Faith Formation: Micah - Justice, Kindness, humility

Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel. "Oh my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Oh my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD." Micah 6:1-5

God spoke the first word pleading the case in God's own defense. God claimed to be the aggrieved party, the one who had been offended against. Dan Simundson wrote, "One can almost hear a note of hurt, wonder, and pleading in God's opening question." Can God's feelings be hurt? As a rhetorical device it emphasized the depth of offense that arose because the story of God with us was forgotten. People listened to other stories, of other gods who had never helped them but ever tempted them with pleasures and power. The Apostle Paul used similar language, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30. Paul pointed to bitterness, wrath, anger, wrangling (arguing), slander, malice, by which we relate to and view others as the source of the Spirit's grief. Instead Paul pointed to kindness, being tender hearted, and forgiving, acts of humility, as the character of the followers of Christ. The story of God with us, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love, calls to a life of justice, kindness and humility. The story of God with us in Christ leads to a life of kindness, tenderness and forgiveness. Amidst the distractions and temptations of this world both God's story and our calling may be easily forgotten or ignored.

"Oh my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!" At the end of the Good Friday liturgy these questions and God plea for a response are repeated eleven times in the "Solemn Reproaches." It acts as a last act of confession and repentance that characterizes the entire Lenten season. It begins by recalling saving acts of God similar to that of which Micah wrote. Israel's story and the churches' story are combined and overlap. "I led you out of slavery into freedom, and delivered you through the waters of rebirth, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior. ... Forty years I led you through the desert, feeding you with manna on the way; I saved you from the time of trial and gave you my body, the bread of heaven, but you prepared a cross for your Savior."

God's complaint was not generic, directed to the nations of the earth whom God had not chosen or led, and who consequently were not expected to listen or serve. "Oh my people," was the complaint of God in relation to God's people. God had done things for them, but they became weary of listening, remembering and following. Micah liked words that played off each other, puns. He employed it here, "I did the work of bearing you, but you are bored with me." Or, "I have borne you, but you can't bear to be with me." While God was patient with the people, giving them a king, sending them prophets, rescuing them from their enemies, they became impatient as though whatever God did it was never enough. "Yes, but what have you done lately?"

"Answer me!" "Testify against me!" "Produce your own evidence of complaint!" God asked Job a long series of questions challenging Job to respond. "And the LORD said to Job: 'Shall the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond.' Then Job answered the LORD: 'See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer, twice but proceed no further.'" The answer from God is seldom easy to grasp or accept. A prophet in the tradition of Isaiah struggled with this too. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 The answer is not always satisfying. But in humility we walk with God and with kindness and justice we walk with each other. Israel would answer God, but it would come in the form of a confession of repentance.

Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk humbly with God.

Pastor Tim Bauer