This morning’s Scriptures are: Psalm 140; Psalm 142; Micah 3:9–4:5; Acts 24:24–25:12; Luke 8:1-15
Adding Saturday’s OT Scripture: Micah 5:1-4,10-15
This morning’s Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 10 (“The Second Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 55:6-11; BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9-10, 13, BCP, p. 93)
Micah: depth and height. Biblical faith plumbs the deepest depths and scales the highest heights. Nowhere is this gamut more clearly on display than in today’s reading in Micah. Micah thunders that “the mountain of the house” of God will be reduced to a “wooded height.” Then the prophet immediately trumpets the good news that “in days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains” (Micah 3:12–4:1). In other words, the Temple and Jerusalem will be razed, after which it will all be rebuilt and raised to a higher glory than that known under Solomon himself.
Even as Micah prepares God’s people for the destruction and exile that are inescapable, he points to a day on the far side of that horrible experience when they will see God working wonders among them again. Israel will one day be the source of instruction (torah) and ethics (4:2) and of justice and peace for all the nations (4:3-4). With words that will also appear in Isaiah, the greatest of the prophets, Micah looks to weapons of war being transformed into implements of peace (4:3). He promises a day when anxious measures to secure safety in a dangerous world will yield to extended sabbath rest: “they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (4:4).
Saturday’s reading in Micah furthers the trajectory of hope: at the center of this promise “in days to come” will be “one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from old,” and yet who will be born in Bethlehem, David’s hometown (Micah 5:2-4). Not surprisingly, we Christians have universally seen ourselves to be the direct beneficiaries to these promises, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We are overwhelmingly grateful to find life and justice, and peace and rest in King Jesus, true Son of David.
Luke: choose wisely. Biblical faith therefore sets forth the most extreme of choices: receive the word of promise and fulfilment with “an honest and good heart,” to find it bearing fruit “a hundred fold … with patient endurance.” Or dismiss that word, or treat it superficially, or let it become throttled by competing words—and lose out, eternally. The King has come, insists Luke’s Gospel: bow the knee, renounce other loyalties, and know everlasting shalom.
Collect of the Reign of Christ: Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Be blessed this day,
Reggie Kidd+