19 December Micah 5:2-5a
Micah wrote at a time when Israel was under great pressure from its more powerful Assyrian neighbours. Perhaps it’s not surprising that Micah reminds his hearers of God’s pattern of using the insignificant to overcome the mighty. Bethlehem, the ‘little town’ compared with nearby Jerusalem, was the childhood home of King David, acknowledged as the greatest of Israel’s kings. David himself was the youngest of eight sons, a shepherd boy, the last person anyone would expect to become king.
For Christians, these verses name Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus the Messiah. Every Christmas we sing of the ‘baby of Bethlehem’ and remember that in Jesus, humanity at its smallest and weakest, lies in the manger. God repeats the pattern, doing great things through those whose only resource is utter dependence on God.
Micah tells us that peace and security come when the flock are cared for by the shepherd from Bethlehem. This shepherd is concerned for his sheep more than for his status, and depends on God more than on his own strength. What would Micah have said to our times, when leadership seems increasingly divisive and personality-focused? This is the opposite of Micah’s vision! He invites us to turn away from the Babel-babble of celebrity and glamour, and learn to recognise God’s presence in those whom society pushes to the margins – and in ourselves.
Caroline Wickens
God of strength and majesty,
we thank you that you laid aside your glory
and came to stand alongside us in the hardships of human life.
Protect us from the divisive powers of ambition,
and teach us to recognise the infinite power of your love,
at work equally in the smallest and greatest,
bringing us together into one flock with one shepherd,
our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
