To act justly and to love mercy
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope that you have had a chance to visit with family, friends, and whoever else is meaningful in your life. And I certainly hope that you have had a chance to enjoy some exceptionally good food, whether it be a store-prepared turkey or homemade brownies.
Thinking about today, two things have come to mind that I suspect we would all agree with, even if only intuitively. The first is that a gift is not really received until we have expressed thanks for it. We may receive something, and enjoy it very much, but until we have expressed our thanks the gift is not really ours. We have not fully possessed it.
My second thought is that our thanks should be appropriate to the gift. The more elaborate the gift, the more gracious should be our thanks. If someone invited you to their home for a large and elaborate Thanksgiving Dinner, you wouldn’t eat and say, “That was great. Thanks! Gotta run. Game is gonna start soon.” Of course not! You would say something like, “Thank you so much for inviting me to your gracious home Everything is so lovely. And the meal was delicious. The turkey and pumpkin pie were especially splendid. Thank you!”
As Christians, we know we have received the greatest gift anyone could ever receive: eternal life with God! This is a priceless gift that literally no one else could ever give. And yet God has given it to us freely and lovingly. How can we thank God for this thoughtful, joyful, fantastic gift?
There are many good answers, but to me one of the best ways to thank God is by living Micah 6:8. We thank God for the gift of eternal life by practicing both justice and mercy. We uphold standards and we make room for all those who try and yet still fail. Also, we walk humbly with God. We don’t tell God what to do or where we want to do ministry or the best places to use our skills and gifts. We don’t berate God when things go badly nor do we demand God show us special favor or gifts. We take the ministry that comes to us and do our best to share God’s good news of love with others.
Is there a gift you’ve received that isn’t really yours yet? Is there someone you still need to thank? Perhaps your child’s teacher who has done such a good job of drawing them out of their shell and setting them firmly on the path of knowledge? Is now the time to thank your parents for all the sacrifices they made for you while you were growing up? Maybe a longtime friend or partner who covered for you when you were sick and put up with you when you were feeling down?
Surely we all have someone we need to thank. There must be someone whose loving gift we haven’t fully embraced yet.
This weekend let’s do it. Let’s find a way of saying ‘thank you’ and embrace the other person’s goodness. Will a short card or email be enough? Do you need to pick up the phone and have a long conversation? Sometimes a few words and a heartfelt hug are exactly what’s called for.
This weekend, and every day, let’s thank God for the gift of eternal life with all the joy and seriousness the gift deserves. Let’s make a point of intentionally practicing both justice and mercy. Let’s make a point of intentionally living in humble, loving relationship with God.
Happiness and thankfulness to one and all,
Pastor Ken.