us an image of timeless wisdom, set on the enduring foundations by which the world is supposed to be ordered, not human society. The world is also universal, not national, so the message is to all people.
God has “a controversy” (Hebrew legal suit) with “his people”.
The Charge: verses 3-5 – What has God done wrong? Clearly nothing! YHWH gives the long-range view of their past history: the escape from Egypt; the story of their enemy Balaam trying to curse, but instead blessing Israel. References to Shittim, the Israelite camp on one side of the Jordan River before entering the promised land, and Gilgal, their camp on other side before taking Jericho.
The setting is up to the plaintiff – God is the one who has brought case to court, and chooses a jury which is the physical, not social, world, giving us an image of timeless wisdom, set on the enduring foundations by which the world is supposed to be ordered, not human society. The world is also universal, not national, so the message is to all people.
God has “a controversy” (Hebrew legal suit) with “his people”.
The Charge: verses 3-5 – What has God done wrong? Clearly nothing! YHWH gives the long-range view of their past history: the escape from Egypt; the story of their enemy Balaam trying to curse, but instead blessing Israel. References to Shittim, the Israelite camp on one side of the Jordan River before entering the promised land, and Gilgal, their camp on other side before taking Jericho.
Defense: verses 6 – 7 – Israel already acknowledged guilt, offers no defense. Micah asks God, what do you want? He starts out reasonably enough, then quickly offers exaggerated recompense, no more than 12 rams ever offered before.
Some criticism of the king, temple practices may be implied from this Jerusalem outsider.
References to human sacrifice which were still practiced in Israel, though criticized.
Conclusion: verse 8 – "You already know" the truth already in their hearts. Micah introduces the 3fold way: justice, kindness, walk humbly with your God.
What does the Lord require of you? Sacrifice your pretensions to righteousness.
Question of Reflection:
What “pretensions” could we sacrifice in order to free up more energy for living the 3fold way?
READ 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The pastoral situation: Chloe has written to Paul about this community at Corinth in conflict – who is the “right” teacher, which leader has the “highest” gifts, who has authority?
Paul overturns both “Greek” (or gentile) and Jewish values. A messiah dying on a CROSS is blasphemy to Jews, criticizing wisdom is blasphemy to Greeks. Paul refers to those “who are perishing” – they are not physically dying but missing the boat to eternal life.
What does the Lord require of you? Sacrifice your pretensions to righteousness.
Question of Reflection:
What “pretensions” could we sacrifice in order to free up more energy for living the 3fold way?
READ 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The pastoral situation: Chloe has written to Paul about this community at Corinth in conflict – who is the “right” teacher, which leader has the “highest” gifts, who has authority?
Paul overturns both “Greek” (or gentile) and Jewish values. A messiah dying on a CROSS is blasphemy to Jews, criticizing wisdom is blasphemy to Greeks. Paul refers to those “who are perishing” – they are not physically dying but missing the boat to eternal life.
Only "the saved" can see that the cross is the power of God.
In verse 19 there is a quote from Isaiah 29:14, the "wise advisors" are corrupt, and their duplicity is tripped up by God’s foolishness. There is no true worldly wisdom, so God works through belief. Not belief as in intellectual assent, but as a faith relationship, a bond of loyalty or trust.
The Christian community moves beyond stereotypes (Jews believe in signs, Greeks in wisdom)but we proclaim Christ. "To those who are called" (regardless of cultural background), the truth is not debasing God, but proclaiming that God’s foolishness greater than all human wisdom.
Paul reminds them that they are not the "best" but they are the ones that God has called, so no one might boast – the goal is unity, working together.
Question for Reflection:
In what ways has the “wisdom” of the church appealed to you? In what ways has it been its "foolishness" that has appealed?
Read Matthew 5:1-12
Look at different translations
New Testament Greek had “moods” as well as tenses - the beatitudes are indicative/factual statements of positive belief about the future, they are not imperative commands or demands.
