02/01/2026
Sermon for today, Sunday, February 1, 2026 (Fourth Sunday after Epiphany), by Pastor Jonathan Hamman. Worship services for today are cancelled. Stay safe and warm out there.
Micah 6:1 – 8
Matthew 5:1 – 12
The prophet speaks to the people by calling them to hear (Heb. shema). But this is much more than simply “hear.” It carries with it the expectation that listening will be followed by action. Micah calls to the people with courtroom-like language—the covenant with God is on trial, and God is pointing out how the people have failed to uphold their part of the covenantal relationship.
“What have I done? How have I wearied you? Answer me,” pleads God. These are the cries we hear from God on Good Friday. Calling out the us, “Oh, my people, remember what God has done and act accordingly.” Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “people” here is “Adama”—which literally means “creature of the earth” or “dust creature.” The prophet is calling the people to remember God’s covenant, all the way back to the very beginning of creation, and the prophet invites us into the full scope of God’s faithfulness.
Even nature is not a silent witness. And we may be wondering about nature right now. This has been one of the longest extended cold snaps in years. The snow did not matter much until we received 6 or 7 more inches, on top of two to three inches of solid ice, which makes things interesting. Cars, people, animals, everything slides on ice.
Even nature is not a silent witness, and this is also true for the prophet Micah. Notice in our first lesson this morning: the hills, the mountains, and the very foundations of the earth stand as witnesses to the drama that unfolds as divine complaint meets human failure.
“Rise, present your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.” We live in a time of climate crisis, where human destruction of God’s creation has reached stunning and deeply troubling levels. These words perhaps take on a more pressing and more urgent meaning today.
But the divine case presented in the prophetic corpus is not only about creation’s struggles. It is also about the human struggle to follow God’s expectations. “The Lord has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel.”
The prophet culminates this section by asking: Does the Lord require perfunctory religious rites and outward motions to prove our faithfulness?
No! No, Micah declares. But I’m glad you asked. Do you really want to know what the Lord requires of you?
“But to do justice,
and love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God.”
Period. That is it. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Jesus bursts onto the scene this morning and picks up this prophetic mantle, placing it squarely on his shoulders with an introduction to his core teachings—teachings that really serve as the central thematic verses of this gospel. The themes that begin here will be carried through the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus continues to reveal how the kingdom of heaven is unfolding on earth.
As Jesus is presented as the new Moses in Matthew’s gospel, his teachings are divided into five major blocks. The Sermon on the Mount, given from a high place in Moses-like fashion, begins the gospel and Jesus’ teachings by laying out the foundations for what this heavenly kingdom on earth should look like. The announcement begins with a great reversal, revealing that Jesus, and therefore God, sees the very people whom societies and humans often overlook and fail to see.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
Oh my. These reversals should reveal to us, dust creatures that we are, that we are failing to see, live into, and do what God asks, calls, and expects us to do. The kingdom is one of reversals. The poor in spirit will inherit—not the proud and strong. Those who mourn loved ones lost to political violence, to drugs, alcohol, and failed safety nets will be comforted—not the ones who perpetrated these things or failed to see them in their distress.
The meek—yes, the meek. Again, not the strong and proud, but the meek will inherit the earth. It is not a “take what you can get away with” kingdom. Jesus announces the meek will inherit the earth while the earth creatures try to convince them they deserve nothing.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. The proud, strong, mighty forces of the empire will fail to maintain a violent culture of oppression and forced compliance in Jesus’ kingdom. This speaks as a direct challenge to the Roman Empire, and it speaks as a direct challenge to any empire or government that forces its will of injustice and unrighteousness on its own people.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Mercy, my friends—it is mercy that becomes the hallmark of this kingdom. Period. That is it.
What does this mean for us? How do we bring this about? The next two blessings perhaps reveal this to us—as ways to help bring about the inbreaking of God’s kingdom here on earth.
“Blessed are the pure in heart.” The pure in heart, in this gospel, are those who follow the will of God in their thinking and in their doing. Jesus declares: these are the people who will be blessed, because in the kingdom of heaven, these are the ones who will encounter God face to face.
“Blessed are the peacemakers.” In a world where the idea of pax Romana reigned, Jesus announced a different kind of peace. Instead of peace through violence and subjugation, Jesus brings peace, not by following the empire’s will, but the will of God for God’s people. Jesus declares, these are the people who will be blessed, because in the kingdom of heaven, God’s merciful reign will root out the powers and individuals who resist it.
This can seem like a dream for those who are suffering, experiencing hardship, pain, brokenness, and loss of hope—such as the people of Minneapolis. For those of us who are comfortable, we should begin to realize: blessings are not money, stuff, possessions, or even good health. Blessing is an identity as God’s people. Because of that, these words can inspire us, perhaps even infuriate us, or, perhaps most importantly, give us the courage to live into the realities of God’s kingdom and do all we can to bring it about here on earth.
We know that we cannot bring about God’s kingdom here on earth on our own. Only God can do that. And Jesus breaks down the walls and barriers through the power of the cross and resurrection. That part is finished. The response, the grace-filled gift, the hope we are charged with proclaiming, is doing the hard work asked and required of us to bring about a foretaste of God’s kingdom here in this place.
How do we enable a foretaste of righteousness, justice, and peace for all of God’s people? We can be overwhelmed by the thought, or we can begin one small step at a time. It is in working to bring about glimpses and foretastes of God’s kingdom here on earth that we begin to experience these gifts in our own lives, in our communities, our neighborhoods, and in all of God’s creation.
Blessed are you, people and children of God, who begin these things one gift, one meaningful relationship, and one small glimpse of hope at a time.
