“Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 is rightly one of the more familiar verses in the minor prophets. Although written centuries before the birth of Christ and Pentecost, Micah 6:8 resonates with the Fruit of Spirit as described in Galatians 5. It is a posture to live into that we love God and neighbor, and although not a list of specific action steps, Micah 6 and Galatians 5 point us toward action. If you read the entire book of Micah (and other minor prophets) we find that justice, mercy, and humility are found to be lacking. This should hardly surprise us, as the default setting of our hearts is subject to the corrupting power of sin. What Micah knew was missing in his nation bothered him with a holy bother, and he longed to see God’s people live into the vision of flourishing that they were meant for. Micah the Prophet is pointing to Jesus even without all the specifics we have. “Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (6:7) For people in his day, this would bring about imagery of Abraham and Isaac at best, but would also evoke a drastic contrast between Israel and other nations: they do not sacrifice human beings to appease the gods. One life is far more precious than “10,000 rivers of oil” (6:7), so what sacrifice can the people possibly bring? It is only God who can offer his Son, his only Son, whom he loves, to atone for transgressions and sins. In Micah we see that there’s no sacrifice that mortals can offer, but that they can pursue good through justice, mercy, and humility. But even that isn’t enough on its own. We desperately need Jesus. No amount of human willpower will be enough. Act justly. Judges are supposed to be the arbiters of justice. Yet in Luke 18 Jesus uses the example of the unjust judge, reminding us that judges can be bought, bribed, or have special interests. Only Jesus can be perfectly just, and on a cosmic scale! Justice is giving the offender and offended what they deserve. Love mercy. Jesus is the perfect judge, but also loves mercy. When the woman was caught in adultery (John 8) Jesus proclaimed justice, and no one could throw the first stone…except Jesus himself! Yet he does not. For Jesus acts justly and also loves mercy. Mercy is sparing someone from deserved punishment, and Jesus loves it! Walk humbly with God. Remember in the garden when Jesus prayed for the cup of suffering to be taken from him? Yet he ends that prayer with, “yet not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) Humility is a faithfulness that exceeds sense or circumstance. Fellow mortals, you know what is good: act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. But to do so we need to look to Jesus, the only perfect example, yet an example by itself isn’t enough. We need the presence and power of Christ’s Holy Spirit to do so. - Pastor Steven