The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany --- 2 February 2014

Micah 6:8

 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 

1 Corinthians 1:25

For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. 

Matthew 5:2-3

Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"

• The prophet Micah asked this question in a time long ago, and the question still echoes today. People still ask how they can please God and even how they can appease God and stay on God's good side.
• If we look closely, all three readings today are on just about the same topic: how do we please God? Is it even possible to please God?
• The passage from Micah is quite well known. The last verse is a favourite of many Christians. However, what that verse is in response to is not so well known. The Lord has a bone to pick with his people since they have forgotten all he has done for them. Then the prophet asks how the people can make it up to the Lord. Will sacrifice do it? Herds of calves and rams? Huge amounts of olive oil and grain? Even the sacrifice of children? With the exception on human sacrifice, Israel already did these things and the people around them did regularly sacrifice their children to their gods.
• Instead and a bit unexpectedly, Micah reminds the people how they are to worship the Lord – live in justice, engage in mercy and kindness, and “walk humbly with your God” or, as we might say, live your lives in humility and awe before God, always keeping God in everything you do. This is what the Lord asks rather than empty ritual or self-centred attempts to placate an idol rather than the true God.
• In his letter, Paul says what might be unexpected as well. He tells the Corinthians, who appear to be looking for wisdom or signs, we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. Those who would seek God in earthly wisdom will be disappointed and those who demand signs will be given signs they don't like or reject, namely the cross of Christ. Paul holds that “God's foolishness” is wiser and stronger than any human wisdom or strength. What earthly wisdom and strength have rejected turns out to be more powerful and saving than anything conceived of by the human mind. God will not be confined by our expectations or our preconceived notions or even our meagre understanding.
• Our Gospel reading today is Matthew's version of what we often call the Sermon on the Mount. We know the listing found there are often referred to as the Beatitudes, since they start with the phrase, “Blessed are...”
• The first of these Beatitudes sets the stage for the rest: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This flies in the face of the common understanding of the time that the poor were cursed and the rich were the ones with blessing. Again Jesus takes shows the power and wisdom of God, seen by many as foolishness and weakness, to be wise beyond measure and strong beyond understanding.
• All these readings, whether they speak of the way to walk with God, the acceptance of the cross, or the redefinition of who is blessed and what it means to be blessed, speak of the reign of God or the kingdom of God, whichever title you might prefer. The speak of what is to come and they speak of what is here right now. God's kingdom has come near, as last week's Gospel said, and the blessing of the poor, the mourning, the merciful, and all those mentioned in the sermon on the mount are present now. The foolishness and weakness of God bringing salvation and enlightenment are present now. The prophet's words of walking with God in humility, justice, and mercy are with us now.
• So how do we please God? We'd best start our answer by saying that God takes joy in his creation and in creating. Really we have to turn the question around and work from the “God side.” The proper question then becomes “Who are the blessed ones of God?” The Scripture answers this question in no uncertain terms. The answer may go against conventional wisdom and the ways of power, but the answer should! For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
• He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
• Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Live as one created by God, redeemed by Jesus Christ, enlivened by the Spirit, and grateful for the whole thing and God will be pleased.