One of the things to notice in reading from the prophets is how there is no separation between the worship of God and the ethical claims God makes upon us. Our reading from Isaiah today is a perfect example. While there are those who seek to worship and honor God with all they are and all they have, there are also others who give very little thought to what God really desires from God’s people, and as a result put little effort into the relationship.
“Is not this the fast that I choose,” asks God: “to loose the bounds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free…” (Isaiah 58:6)? If we set about to serve God with hallow rituals while neglecting acts of generosity and of kindness we’ve missed the point. God is not satisfied with such half-hearted response. What God really wants is for us to care for one another, to look after those in need, to remove oppression and injustice from our lands, to lift up the downtrodden and grant peace. If our worship of God does not lead us in that direction then we’ve missed the point. If, however, our worship allows us to turn outward and to meet the needs of our world, to share more generously, then we are following God’s for our lives.
It really is that simple. We can sit in our pew and give lip service to God, or we can allow God to motivate us, to guide us, to care for others through us and by doing so demonstrate to the world the grace of God and the love of God’s people. What sort of fast do you choose? One that you can get through quickly and forget about, or one that touches every facet of your life and the lives of others. If you said the second one, then you are on your way.
Prayer: O God, give meaning to our words and purpose to our actions, that our worship may lead us to serve others according to your will. Amen.
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