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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “Keeping it simple.” Keeping it simple” means avoiding complexity, unnecessary detail, or elaborate designs to make something easier to understand, do, or maintain. We shall reflect on the fact that, beyond the outward and elaborate demonstration of our religious traditions and ritualistic performances during worship, God’s desire for us is to keep it simple by obeying His commandments to be just, merciful, and humble.

Beloved in the Lord, God expect us to keep it simple when it comes to our relationship with Him. In Micah 6:1-8, God is displeased with Israel. He reminds them of His faithful deliverance from Egypt and the wilderness, and the people question what offerings would please Him. God rejects burdensome sacrifices and reveals His true requirements. “Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:7-8) Dear friend, no amount of offerings and ritualistic performance can replace obedience to God’s Word. Jesus has revealed to us that God desires “true worshipers (who) will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) We are instructed to eschew superficial worship and to embrace practical and impactful Christianity. In Hosea, God reiterated the point that, For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) Let us act justly and show mercy in our dealings with one another. Above all, let’s do away with pride and humble ourselves in total obedience to God. The simplicity of God’s command is also captured by Jesus when he said, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31). Again, to keep it simple, Samuel said to Saul, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). Justice, loving mercy and humility are essential qualities of those who genuinely worship in truth and in spirit. It is time to balance the hysterical and dramatic display of Christianity with compassion, justice, love and mercy. Let us heed Jesus’ admonishment when He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

In summary, Micah 6 portrays a courtroom scene where God indicts Israel for unfaithfulness, recounting His past kindness and then exposing the people’s corrupt practices, dishonesty, and lack of integrity. God rejects their desire for excessive ritual sacrifices, instead demanding they act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God, emphasising ethical behaviour and compassion over empty religious acts.  We have discovered that God is not pleased with superficial worship, but He is interested in worship that bears the fruit of justice, mercy and humility. Shalom.

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to bear the fruit of justice, mercy and love in all our dealings with our fellow human beings and remain humble in our relationship with God.