Epiphany 4
Psalm 15:1-5, Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Matthew 5:1-12
Sermon Aid
by Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS

The Testament texts are a call for us to act in accordance with the reality that we know is true.  Micah 6:1-8 makes this point through a legal confrontation between God and Israel, while Psalm 37:1-11 presents a series of wisdom sayings that are meant to bring the reality of God more clearly into focus by encouraging us to adopt the moral way of life.

Micah 6:1-8 - "Controversy in the Congregation"
Setting.   Micah 6:1-8 uses the imagery of dispute as the setting for the prophetic oracle. The setting of the disputation or controversy is common in prophetic speech (see for example,  Isaiah 1:2,  Hosea 4:1-3,  Jeremiah 2:4-12) and has been researched extensively by biblical scholars. Some scholars emphasize the setting of the courtroom to interpret these texts. In this…

Abingdon Press Nashville, PREACHING THE REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY, by Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe