Micah's Mirror To Preachers & Priests; Micah 3:5-6

Rev. George Miller
July 12, 2020
Micah 3:5-6

Hear now these words from Psalm 23-

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff-
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord, 4ever.

Such reassuring words, exactly what we all need to hear for a time like this. So reassuring it shaped today’s Call to Worship and our Confession.

This image of journey, of rest, of steadfastness and comfort even in times of darkness.

But what if we were to use Psalm 23 another way?

What if we used it to silence folk rather than have them speak?

What if Psalm 23 was used to shame, not support? To keep the status quo rather than to rock the boat?

That’s what Micah is making us think about- preachers who’d rather lie to their people than speak words of truth.

Micah is calling out religious leaders who’d rather watch their congregants suffer than be a shepherd.

Men of God who’d rather believe they ARE God then to actually do what the 1 True God requires.

Micah is writing to a nation that’s been split in two with a King who is buddy buddy with the enemy.

Real estate moguls are kicking women out of their homes, separating children from their families.

The land is being treated as a weapon rather than a gift from God.

Today’s reading hits hard as Micah holds a mirror to anyone so honored to preach the Good News.

Micah is a southern small-town boy who knows that pastors are not called to be bottomless bellies who only care about those who can pay their bills.

Micah may have been raised on biscuits and gravy, but he’s no fool.

He calls prophets out. Instead of speaking against injustice, they’re saying to the people-

“Don’t worry; it’s OK. Don’t fret; God will never forsake us. We don’t need to change our ways, cause God will never chastise us.”

“Don’t be bothered cause God is never going to take off the belt, grab the wooden spoon, or slip off the slipper.”

Micah is looking around at the unkind actions taking place around him, and he can’t believe that the priests are saying “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Even as the enemy is scorching the earth and polluting the water, the prophets are saying “The pastures are green, and the rivers are calm.”

Even as the land barons are kicking widows out of their homes, the preachers are saying –

“You’re just imagining things. If you do nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about. Get some rest; the valley is not as dark as it seems.”

Even as Judah’s powerful are overtaking the poor, the pastors are smacking their lips, rubbing their bellies, saying to Miss Johnson “Ain’t God good?” while demanding another slice of her award-winning pecan pie.

Micah is not against positivity; what he’s upset about is that those who know better are saying “Peace” when there is absolutely no peace at all.

It’s like back in the day when political leaders would go to the black church and tell their pastors to preach about the rewards of heaven rather than focus on the current reality on earth.

Church was used as a way to keep people complacent. To tell their folk-

Don’t raise a fuss; don’t act out of line.

No matter how bad you’re treated, just think of the rewards you’ll receive in heaven.

Rewards in Heaven may be nice, but Micah cares about justice on Earth, in the right here and right now.

It’s one thing to comfort Citizens of Heaven with words of assurance, it’s a whole other thing to tell Citizens of Earth that they must-

-do what they are told, endure all the abuse inflicted upon you, and don’t you dare say a word.

Micah challenges us today, just as he did 2,800 years ago.

He is asking all of us, everywhere-

How do we stay true to God?

How do we stay true to the powerless?

How do we address injustice even if our own members are not experiencing it, or could possibly be the cause of it?

Can we worship God by shedding light on unkindness even as we celebrate Christ’s Light, giving thanks for all we got?

More personally, Micah speaks directly to us today-

Who are we, as Emmanuel UCC, being called to be?

Who is God calling me to be?

At this time of COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, Hurricane Season, and November Elections?

Who does YHWH want you, me, us, and we to be?

As our Confession says, the Lord is with us every step of the way.

Jesus heals, forgives, walks beside us, surrounds us with grace.

When do we use a rod and staff to proclaim Christ’s comfort?

When do we the same rod and staff to point out where there is no peace?

As Ambassadors of Christ, when do we say “We are full”?

When do we say “It’s time to offer peace?”

When do we say “Green pastures and still waters are a right to everyone NOW, and not when they die”?

What kind of hope do we have that Micah’s vision of justice, kindness, and humility will come ever to be?

Amen and amen.