Isaiah 58

I am preaching this upcoming Sunday morning and while preparing I came across this section in Isaiah that really convicted me. The prophets have a way of making me challenge the way I approach anything and everything I do as a believer. Isaiah 58 accomplished this for me this week. Isaiah 58:6-7: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from  your own flesh and blood?" Context shows that this deals with a form of worship (fasting) towards God. And while the people of God in this particular place and time kept fasting they have obviously lost sight of what God wants to see out of His people...taking care of those who are being or who are easily taken advantage of, which is something God has always desired His people to be aware of and do something about (Deut. 15).

Now if we pay close attention there are some lines in here that are familiar to us. Jesus echoes the latter part of verse 6 in His inauguration speech in Luke 4..."The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, TO SET THE OPPRESSED FREE, (caps by me) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Jesus then reflects these words in all He does and says. Jesus again echoes Isaiah 58 in Matthew 25:31-46 which is Jesus' clearest teaching on end time (eschaton) judgment.

How should this impact followers of Jesus when there is so much injustice and apathy towards the downtrodden in our own cities and towns? "Am I in the habit of blaming poverty on laziness, immorality, and addiction rather than on greed, exploitation, and indifference?" (Guy Vanderpool, The Christian as Revolutionary,  Leaven 2002).