Jesus is not telling the crowds to become poor, or go into extended mourning, Jesus is consoling those who are poor, or mourning, or powerless. When we hear them we should not think “Oh, I should be like that...” but “When I feel that way, I should remember what Jesus said...”
In English, “meek” can mean submissive, weak, powerless. Applied in translation to the original Hebrew or Greek, however, it sends the wrong impression of this important spiritual quality.
Numbers 12:3 –
“Now the man Moses was very meek, more so than anyone else on earth.” (from the KJV – our more contemporary translations, NIV or NRSV, say humble or devout.)
Clearly Moses might have been meek, yet as the leader of God’s people, not weak.
Matthew 11:29 –
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls.”
Likewise, Jesus was a leader passionate about God’s mission and ministry. Yet he knew that he needed gentleness and compassion to really demonstrate God’s spirit.
The Greek word used in both the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures) and in the Christian scriptures, which we translate meek is “praos”.
Beyond the Bible, it was used to describe (1) a soothing medicine, or (2) by sailors to describe a gentle breeze, or (3) by farmers to describe a broken colt. All describe power or energy channeled under great control.
Ephesians 4:1-2 – (KJV)
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.”
Paul called the early Christians to “meekness”, knowing that it would take self-control to live together faithfully, with all their differences. Christian witness required courage, not wimpiness! But to work together in a ministry that crossed boundaries of class, ethnic origin and gender, “gentleness” (NRSV) was also required.
We end with a quote from Chilean version of the Beatitudes, written by
P. Jacob, from Chile:
In what ways has the “wisdom” of the church appealed to you? In what ways has it been its "foolishness" that has appealed?
Read Matthew 5:1-12
Look at different translations
New Testament Greek had “moods” as well as tenses - the beatitudes are indicative/factual statements of positive belief about the future, they are not imperative commands or demands.
Jesus is not telling the crowds to become poor, or go into extended mourning, Jesus is consoling those who are poor, or mourning, or powerless. When we hear them we should not think “Oh, I should be like that...” but “When I feel that way, I should remember what Jesus said...”
In English, “meek” can mean submissive, weak, powerless. Applied in translation to the original Hebrew or Greek, however, it sends the wrong impression of this important spiritual quality.
Numbers 12:3 –
“Now the man Moses was very meek, more so than anyone else on earth.” (from the KJV – our more contemporary translations, NIV or NRSV, say humble or devout.)
Clearly Moses might have been meek, yet as the leader of God’s people, not weak.
Matthew 11:29 –
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls.”
Likewise, Jesus was a leader passionate about God’s mission and ministry. Yet he knew that he needed gentleness and compassion to really demonstrate God’s spirit.
The Greek word used in both the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures) and in the Christian scriptures, which we translate meek is “praos”.
Beyond the Bible, it was used to describe (1) a soothing medicine, or (2) by sailors to describe a gentle breeze, or (3) by farmers to describe a broken colt. All describe power or energy channeled under great control.
Ephesians 4:1-2 – (KJV)
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.”
Paul called the early Christians to “meekness”, knowing that it would take self-control to live together faithfully, with all their differences. Christian witness required courage, not wimpiness! But to work together in a ministry that crossed boundaries of class, ethnic origin and gender, “gentleness” (NRSV) was also required.
We end with a quote from Chilean version of the Beatitudes, written by
P. Jacob, from Chile:
Blessed are the poor …
not the penniless
but those whose heart is free.
Blessed are those who mourn …
not those who whimper
but those who raise their voices.
Blessed are the meek …
not the soft
but those who are patient and tolerant.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice …
not those who whine
but those who struggle.
Blessed are the merciful …
not those who forget
but those who forgive.
Blessed are the pure in heart …
not those who act like angels
but those whose life is transparent.
Blessed are the peacemakers …
not those who shun conflict
but those who face it squarely.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice …
not because they suffer
but because they love.
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