Prayer (based on Micah 6:6-8)
Let us Pray:
Our God. Our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer-
How do we thank you? How do we show our gratitude?
Do you want signs and sacrifices? Do you want gold and cattle?
Tell us, what do you require in return for all your goodness? God, Our teacher, example, companion—
You have shown us what is good, and call us to remember that what you require is not repayment of debt or settling the score, but faithfulness.
Show us, God When to do justice, how to love kindness, and where to walk, humbly, with You.
Amen.
1.reading Micah 6.1-8
6 Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 ‘O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 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.
5 O 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.’
What God Requires
6 ‘With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
2.reading Psalm 15
1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;
3 who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5 who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent.
Those who do these things shall never be moved.
Gospel Matthew 5.1-12
The Beatitudes
5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Sermon: Blessed Blessings.
What a blessing to be here today on this first Sunday in February 2026! What a blessing to be here with you to listen to some of the most profound and iconic biblical text. Words that may comfort us and challenge us.
We began this Sunday morning service, listening to the prophet Micah from OT. Micah 6:8 is one of Christians’ favorite biblical texts. We print it on mugs and T-shirts and post it on social media, and a few of my pastor colleagues has it as their motto.
to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Why don’t we repeat them again:
Matthew’s Gospel today is breathtakingly beautiful. The Beatitudes, or the Beautytudes, as I mistakenly called them when I first read them aloud in English some 20 years ago.
The Beatitudes begin the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has a vast crowd gathered around him, hungry for a word and comfort and guidance. He goes up the mountain—as he does later for the transfiguration and later to give his parting commandment and as Moses does to receive the law.
Jesus sits down, assuming a rabbinic posture of teaching. He is going to impart some wisdom.
Both Micah and Jesus have wise words to share, both of which offer words of hope to all people and particularly to those with little power, but great hunger for righteousness and justice, great faith in comfort and great hope for change.
Both Matthews beatitudes and Micha’s plead to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly present comfort and challenge. And reading these beautiful, profound, beloved and lofty messages alongside Psalm 15 gives us both comfort, hope, challenge and practical advice: (The Message)
God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list?
2 “Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.
3-4 “Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable.
5 “Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe.
“You’ll never get blacklisted if you live like this.”
The readings today truly embody the reason why we come to church: to find comfort and to be challenged. To be blessed and to be sent.
It sounds so poetic and politically correct to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. But it is a challenging and daunting task to do so.
Micah 6.8 is one of our favorite biblical texts. It gives us a sense of peace, because it reminds us that God does not want us to bring endless offerings and sacrifices in exchange for God’s love and forgiveness. It gives us relief that all God wants from us is to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. That is all! We sigh with relief, but then it dawns on us, that it is a challenge to follow this call in a world where we are constantly tempted to do the exact opposite than justice, kindness and humility. God wants us to be daily compassionate and committed participants in God’s creation and the plan for humanity.
This divine plan or purpose for humanity is reflected in the Beatitudes.
When Jesus went up the mountain to teach, to preach and pray, the crowd followed him as they longed for wisdom, words and healing.
Jesus was directly focusing in on the ones who needed comfort:
· those who mourn and cry because of loss, grief or despair.
· those who lack power and are meek, poor and powerless in the world, who are alone, homeless, country less, paperless, friendless and hopeless.
· those who are merciful and compassionate despite that the world is not:
· those who are pure and tender at hearts, because they live with hope and trust in God.
· those who are peacemakers, who are not aggressive in an aggressive world but who are kind and are even punished because of that.
Blessed are you, Jesus said and looked at the weary, tired faces of the crowd.
Blessed are you; Jesus says and look at us who are weary, tired, worn out and fearful.
Blessed are you in the eyes of God.
The beatitudes list the blessings amidst the struggles and curses. The blessed are the ones who are seen and loved in their mourning, their tender meekness, their righteous hunger and in their pureness of heart.
Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. Blessed are you when you do so.
With texts so lofty and poetic prophetic, the challenge becomes to translate and articulate practical advice and relatable stories for us to live and act on. Stories where just acts and humble walks truly are taking place in our lives and society.
Think about this past week.
When did you witness people blessing one another or acting justly?
When stories of a well-lived life were shared during the Memorial Service yesterday, as a true blessing for the family to realize what a blessing the departed one truly was.
When people peacefully protest the powerful and mourn the loss of lives.
When the homeless man is giving a meal at the church door and money to make it through the day
When amid the mourning and the horror of the shootings and murders in Minneapolis, we listen to the voice of poet Amand Gorman:
“Know that to care intensively, united,
is to carry both pain dark horror of today
and a profound daring hope for tomorrow.
If we cannot find words,
may we find the will.
If we ever lose hope,
may we never lose humanity.
The only undying thing is mercy,
the courage to open ourselves like doors, hug our neighbor
and save one more bright impossible life.”
When did you witness blessings and humble walks with God? When did you witness the blessing of open doors and hugs?
How shall we worship God, we might ask? We have heard today what God asks of us.
Leave empty talks and pride behind us.
Walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
Step out in faith, even into troubled waters.
Do not be afraid.
Jesus is teaching us to walk humbly, to love boldly, to service God with body, soul, mind and strength. To let humility and courage follow where the spirit may lead.
Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. AMEN.