Isaiah 58:6-10 "Is not this the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice..."

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday" (Isaiah 58:6-10).

Comment:

This is a powerful and important passage. The prophet notes that the people of Israel are complaining that even though they fast and sacrifice and obey all the rules of pleasing God, their condition does not improve. The response of the Lord—again through the prophet—is basically that they are hypocrites. They are religiously observant, but only in hopes of selfish and material gain. What we have here, I think, is the message that Jesus is later to develop and deliver with great passion. It's not what we do that matters, but why we're doing it. Selfish actions—even fasts and sacrifices made for negative, selfish reasons—simply create negative, selfish lives. There is no spiritual good, because there was no spiritual good in the initial intention. If we want our lives to express love and abundance, we must make that intention our purpose. "Loose the bonds of injustice," "share your bread with the hungry," "bring the homeless poor into your house"—Jesus later reiterates all these imperatives, and they are as urgent today as then. Verses eight through 10 contain the promise that if we choose to act from love and spiritual purpose, the result will be returned to us as light, healing, glory and divine support in all things.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed