Wingham United Church

February 1, 2026

Keep it Simple

Micah 6:1-8

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Matthew 5:1-12

Some of you may have noticed that something in our scripture readings sounded a bit familiar. Our lection today presents us with a bit of an overlap. The last verse of last week’s reading from 1 Corinthians is repeated at the beginning of the reading for this week. “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” 

Paul goes on to ponder what that means for the philosophers, scholars, and brilliant debaters of the day who spend so much of their time trying to intellectualize the ancient scriptures and comprehend the nature, and even the existence, of God. In the centuries that followed, many would turn to a monastic lifestyle, devoting their entire lives to studying and explaining the minute details of what has been written about God. Wars have been fought over differing opinions of how to interpret scripture, which is ironic when one considers that the greatest commandment contained in scripture is to love God and love one another.

We all have our own perspectives. Many of these are based on what we remember of what we understood of what we were told in Sunday School when we were just little children. Others are based on our life experience. When those things don’t align, we are left to come up with an explanation of our own, and more often than not, we get it wrong because we base those explanations on “worldly wisdom”.

Our culture is largely to blame. Society teaches us from a very early age that we need to become self-sufficient. Asking for help is a sign of weakness. Then we learn that life is a competition. Not only can I not ask for help, but I must also be better, smarter, stronger, and richer than the next person. We used to enroll children in sports so that they could learn to work together as a team. Now they learn only to compete with one another. Even among teammates, there is competition for more ice time or greater recognition. That sense of competition and need for superiority drives even mild-mannered grandmothers to yell things from the bleachers that would make them blush in any other environment. Those in the business world are told they must not only succeed but exceed everyone else. In the drive to be the best at work, families are neglected and self-care is sacrificed only to make someone else richer.

Even in the church, we constantly compare ourselves to others. We are jealous of churches that have more cars in their parking lots on Sunday morning. We struggle to keep small churches open and heated for the dozen or so people that come out on Sunday morning because we don’t want to go worship with anyone else, and the mission of the church becomes simply survival. The first aspect of ministry that falls is outreach. We become more concerned for ourselves than for our call to care for others.

Paul writes that the message of the cross seems like foolishness to those who judge it by “human wisdom.” Imagine how foolish our “human wisdom” must appear to God when some people are making millions while others are freezing to death on our streets.

The truth is that what we pass off as “human wisdom” is primarily the result of pride. We struggle along on our own because we are too proud to ask for help. We strive to out do our peers to boost our own self-image. We want more wealth not because we need it, but because we want to have more than the next guy. We proudly place our trust in our own wealth, intellect, and strength.

But if we really examine our motivation, we will inevitably discover that pride and fear are inseparable. We convince ourselves that we must be the best and have the most because we are afraid of what will happen if we don’t. We fear the judgement and opinions of others more than the approval of God.

If we look at the irrational and frightening behaviour of Donald Trump, we see a man who is terrified of everything. He needs Greenland to feel safe. He needs to be the most powerful, influential person on earth to overcome his fear that he will face justice for the life he has lived. It won’t save him. Despite all his efforts, he will be seen forever as an unstable, sabre-rattling tyrant. Of course, nothing he wins on earth will protect him from the judgement he will ultimately face.

Small wonder Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount with the words, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” That’s where it begins. When we finally realize that none of the things “worldly wisdom” tells us are important will ever really save us, and we acknowledge that our only real source of strength and resilience comes from God, we will finally begin to understand the wisdom present in scripture. When we humble ourselves to ask God and others for help, we gain so much more than we do by trying to go it alone. Each one of the Beatitudes names a way in which we will find blessing by putting our trust in God instead of worldly wealth, wisdom, or power.

Jesus understood that this isn’t easy. Even in his time, he knew that those of us who follow him would face criticism and persecution from those still committed to the foolish ways of the world, so he ends this part of his message with assurance that we are in good company when that happens, and the rewards waiting for us in heaven will be far greater than anything we sacrifice to follow his teaching.

So, what do we need to do to receive these blessings. How do we live lives of blessing? The ancient Israelites also asked that question. Their situation wasn’t much different than our own. They had turned their backs on God, lived lives guided by their misguided ideals of self-reliance and need for superiority. It led them into hardship, struggle and pain, but when that happened, like so many today, they blamed God. So, in this prophecy from Micah, God takes them to court. First, he urges the people to state their case. In his defence, God reminds them of some of the great things God has done for them throughout history, including bringing them out of slavery in Egypt. Upon hearing God’s side of the case, the people recognize that it is they who have been wrong and ask God what they need to do to reconcile their relationship. Burnt sacrifices? Animal sacrifices? Rivers of olive oil? Even the sacrifice of their first-born, although God has always made it clear that human sacrifice is disgusting to him. No. God desires none of these material offerings. Only ‘worldly wisdom’ sees value in them.

In fact, God has already told the people what he wants from them. It has been clear from the very beginning. “Do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” There’s that word again – humbly. The people still did not understand that things of they thought were valuable are not valued by God. Inner transformation that leads to lives lived according to God’s design is all God asks for. Simple, yet profound.

Every Sunday, and at many other times in between, we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” This is God’s will, that we “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.” Maybe the trouble we have is that it seems too simple. A gift so incredible as the love and grace of God should, according to human wisdom, require so much more from us.

So many of us are living in fear. Our world is in turmoil. Every time it seems a wee bit of peace has been restored, someone stirs up more trouble. Politics, finances, and health, all the things on which we focus so much of our attention, all feel slipperier that harder we try to hold on. We feel like we have reached the end of our rope and are struggling to keep from losing our grip.

Over and over again, God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Put your trust in me. Let go and I will catch you.”

Rev. Colin Snyder, MDiv