Faith Formation: Micah - Justice, Kindness, humility

In the days to come the mountain of the house of the LORD's temple shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between peoples and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords in plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. Micah 4:1-5

Physical Jerusalem may thrive or be destroyed. The city may be built up or torn down as happened many times throughout history. The prophets and the faith looked to a Jerusalem where the LORD would dwell as a presence through the covenant, the Torah, or a way of walking with God which was God's will for all people. St. Augustine, and John of the Apocalypse envisioned the new Jerusalem, the City of God, as a heavenly city where peace and light would be for all people and all creation. The prophets longed for a Jerusalem that lived truly in the midst of time where the nations might learn the way of God for world at peace. Rather than simply a place on earth, Jerusalem represented the presence of God in God's people and in the world. It was not some later that they longed for, but a real now where people lived.

There are perhaps a couple images at play here. "Peoples shall stream to it (the mountain of the LORD's temple) ..." The people of came to Jerusalem for festivals like Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Booths). The Passover crowds of the Gospels on Palm Sunday and the crowds that met the disciples on the Day of Pentecost had streamed from far and near to celebrate. Psalms 121-134 were called Songs of Ascents, perhaps pilgrimage Psalms, songs for the journey. "I lift my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come...", "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD...", "Happy is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways." This poem looks to a stream of people on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to learn the ways of God in which all people were to walk. In a reverse of the image out of Zion, to these people and the world would flow a stream of instruction and the word of the LORD. God's way flows as a river to the world that flows to receive it. "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God." Psalm 46 Ezekiel 47 described a river flowing from the entrance of the temple bringing ever increasing depth and life to the world. The trees (people) which grew from these streams would be food and the leaves were for healing. The Revelation of St. John likewise ends with a vision of the river of life "bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God." Revelation 22:1

We might hear a second image from our experience with education. "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." It is like the first day of school when students are excited to be back and eager to get together again. The house of the God functions as a school where we are to be taught and learn how to live. Rather than simply a place of worship from which we can walk away have accomplished the task, it is a place of learning from which we walk to live the way we have been given. It is an education not to pass a test but in order to live a life.

The prophets hoped, envisioned that the way of God would be taught and learned. The prophets anticipated that God's people and all people would be led and walk with God and each other "in right paths for his name's sake." The teachings of God, the way of walking with God, were the Torah, the law, the commandments, the statues and ordinances composed in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, (the boring parts of the Bible.) These things were not to be followed in order to earn salvation or get to heaven by the way of obedience, works righteousness. Rather they were the way to live with God and each other that made the world work for everybody, the people of God and the nations of the world. Rather than coming as a burden or threat of condemnation and judgment, they were a path of light and delight to be celebrated as people lived together. Psalm 119, the longest song in the Bible, celebrated adherence to the way of God as the path of happiness, fulfillment and a good life. "Happy are those who are blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong but walk in his ways." Psalm 119:1-3 Do not get caught up in the words "blameless" or some perfectionism in "who also do no wrong." Get caught up in the joy, happiness that extends to life through those who walk in the paths of God.

In some ways the teachings are simply the way of virtues and love expressed in the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. ... do this and you will live." Luke 25:27-28 Living these things is not the path to eternal salvation which comes by grace, a gift of Christ in mercy. Living these things is the path of God with us for the well being, healing, salvation of the world day to day.

Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk humbly with God.

Pastor Tim Bauer