A LIGHTBULB MOMENT

 

Every Wednesday morning, my husband and I meet with another couple from our church for discussion, study, learning, or just plain conversation.  I meet with the wife, and he meets with the husband.

My friend and I are using our time to go over our study in Zechariah in Sunday School by looking back over our worksheets and looking up Scripture.

Today we were going over the worksheet from Zechariah 7.  In that particular lesson, some people came to Zechariah from Bethel and questioned him about whether they were to continue with the fasts they had been observing.  The LORD spoke to Zechariah to tell them that their fasting wasn't being done for no purpose other than for themselves and not for the LORD.  One of the questions listed on the worksheet included the passage from Isaiah 58:5-6, but I actually read 5-8.  Here is the passage:

5 Is such the fast that I choose,
   a day for a person to humble himself?
   Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
   and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
   Will you call this a fast,
   and a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of wickedness,
    to undo the straps of the yoke,
    to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
   when you see the naked, to cover him,
   and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up speedily;
   your righteousness shall go before you;
   the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

When I read those verses, my mind immediately went to the verses in Matthew 25.  Let me show you what I mean,

1. "to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"

Matthew 25:36 - I was in prison, and you came to visit me."

2. "Is it not to share your bread with the hungry"

Matthew 25:35 - I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.

3. "bring the homeless poor into your house."

Matthew 25:35 - I was a stranger, and you invited me in.

4.  "when you see the naked, to cover him"

Matthew 25:36 - naked and you clothed me.

The LORD isn't saying that He wants us to give up fasting.  What He's saying is to NOT fast if it's not done in the proper spirit of humility.  Jesus spoke about those who, when they do fast, do so by bringing attention to themselves (think of those in our day and age who walk around with a cross marked on their foreheads in ash).  They walked around with gloomy faces and made their appearance such that it was known to others they were fasting.  But Jesus said (Matthew 6) to "put oil on your head and wash your face"; in other words, just look normal and don't draw attention to yourself.

It's almost like God is saying that the fasting isn't necessarily going without food but maybe giving something up for the benefit of someone else.  Instead of spending $10 on some fast food for yourself, buy it for someone who needs it.  Instead of spending 2 hours of your time on entertainment, go visit someone you know who's in prison or sick at home or in the hospital.  Instead of spending money on a new outfit that you really don't need, why not take what you don't wear and give it someone you know needs it.  Whatever it is, there is something we probably have that we can give up so that someone else can benefit from it.  We should always be looking for ways to help others instead of ourselves.  We should be putting others first over ourselves.  That's what humility is:  it's not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less.

I don't know.  That could be way off base in my understanding of the that passage in Isaiah 58.

Anyone else have a suggestion??