Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Trinity Lutheran Church - Wyandotte, MI
February 1, 2026
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Sermon Text: Micah 6:1–8 & Matthew 5:1–12

What Does The Lord Requires of You?

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

One of the most frequently asked questions, though in various of situations, is “What do you want from me?” Maybe it is a husband asking his frustrated wife after failing to understand what she wanted again. Perhaps it is a student asking their teacher after a disappointing grade because they misunderstood the assignment. It could be that it is a child asking their parents after failing to meet what seem to be impossible expectations. Or is it you asking this very question to God because your life is not what you expected, everything seems to be falling apart, or you recognize your sins but do not know what to do?  The Israelites asked this very question of God.

Imagine with me a large courtroom – maybe the kind you have seen on shows like ‘Law & Order’ – with God as the prosecutor, you as the defendant, and creation itself as witnesses of the case. Here, in this court, God laid all His charges against you. To me, this is terrifying. This is the picture that the prophet Micah has laid before us. God is putting on trial, not Pagans and their wicked ways, but His very own people – a people who worshiped, sacrificed, and claimed the promises of God, yet whose lives did not match their confession.

The Lord calls His people into court, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice,” with creation itself as witnesses. God charges with unfaithfulness, “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!”.  Then the Lord reminds them of His grace. He brought them out of Egypt. He redeemed them from slavery. He gave them leaders—Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He protected them from their enemies. He turned curses into blessings. In other words, God has been faithful, merciful, patient, and generous. He has done nothing but good for His people. And yet His people have been unfaithful and turned away from Him.

And what do His people do when faced with their unfaithfulness, their sins? They respond defensively: “With what shall I come before the LORD?” They are basically saying, “Lord, what do you want from us!” And they begin listing off acts to mitigate their sins, “shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” 

As if to show how far they have turned away from God and to Pegan worship, they offer a sacrifice that God has forbidden, “Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” God has strictly forbidden child sacrifice in Leviticus 18:21: “You shall not give any of your children to offer them . . .  and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” 

Imagine that a cop has pulled you over. The police officer comes to your car window and gives you a ticket for speeding. You say, “Officer, what if I donate to charity? What if I promise to drive better? What if I do a lot of good things this week?” Do you think that will go over well with the cop? Those things are nice, but that doesn’t erase what you’ve done.

This is how we sinners think. If God is angry, then maybe we can pay Him off. Maybe if we do enough, give enough, sacrifice enough, pray enough, God will finally be satisfied. The Lord cannot be bargained with. God does not need anything from us. God is not served by our works as though He lacked something. We cannot earn God’s favor by doing works of the law. The Law exposes our sins and shows us that we need a Savoir.

The prophet Micah gives us God’s answer to our question, “What do you want from me!?” Micah answers us, “LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

So simple and yet SO hard to do. If anything, this answer condemns us. 

Have you always done justice?  

Have you always loved mercy?  

Have you always walked humbly with God? 

I know I haven’t. I doubt that you have as well. Have you been unfair, unkind, proud, self-centered, impatient, and resistant to God’s will? Even our best works reveal how crooked our justice is, how selective our mercy is, and how proud our hearts truly are. And if this were the end of the sermon, we would leave crushed and in turmoil.

But it is not the end.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus sits on a mountain and begins to teach. This is no coincidence. Just as Moses went up Mount Sinai to deliver the Law, Jesus goes up the mountain to proclaim the Kingdom of God.
And what does He teach?  “Blessed are the poor in spirit… Blessed are those who mourn… Blessed are the meek… Blessed are the merciful… Blessed are the pure in heart… Blessed are the peacemakers.”  Jesus is not handing out a spiritual to-do list. He is not saying, “Do these things so that you may be blessed.” He is declaring who is blessed because the Kingdom of Heaven has come in Jesus Christ.

The Beatitudes first describe Jesus Himself. 
He is the truly poor in spirit, who emptied Himself.  
He is the One who mourns over Jerusalem and the brokenness of the world.  
He is meek, riding on a donkey.  
He is merciful, forgiving sinners and eating with them.  
He is pure in heart.  He is the peacemaker—making peace not by negotiation, but by the cross.
Jesus does what Micah demands. He fulfills the Law perfectly. He walks humbly with His Father all the way to the cross on Calvary.

God’s requirement is finally met, not by us, but by Christ Jesus. At the cross, justice is done. Sin is punished. God does not ignore evil; Christ bears it Himself on our behalf. At the cross, mercy is poured out. Christ suffers in the place of sinners. The innocent for the guilty. At the cross, Jesus walks humbly with His God, even unto death, trusting the Father’s will above all else. And then comes the resurrection. In the resurrection, God the Father reveals to all the righteousness of Christ Jesus, and all who are in Christ are declared righteous through Christ's death and resurrection.

This is the Gospel, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  What God requires, God Himself provides in His Son Jesus Christ.

So, where does Micah’s answer of “do justice … love kindness … walk humbly with your God” and the Beatitudes land in the life of a Christian? Where once these were condemnations of us. They become the descriptions of the life that flows from faith in Christ Jesus. Because you have been justified by God’s grace, you are now free to love your neighbor without fear. Because your sins have been forgiven, you are free to be merciful. Because Christ has humbled Himself for your sake, you are free to walk humbly with your God. The Beatitudes are not commands that crush you; they are promises that shape you. You will still fail. And you will still repent. Christ remains faithful and just.

Read your Bible, attend church, go to Bible Study, and listen to faithful preachers of God’s word, and the question of “What does the LORD require of you?” will be answered. What does God require from you? Not a payment. Not a performance. Not a sacrifice to earn His love. God requires faith in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. And from that faith flows a life of justice, mercy, and humble trust. You are blessed, not because you have achieved these things, but because Christ has. And in Him, the Kingdom of Heaven is yours and life everlasting. Amen

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.