Close the love and justice gap
Daily Scripture
Micah 6:6-8
6 With what should I approach the LORD
and bow down before God on high?
Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings,
with year-old calves?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with many torrents of oil?
Should I give my oldest child for my crime;
the fruit of my body for the sin of my spirit?
8 He has told you, human one, what is good and
what the LORD requires from you:
to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The prophet Micah saw Israel practicing ceremonial religion and “conspicuous consumption” side-by-side. On God’s behalf, he urged a change of course: “Do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” In that spirit, Resurrection’s third goal by 2030 is to “address injustices and build bridges of healing” in Kansas City. One step toward that was last fall’s “BE” campaign in election season. We agree with Micah that pious rituals are no substitute for simply treating people justly.
- Micah kept ironically raising the proposed sacrifices that God didn’t want in verses 6-7. He ended with child sacrifice, a ghastly practice among some of Israel’s neighbors. What do the three divine requirements Micah listed tell you about what God is like? “To walk” was one main Hebrew way of talking about a person’s lifestyle. In what ways does your lifestyle reflect your choice to “walk humbly” with your God?
- In what ways does your culture and community fall short of justice, kindness and faithful love and a humble walk with God? Scholar Gary Smith wrote, “Micah’s delineation of God’s requirements… includes no negative statements about what is forbidden to the Israelites. It presents a positive case of what God thinks is best for humankind.” * How can you actively move your family, your workplace and your community toward the attitudes and actions God knows are best for humans?
Prayer
Lord God, you created the life processes that gave me birth. It makes sense that you know what is best for me, and for all of us. Guide me into a life that shows the goodness of your ways. Amen.
GPS Insights
Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as Human Resources Lead Director. Janelle finds that her heart is constantly wrestling with the truth that she needs a Savior, and the times when she's at her very best are when she's just too tired to put up a fight.
Those of us in the Kansas City area are still basking in the glow of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory! It was an incredible game and an amazing win! While there were so many unbelievable plays throughout the game, I’ve recently seen one particular play highlighted. With less than two minutes to go in the game, Jerick McKinnon is handed the ball with ten yards to the endzone. He could have EASILY scored a touchdown, something that would have improved his individual stats and looked amazing in a highlight reel. But he didn’t score. Instead, he slid down with just a yard to spare. Why did he sacrifice his individual stats like that? Why didn’t he score? Because he knew that wasn’t the best play for the team. By choosing to not score, he gave his team the best chance at a win. The Chiefs were able to use up most of the clock and kick what turned out to be the game-winning field goal. This gave the Eagles only one shot at a desperation play with a few seconds to go. The Chiefs’ quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, absolutely deserved the MVP, but that sacrificial play by McKinnon shouldn’t go unnoticed.
As Christians, we can learn something from this. While there is certainly a beautiful and personal aspect to our faith, being a Christian isn’t an individual sport. We are meant to know and feel the love God has for each of us, but we have to see the larger picture. Jesus loves me, this I know, but more than that, Jesus loves US. We’re meant to be in community. We’re meant to look out for each other, to care for one another, to lift up those in need. We’re meant to play as a team. It’s when we’re living into this truth that we find the ultimate victory!
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Gary V. Smith, The NIV Application Commentary: Hosea, Amos, Micah. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001, p. 555.
