Little Things Matter

Rebecca Sheridan
Sunday, February 1, 2025
Matthew 5:1-12

    We have two girls in our household getting ready for NYSSMA solo contests in March – for piano, voice, percussion and string bass.  It’s a lot to practice, and the solos are challenging.  In encouraging regular practice, I’ve been saying things like, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!” “You can only eat a whole elephant one bite at a time!”  “Slow and steady wins the race!”  I’m not sure my kids understand what I’m talking about, but I explain that practice takes time, patience, and a little work at a time.  When you break down a piece into working out four measures at a time, for example, eventually you can put the entire song together and you’ve played it all, well.
    One theme of all of our scripture readings for today is that little things matter.  Small things we do can add up to a big difference.  The prophet Micah encourages us in our first reading.  What kind of repentance does the Lord require when we are truly sorry for our sins? “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn…for the sin of my soul?” Micah asks in desperation.  Surely even if we gave our all, it would not be enough to right the wrongs of the world or to make ourselves right with God by our own efforts.  Injustice in the world and the guilt we may feel for our personal sins can feel overwhelming and paralyzing, like there’s nothing we can do.  But the Lord’s gracious response in Micah is, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”  Walking humbly, striving for justice and simply being kind – this is what God wants of us.  And just drive 5 minutes down Jackson Ave to realize the world could use a lot more kindness – a small act of kindness can make a big difference.
    Jesus begins his famous sermon on the mount in the gospel of Matthew with nine blessings we call The Beatitudes.  What would you lift up today as a blessing you have received from God?  What is one blessing you are thankful for?  We’re in the second week of our stewardship program, remembering that everything we have is a gift from God.  When we “count our blessings,” we soon see that those little things (having a good night’s sleep, good health, a warm house, living in a safe community) add up to big feelings of gratitude and actions of generosity pretty quickly. When you go back and look at Matthew 5, notice that Jesus names nine attributes we would not necessarily count as blessings – I’m blessed when I am mourning?  Poor in spirit?  Persecuted?  We might wonder how to rejoice and be glad with those kinds of blessings.  Jesus’ teaching in the beatitudes is that the little ones, the least, the overlooked, the ones who do not appear to be so greatly blessed by wealth, success, popularity, or things just generally going well (the values of the world) are actually blessed by God.  Our weaknesses, in fact, can be God’s disguised blessings.
    We’re thinking about fruitful use of talents specifically today, and it’s easy to compare ourselves to others, to look at the talents and abilities we have and think they’re not as great or as much as the person sitting across from us.  Jesus’ teaching is a good reminder that God determines the blessing, and God gives graciously to all, even when it doesn’t appear to be a blessing in the eyes of the world.  For example, I enjoy reading history and historical fiction, especially about the American Revolution.  A lot of our famous founding fathers are truly impressive!  George Washington was a general, the first president of course, a scientist, philosopher, plantation farmer (slave owner, that wasn’t so great), and an extremely well-read and informed person.  You wonder how these guys did it all, and so well!  When we reflect on our own talents, it’s easy to think that we are not someone like George Washington – what good can I do?  But Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart.” These are gifts from God and qualities that many of us have and can share, without needing to compare ourselves to others by the world’s standards and values.
    The oldest parishioner I have ever had the pleasure to have known lived in a nursing home cheerfully until almost 105.  He couldn’t do much but talk and tell stories – his mind was going, his body was certainly going.  He had been a successful and accomplished businessman, but I think one of his greatest accomplishments was simply to share his faith that “If I put a smile on someone’s face today, that day hasn’t been wasted.”  It’s a little thing, but it made a big impact, not just his attitude, but that motto, which he told everyone.  As you reflect on your own talents, it’s important to our church and to God that you don’t minimize the little things you can do to have a big impact.  God can take what is small in the world and make something big of it.
    Finally, we turn to our second reading from 1 Corinthians where we hear the heart of the gospel.  What looked like foolishness and a stumbling block to the world is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Christ died on a cross for us and our salvation.  Crucifixion was a common method of execution for the Roman Empire to intimidate and publicly shame subversives.  It was meant to make people feel as small and insignificant as possible.  It is in this particularly foolish and weak way according to the ways of the world that God chose to save humanity through Jesus’ death on the cross.  To some, Jesus was just another guy hanging on a cross condemned to die by the religious and governmental authorities.  For we who believe, it is God’s greatest blessing, gift and treasure. We look at the cross and see salvation.  Everything we do, how we live our lives, and how we are generous with our time, talents, and treasure, is in response to this faith that the little things matter. Kindness matters, walking with humility matters.  In these little things, we are blessed.  Thanks be to God. Amen.