Isaiah’s admonition is meaningful yet today.
Scripture reading: Isaiah 58:1-8. Text: “‘Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, 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 him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?'” Isaiah 58:5-7.
I doubt a pastor today in a small (or any size?) church would dare to speak in such a harsh way as Prophet Isaiah did. Please read our text carefully and see how outspoken Prophet Isaiah was about fasting that pleases God. The world, the society, and people’s attitudes have definitely changed since prophet Isaiah’s criticism; however, the basic principles about fasting have remained the same.
THE MODERN VERSION OF PROPHET ISAIAH’S ADMONITION.
How did the people of Israel fast and what did they neglect or overlook in the days of Prophet Isaiah? In spite of being humble and observing the rituals of fasting “to spread sackcloth and ashes under him” (5th verse), the Israelites missed the positive side of self-control. Namely they forgot to free the oppressed, feed the hungry, and provide shelter for the homeless and clothing for the poor. As we read these words, Jesus’ last judgment comes to our mind: “‘…I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'” Matthew 25:42-43.
Who are those who need our help and whom we can support today? Let us start with these folks:
– Immigrants. They come to the United States, some of them even without permission, to find a better job, earn a living and send some of it home to help their loved ones.
– Unemployed people. Many have the responsibility to raise their children and cannot afford health-care insurance.
– Unwed mothers and the single parent families. Today usually two paychecks are needed to have sufficient income to provide for the kids. How can one person be at home with the children when two jobs are necessary to earn enough to survive?
– Prospective college students. They wish to study and earn a diploma but cannot afford the tuition, room, and board. How many talents are wasted due to lack of financial support?
– Senior citizens who never had children. Many could not save enough for their retirement age and now they are becoming unable to take care of themselves.
– Children who are living in an uncaring, abusive family. Young people are helpless, they are even threatened, and if they speak up, serious consequences may follow that could even be life threatening.
– Disabled persons who are severely handicapped. How can they survive in a ruthless competition that exists all over? Think about the soldiers who lost a leg or arm or their bodies were disfigured due to an explosion.
– Victims of addiction. Even if it is their own fault that they started to drink or use some kind of narcotic, still they deserve a chance to straighten out their lives and become productive members of the society.
– Residents of ghettos and slum areas of big cities where the gang wars have been going on mercilessly. It seems the police are helpless to combat the gangs of young people in heavily populated places.
What is the American dream? For most it is to own your home, have a nice family, a decent job, good health, live in peace with your neighbors, friends, and colleagues, and prepare a promising future for your children. To obtain and enjoy all these will not come easily and for that reason Prophet Isaiah made it clear the kind of fast that pleases God is that which alleviates the burden of the unfortunate, cleanses our souls, and helps us to become who and what we are supposed to be.