Upcoming Sunday Scripture Commentary - February 2

February 2 Sermon – “Blessed”

Micah 6:6-8

The prophet Micah was a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah. This was a troubling time. Assyria has already taken over parts of Israel. Internally, there Israel’s leader are corrupt and have forgotten the poor and the marginalized.

These words are from Micah, a prophet in the Jerusalem area in the 8th. century BCE. Micah is concerned because the people have forgotten their covenant with God.  He responds to the question: what does God want from the people?

Micah uses the scene of a law court to describe what God wants of Israel. God is accusing Israel of forgetting that God had saved them. VV. 3-5 – God asks, “What more could I have done for you that I haven’t already done?”

V. 6 – Portrayed as the defendant, Israel pleads her case and asks, “What can we do?” Can we offer calves for sacrifice? Calves were very valuable in that time period. Should we sacrifice our eldest sons like the neighboring Canaanites are known to do?

V. 8 – No. What the Lord wants us for Israel to act with justice and treat people who are marginalized with compassion.

Matthew 5:1-12

The Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7)

Jesus is saying that these blessings are part of what it means for God’s kingdom to come on earth.

“Blessed” means “wonderful news.” God is working through Jesus to turn the world upside down to the point that God’s kingdom is being made real on earth.

This passage is based on the Book of Deuteronomy when God brought the people of Israel through the wilderness and told them about future blessings and curses depending on their obedience and faithfulness to God.  Matthew is creatively using the Old Testament exodus story to tell the Jesus story. Jesus came out of Egypt (2:15), through the water and the wilderness (chapters 3 & 4), and into the land of promise (4:12-25.)

Jesus is teaching a large crowd on the hillside and his sayings are recorded in Matthew. What does the kingdom of heaven look like?  Who is honored in the kingdom?

The blessings listed here are meant to be lived out on earth!

[Note: The resources used for these scripture reading commentaries are based on the Everyone series by NT Wright, The Wesley Study Bible, and the “Montreal-Anglican”lectionary commentaries.]