Bible Text: Isaiah 58:1-9, Matthew 5:13-20 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
Before every game the former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher had quite a specific pregame ritual. You would think that for a football player it would involve some intense adrenaline-rushing, machismo-establishing hyper-activity, which is the case for many a football player in the NFL. However, Urlacher was different. He prepared for each game by unwinding for an hour and watching his favourite fishing show. Then, upon arrival at the stadium he listened to music and enjoyed a pregame snack- two cookies, most often chocolate chip. Rituals are all part of the game- regardless of the sport. One of the strangest comes from the Detroit Red Wings. In 1952 during a playoff game, a fan threw an octopus out onto the ice. It was to represent the eight wins needed to win the Stanley Cup, back when eight wins were needed. What’s strange is that after this one incident the Red Wings swept the playoffs and as a result any time the Red Wings make it to a playoff…well, it gets a bit messy. If you think that’s weird, Richie Ashburn, Baseball Hall of Famer, would not only use the same bat following a particularly good streak, but he didn’t trust the equipment managers to keep his bat separate and thus would not only take it home but sleep with it in his bed. Whether it’s growing a playoff beard, or rubbing a bald head, or perhaps like Wayne Gretzky who always put baby powder on his hockey stick before a game, there are certain rituals that seem to improve someone’s game. At the very least it improves their confidence. But we all know how foolish these rituals are. We all know these are empty rituals. We all know that what one does before a game does not influence whether they win or lose, but rather it is how one plays the game, and perhaps how the others play. Maybe this is as much a message for the Patriots or Falcons this afternoon as it is for us. It’s not about the rituals but about how the rituals make you feel and act.
Isaiah was basically warning the Israelites of this very fact, although it did not have to do with something so trivial as playing a game but rather how they enacted their very relationship with God. In the passage from Matthew we hear Jesus say, “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” As a result we would do well to pay some attention to what Isaiah is saying. In order for us to understand Jesus’ context we should learn more about all of the Old Testament prophets. But what Isaiah and Jesus both reference today is the importance between knowledge of God and being in relationship with God. They are not the same thing, but both are vital.
As we have discussed, the Book of Isaiah spoke to a specific context within the Israelite history. In fact, the Book is often put into three parts, part one being pre-exile, part two being during exile and part three being post-exile. Isaiah 58 likely dates to the post-exilic era. The Israelites have started to return, but their institutions, both religious and political, have not been rebuilt. This is in part because their leaders and the highly educated were not only the first to be deported but they were the last to return- if they were not wiped out. The Israelites are not only rebuilding their nation, they are rebuilding their society and culture. What we have in this morning’s passage is a people who are uncertain about their future and which direction to take. They are also at odds with their rituals to versus their relationship with God. We hear that in this passage as they ask God in verse 3, “Why have we fasted, and you have not seen it?” The Israelites are frustrated that they have participated in this ritual with zero improvement to their situation. What’s the point of inflicting this personal discomfort if God doesn’t seem to care, or notice, or do anything about it. God, through the Book of Isaiah, is quick to respond.
God gives two succinct responses to the Israelites’ complaint. First, while they might fast, the rest of their behaviour is as they please. I appreciate that in verse four it says, “Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife.” For the record, if I haven’t eaten for 24 hrs you can guarantee that I am not going to be very polite, and likely any of my conversations will end in quarrelling and strife. But the point God is making is that they cannot expect that their pious behaviour of fasting will be heard if the fast is just for fasting’s sake. Religious rituals are supposed to lead them to be better people, but instead this fasting is causing them to exploit their workers and fight with each other. There is nothing pious about it.
Secondly, God asks some rhetorical questions, “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself?” It is the final rhetorical question that is of great import, for in asking it, God gives the Israelites their answer, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen, to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords 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?” I have to admit that I appreciate this redefining of fasting. What I infer in these questions is that fasting- giving up food for a day- is not actually what God is asking but rather, fasting by eating less and sharing the rest with those in need is. Earlier I explained that the Israelites are trying to rebuild their society. This brief passage gives them a clue as to how they are to organize themselves. Old Testament scholar and Presbyterian, Tyler Mayfield says, “The passage portrays a people seeking to understand how to worship God truly and rightly, but failing to integrate the various aspects of their spiritual lives. They are fasting, but their fasting does not seem to affect their actions toward others. Religious ritual when unaccompanied by social action is self-serving.” The rituals of the past are all fine and good, but if they do not improve on the relationship with God and with others then they are empty rituals.
Jesus essentially touches upon this as well. Remember that Jesus has just preached his famous beatitudes, and what we hear this morning is just a continuation of that sermon. Immediately after giving the “blessed are they” statements, Jesus then tells the disciples what to do with them. The key piece is that the sermon moves from knowledge to action. Basically Jesus says, “now you know who is going to go to heaven, here’s what you can do about it.” I suppose that’s why I have a bit of a pet peeve around the evangelical questions, “Do you know the Lord?” Of course all of us have the capacity to know the Lord and it is an important step but it is not enough to know. If all we do is say we have accepted the Lord and know the Lord is in our hearts than it strikes me as being just as empty as fasting for fasting’s sake. Jesus says, knowing is not enough, we have to BE salt and light. I know this is a challenging thing to say from a reformed perspective. We believe that it is by faith alone that we are saved by grace. I’m not arguing that, but rather faith is a lot more than just belief, faith involves actions.
Faith is about sharing what we have with others- even if it means we end up with a little less. Faith is about responding to the needs in this world- be it social justice or environmental awareness. Faith is about asking people if they’d like to learn more about God. Faith is coming to church. Faith is about some of those rituals that give us the confidence and spiritual strength so that we can have the courage to engage in all of those things. Faith is about giving life flavour and shining lights on dark places. Faith is about me and about you and most importantly about God. Amen