Devotion by: Lynne Roots
Isaiah 58:1-9
Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
they delight to draw near to God.
‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
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 rearguard.
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
Why is it that we are so quick to be pious and disciplined… that we are so willing to “sacrifice” for 40 days during Lent -- and yet, the rest of the year, not so much? I am one of the worst offenders of Lenten piety and discipline. For many years I gave up meat, sweets and alcohol for Lent. Truth is I don’t eat that much meat or drink that much alcohol to begin with. I am not into sweets all that much either…well, except maybe chocolate… so for me to give up that stuff was no big deal.
We all know that Lent commemorates Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness. It is to be a time of sacrifice and penitence. But according to Isaiah, fasting “per se” isn’t the way to go. According to Isaiah, the kind of “fasting” God wants from us is to “set the oppressed free”, “share our food with the hungry”, “provide shelter to the wanderer”, “not to turn away from [our] flesh and blood”. When we give of ourselves unselfishly, God answers our cries for help when we need it. What a concept.
So I thought we might give up the giving up for Lent and just try giving, for a change. In reality, we all know that the 40 days of giving up is just so much window dressing. I know it has been for me. We’re not talking a big sacrifice at all. So wouldn’t it be a great twist on Lent to give to someone or something instead -- maybe help out in a soup kitchen, volunteer in a senior center, drive for Meals on Wheels. I know. I know you’re shocked at the suggestion, because you already don’t have time to do everything you already do. But if, in the Grand Scheme of Things, you could find the time once a month to read to senior citizens, would your whole schedule fall apart? Be honest, would it? If you think about it, giving up chocolate for Lent only gets us through 40 days. But scattering seeds of helpfulness and kindness might stay with us a lifetime.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us be strong enough to look outside our own needs and look to the needs of others. Help us during this season of Lent to ask what You want from us and then carefully, honestly listen for the answer. Amen.
Isaiah 58:1-9
Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
they delight to draw near to God.
‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
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 rearguard.
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
Why is it that we are so quick to be pious and disciplined… that we are so willing to “sacrifice” for 40 days during Lent -- and yet, the rest of the year, not so much? I am one of the worst offenders of Lenten piety and discipline. For many years I gave up meat, sweets and alcohol for Lent. Truth is I don’t eat that much meat or drink that much alcohol to begin with. I am not into sweets all that much either…well, except maybe chocolate… so for me to give up that stuff was no big deal.
We all know that Lent commemorates Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness. It is to be a time of sacrifice and penitence. But according to Isaiah, fasting “per se” isn’t the way to go. According to Isaiah, the kind of “fasting” God wants from us is to “set the oppressed free”, “share our food with the hungry”, “provide shelter to the wanderer”, “not to turn away from [our] flesh and blood”. When we give of ourselves unselfishly, God answers our cries for help when we need it. What a concept.
So I thought we might give up the giving up for Lent and just try giving, for a change. In reality, we all know that the 40 days of giving up is just so much window dressing. I know it has been for me. We’re not talking a big sacrifice at all. So wouldn’t it be a great twist on Lent to give to someone or something instead -- maybe help out in a soup kitchen, volunteer in a senior center, drive for Meals on Wheels. I know. I know you’re shocked at the suggestion, because you already don’t have time to do everything you already do. But if, in the Grand Scheme of Things, you could find the time once a month to read to senior citizens, would your whole schedule fall apart? Be honest, would it? If you think about it, giving up chocolate for Lent only gets us through 40 days. But scattering seeds of helpfulness and kindness might stay with us a lifetime.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us be strong enough to look outside our own needs and look to the needs of others. Help us during this season of Lent to ask what You want from us and then carefully, honestly listen for the answer. Amen.
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