The LCA Provides This Sermon Edited for Lay-Reading, with Thanks to the Original Author s1

The LCA provides this sermon edited for lay-reading, with thanks to the original author.

Ash Wednesday Isaiah 58:1-12

Dear Heavenly Father, send us your Holy Spirit so that we may truly fast in a way that is pleasing to you, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

It used to be a tradition to fast or abstain from something for the period of Lent. One wonders how many people still do this today?

For example, some would abstain from or give up eating certain types of foods, such as chocolate, or fast food. While some might do this for spiritual reasons, one wonders if some do it because it’s a good excuse to try to slim down waist lines and save some money. In this sense, the main person who benefits from this fasting is the person doing the fasting.

Others may not give up food, but give up something else, such as trying to resist the temptation to keep practicing old sinful habits like swearing, reading certain magazines, looking at pornography, gambling, spending so much time on Facebook, and so on. If they achieve this, they might receive some benefit through self-satisfaction because of their good work of self-control.

Some may even benefit by beginning new practices or renewing old ones, such as introducing or reinstating regular devotions, attending worship more frequently, going to Lenten Bible studies, and so on. Again, the main person who benefits from these Lenten activities is the person doing it.

So it seems if we do any of these things for Lent, we probably do so in the hope we’ll gain something from it for ourselves, and maybe, we might even please God with our renewed sense of doing the right thing.

But in our passage from Isaiah, God makes it quite clear what fasting isn’t to be like.

What shocks us is he tells his people their fasts are unacceptable to him. He even goes so far as to call their fasting a sin! Therefore, even though they sought him daily in their devotions and church attendance, even though they seemed to delight in walking his ways, even though they covered themselves with ashes, and even though they thought their actions made them righteous, he called them sinners.

Putting it into our perspective, imagine going to church more often, having more frequent daily devotions, attending bible studies, refusing to sin like you did in the past by resisting temptation, and then being called a sinner because of all these extra efforts! Boy, that would stop anyone going to church or fasting for Lent!

But God didn’t say this because their extra efforts were a sin in themselves. The sin lay in their motivation for doing these things. You see, they sinned because they thought if they fasted, if went to church more often, and if they did all he expected of them; God would bless them.

1 In other words, they weren’t doing it for God’s benefit or anyone else’s. They were going to such efforts for their own benefit. It was all about them. They did these things so God would bless them. It was like holding God for ransom saying: “if I do this for you, God, then you better make it worth my while and bless me!”

But God saw through their holy charades and declared the truth they didn’t want to hear: they were doing it for their own benefit. Not only that, they wanted to be blessed for their efforts, while at the same time oppressing others and fighting amongst themselves. Who were they kidding?

Yet God, in his graciousness, gave them a second chance by telling them clearly what he expects. Using the paraphrase from ‘The Message’ bible, he said: “This is the kind of fast I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.”

In other words, their fasting wasn’t to be for their own benefit, but for other people’s benefits!

So then, what does this type of fasting say to today’s people who work hard only if they see some benefit for themselves?

What does this say to a world frightened to reach out and help those in trouble because they might be ‘used’ or taken advantage of?

What does this say about our habit of pointing our fingers at others, rather than lifting a finger to help them?

What does this say to people who won’t forgive, but keep on trying to justify their unfair judgments and punishments against each other?

This type of fasting probably isn’t what we had in mind; in fact, you won’t find this definition of fasting in any dictionary, yet this is what God expects of us.

But just like a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, God gives you a list of promises for this type of fasting.

He says, if you fast this way, you’ll shine in darkness and the Lord will guide you. He’ll satisfy you when you are burnt out, he’ll make your bones strong, he’ll heal you quickly, and he’ll make you like a well-watered garden beside an eternal spring. As you graciously serve others, God will help and support you so you can do so. It doesn’t sound like much of a benefit for you, but that’s the point – it’s not about you. It’s about those you help and serve. God will sustain and support you so you may serve others.

Your example will be like a precious light to people who sit afraid and lonely in this world darkened by sin and chaos. They’ll look to you as people who don’t add to their burdens, but

2 remove them. They’ll see you sometimes get burnt or hurt because of your generosity and selfless efforts, but they’ll also see how these experiences don’t burn you up.

They’ll see how the Lord strengthens your backs for service and heals you quickly so you can serve again. They’ll see how your children learn to live in the same manner and are blessed by it. They’ll see you are people who willingly stand in the breach and work to repair the overworked, the homeless, the frail, the lonely and the sick. They’ll see you are people to call on in times of trouble.

Fasting in this way doesn’t benefit you directly; in fact it looks like a lot more work and effort! But it does benefit the people around you. God, by grace, will give you what you need in order to bless others. He promises to bless you just enough, not for your own benefit, but so you can be a blessing to others.

As a prime example of someone who fasted in the way God described, look to Jesus Christ. You may remember the only record of him fasting is when he was tested in the wilderness for 40 days, yet even then God provided for him. He was threatened, beaten and crucified; yet God raised him up. He died, yet he still lives. He gave his life, not for his own benefit, but for our benefit. God raised him to glory, yet Jesus still shares his glory with us. He sends his Spirit to give us what we need as we fast the way God expects. His life was never about gaining things for himself, but he did this all for us.

Sure, if you want to fast from chocolates, McDonalds, ice-cream, or so on, you may receive some benefit, but if you want a lasting benefit to yourself and those around you, you may consider what God says to you about fasting. If you do, hold fast to his promises of blessing because he’ll do as he says.

For the true glory of God is revealed when you believe his promises. His promises aren’t just for you, but also for those you serve. He’ll give you what he promised, not because you did what he asked, but because he promised it to you in the first place.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.