By: Casey Zachary

Isaiah 58

One additional way this text should impact Christians in regards to turning inward versus turning outward is how churches engage the communities in which they live. There is a heavy tilt towards an academic emphasis in preparing pastors for ministry. This transfers over to their own equipping of lay leaders within the church, which tends to train them to serve within the context of the structures of the church (internal) as opposed to equipping them for life and ministry outside their faith communities (external). Pastors must be in the business of bringing people to spiritual maturity, but spiritual maturity must include doing justice and serving the poor.

Loving a neighbor, serving the poor, ministering to the marginalized, none of these can be accomplished in an effective way if approached passively or indirectly. They demand an active response. If obedience is of any importance, action cannot be avoided. However, this text should not push someone to the point of denying oneself for the sake of demonstrating he/ she is serious. If a believer is serious, then they should do something! If it is bread that needs to be shared, either buy more and give it away or share what one has. If it is the homeless that need a place to stay, get a bigger house or share the available space. If it is someone who is naked that needs to be clothed, then buy some clothes for them or share. A true fast that is pleasing to God requires sacrifice, but it is not about what one sacrifices but what one actually does for another.

God is sensitive to the needs of the hurting and Christians must be as well. A proper relationship with God, which was the goal or those in chapter 58 as well as Christians today, demands proper treatment of others.The requirements laid out in 58 appear overwhelming, but this text does not allow for any type of defeatist attitude that fails to see how they can make an impact. Sadly, many Christians today, like those in Isaiah 58, attempt to avoid the broad scope of the challenge YHWH spells out in vv. 6-12. However, it seems unreasonable God would listen to our cries when believers will not listen to the cries of the poor. Certainly there are scores of Christians who serve the underserved all over the globe, but this does not dismiss any individual believer from their responsibility. They cannot compensate neglect in this area by doubling up and praying twice as long. God desires Christian pray, but he also desires that believers are willing to be the answer to someone else’s prayer.