WATCHWORD:
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Isaiah 58:6-8
“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
Tell my people Israel of their sins! Yet they act so pious!
They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me.
They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God.
They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.
3 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’
“I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.
4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance
bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?
Isaiah 58:1-5
Meditation:
Fasting
What do you think of fasting? Have you done some fasting? How often? Here, just a month from the start of Lent, we frequently speak of “giving up something for Lent.” A couple of my friends have traditionally given up sweets for Lent. Now, there is a true sacrifice. On the other hand, I have joked about giving up liver and onions for Lent, although I never eat that anyway. Not much of a sacrifice.
Look at the reading from Isaiah. Is it possible that we have too narrow an understanding of fasting and what God would have us “give up” for Lent, that would prepare us for the true meaning of those forty days leading up to the crucifixion of our Lord? What is God telling us through Isaiah? Take a stand against injustice. Share what we have with those who do not have. Break the “chains” that seem to bind others, restricting their freedom, their sense of peace. To what end, we would do all that? Verse 8 answers that question.
Now, look at the first five verses of that passage. This is God being very upset with the insincere and fake religious actions of these people, of us. We go through the motions of piety, while still denying the existence of injustice. In a country of surpluses and wealth, why is there a need for food banks, and, even those, too often, run low on food? Why is there a need for soup kitchens and to address the growing numbers of homeless? The word disgraceful, comes to mind.
In our world, in our country, in our community, in our own homes, we need a true fast. One that is defined by what God tells us in Isaiah 58:6-8. As we enter into the season of Lent, we need to search our souls, confessing to the Lord that verses 1-5 fit too closely with our actions and thoughts, and pray for forgiveness and His leadership.
What are you going to deny yourself in honor of our Lord this Lent? What are you going to draw from your surpluses that would fill a need in others? What could you do that would make your community a better place? Maybe this goes beyond giving up food. Do you suppose? So be it.
Bulletin Board:
Mac was outside on his hands and knees below his garage light when Graham walked up. “What are you doing Mac?” “I’m looking for my key, I’ve lost it.” So, Graham got down on his hands and knees too and they both searched for a long time without success. Finding nothing, Graham asked, “Where exactly did you lost it?” Mac said, “I lost it inside the garage, but there is more light out here.”
Closing Prayer:
Prayer for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day —
Holy God. Today, we remember Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s struggle for equality, justice, and dignity for African Americans that inspired so many other reform movements that seek to highlight the plight of the oppressed in society.
We pray that all of those in civil and religious authority be reminded that we all have been created in your image, and that there is an intrinsic dignity in each of us that calls for uplifting every man and woman, young and old.
We pray that your Holy Spirit remind us all that you show no partiality with regards to nationality, race, ethnicity, or gender, and to do so is to go against your great commandment of love toward one another.
We pray that the church will not be complicit of injustice by being silent, but that it can rise up with a prophetic voice that speaks truth to power and advances the values of your Kingdom.
We pray these things in the name of our blessed redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.
