Break Forth - Isaiah 58:1-12 (Epiphany 4A)

Some weeks, I can really get away with interpreting things, and giving you different perspectives on what the scripture is about. But this week- that skill seems to have been taken from me. There’s not much wiggle room in our text today for interpretation, no “high mountain” language where it could be looked at from different perspectives. Today, we’re given this selection that is pretty straightforward. If only the message was as easy to say as it is to interpret.

Isaiah’s people are all about worship. They can’t wait to get into church. If only Isaiah knew how good he had it. They delight with the thought of God, and drawing nearer to Him. Here in our modern times, it doesn’t seem that our contemporary church can get that kind of excitement up for that, even at the holidays of Christmas and Easter! There’s so many other options, from coffee houses and bakeries, some people in the retail industries work, sports happen whether professional or kids, sometimes there are even practices on Sundays. Unlike Isaiah and his people, I don’t know how much delight there will be coming up in Lent while some of us decide to fast as well.

Getting into the scripture, though, there are three distinct sections of this text. The first part is the first five verses were God is speaking and responding to the cries of the people. “They act like a nation that acted righteously, that they didn’t abandon their God.” Kinda reminds me of that old Gloria Gaynor song - I’m not going to sing it, of course - but “You’re back. From outer space - I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face. I should have changed that stupid lock; I should have made you change your key - if I’d known for just one second, you’d be back to bother me.” Right - for those who aren’t familiar - that’s “I Will Survive”. Verse 4 even brings in God’s real anger when He calls out the violence of their actions to each other while seeking mercy from God.  God is saying that all the shallowness of their actions will not reach his ear when they need help. He wants real transformation! Sound the trumpets even - make it known that all of the people know what they need to do! It’s interesting - starting from the beginning - Isaiah starts wanting us or even me to shout, but to use trumpets to make sure everyone is paying attention. You know what else trumpets were used for? Summoning soldiers into battle. God, through Isaiah, is saying that this is what I need to get people ready for what I’m about to tell them.

Echoing two weeks ago - and probably even last week with Pastor Steve - God tells them what he expects from the Israelites! This is the second part of our excerpt today - from six to nine. God is still talking, and he even says (from the Contemporary English Version) - I’ll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are bound unjustly. Free those who are abused! Share your food with everyone hungry; share your home with the poor and the homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don’t turn away your relatives. This scripture is full of mercy and grace. 

Just when you think that the God of the Old Testament is the mean one who just smites and condemns - listen to the scripture today. It’s not like Jesus overturned everything. God wants the people to do His will! Brett Younger wrote, “Most people in most churches know all ABOUT the Christian faith, but they get bored during worship. Lots of churchgoers know everything about worship except that it should change us. Cities in which so many go to church on Sunday ought to show the results of their worship in the quality of their lives Monday through Saturday!” This is why the church needs to be a hospital for the spiritually weak, not a museum of the righteous. What happens here matters - but more so it’s about what happens the other 167 hours of your week. All the planning that goes into our services is about opening your heart so that you can live out and strengthen your faith when you leave the doors of this place. 

Isaiah’s people appear to be quite religious. They’re good with the motions - they can get to church on time (or be in the right place at the right time), they fast when it’s appropriate. But what if all that’s there is a hollow shell? Are we putting our whole self into the worship this morning? Are you letting the door close behind you as you leave and think - welp - glad that’s over - I’m good until next week. Then where’s your faith? Where’s your hope in the God of the universe who gave you breath in your lungs?

That’s what happens when you dig in and worship and give with your whole body, mind and spirit. The third section of our scripture this morning shows the results of living justly and with God’s purposes in mind. Let’s go back to scripture, and this time from the Message translation - Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness; your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places - firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.

Isn’t that what all of us want? But to do that… we need to fully break from what has been holding us back. It’s not enough to complain about what all you’ve done and wonder why no one has noticed! That sometimes seems like a terrible punishment! No wonder that they’ve been wanting God to make sure they can see what they’re doing - but it ends up that they’re doing it wrong! 

Ali & Aaron are still at the ages that they really want mine, and especially Tadj’s attention. There are a few times when we are sitting around our house when “Mommy! Look at what I’m doing!” Isn’t a chorus going through our house. Unfortunately, I am not the most attentive, and I need to get better at it. They’re begging for my attention, and I’ll just be like, “Yeah… that’s great, kid.” But I barely looked with my eyes and not with my heart. That’s what it must feel like for the Israelites - totally frustrating. My kids - they feel like they’ve really accomplished something, whether it’s a new dance or an art project. Much like the Israelites, they want to get noticed for doing things, whether it’s fasting, praying, or worshipping. God is silent. 

I’m sure that hurt.  But you know what hurts more? Giving people rules and not listening or even caring about the others around them. Some people really need help in our community. So many people are going through many different things, and they feel like they have no support, whether illness, depression, or grief, for too many different reasons. We are called to live out our faith and uplift the broken spirits, so let us take what the Lord has spoken to us, through Isaiah and ease the brokenness of the world and lead to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Let the words spring from your worship, not only this morning, but every morning as our mercies are renewed. 

The light breaks forth at dawn, healing quickly appears, and may the righteousness of the Lord go before you and long after you. 

Amen.