Love and Justice

Epiphany 4 – February 1 2026

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

Our reading today from Micah is one that may need a disclaimer, something like this: caution our reading today may contain ideas that can be disturbing, listener discretion is advised. Micah is talking to the people in the southern kingdom of Judah. Especially those who were wealthy who had forgotten God’s command to them to take care of the orphan, widow, and foreigner in their land. But now they are starting to worry about the Assyrians who had attacked and conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. That worry has brought them back to the temple and sacrifices in order to assuage God so that God would forgive their evil ways. Micah is telling them that no sacrifice will get God’s attention not calves a year old, nor thousands of rams, nor ten thousands of rivers of oil, not even (here the disclaimer) if they sacrificed their firstborn child, flesh of their own flesh. It must have been desperate times if the people were thinking about (or actually performing) child sacrifice to appease God. Was there no way to return to God’s good grace?

Micah does outline what they should do instead of sacrifices in order to receive the blessing of God. That is to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with God. This is the same walk that we are called to follow in our own lives. It is also the life that Jesus calls us to. In today’s lesson from Matthew we heard the beginning of Jesus’ sermon on the mount where he begins with the beatitudes. When we read them we should remember that it is those to whom Jesus addresses his sermon are the people that we are called to serve. We who have been given so much are to humbly walk with Jesus helping all in need: The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart,  the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. They are the ones we are called to walk with especially now when we see so much mistreatment of others, especially the foreigners, in our land. 

It is not an easy task to answer God’s call. We can only do it by the help of God who has filled us with God’s Holy Spirit and has removed any need of a sacrifice from us by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. With Jesus by our side, filled with the Holy Spirit together, as the Body of Christ, we can do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly before God. Our task is much needed in today’s world where injustice and evil occur. Even in our own nation that has forgotten God’s call to take care of the orphan, widow, and foreigner in our land let alone those Jesus added to the list. But we can do it. Pray that you will have the strength and the will to answer Jesus’ call to pick up your cross and follow him.