Fasting: A Call to Justice and Compassion
Summary
In Isaiah 58, we find a profound call to a kind of fasting that transcends personal spiritual growth and reaches into the heart of social justice. This passage challenges us to consider fasting not merely as a personal spiritual discipline but as a means to engage with the world’s injustices. The prophet Isaiah speaks to a people who are eager to know God’s ways, yet their fasting is self-serving, disconnected from the needs of the oppressed and the poor. True fasting, as Isaiah describes, is about loosening the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, and sharing with those in need.
The stories of Sarah, Paul, and Connie illustrate how acts of kindness and generosity can transform lives. Sarah, a new mother struggling alone, finds unexpected provision from her church community. Paul, a businessman, feels compelled to fund a community dinner for the homeless, aligning his resources with God’s call to justice. Connie, a regular at the community dinner, receives a new walker from a compassionate volunteer, Kirk. These stories remind us that our actions, no matter how small, can have a significant impact.
Fasting, when combined with acts of mercy, becomes a powerful tool for change. It allows us to stand in solidarity with the hungry, share our resources, and challenge systemic injustices. This practice is not just about personal sacrifice but about creating a community where no one goes without. It’s about aligning our lives with God’s heart for justice and mercy.
Throughout history, the church has been a beacon of hope and justice, often leading the way in caring for the marginalized. By fasting and giving, we participate in this legacy, making small moves against the destructiveness of poverty and injustice. This practice invites us to look beyond ourselves, to see the needs of others, and to respond with compassion and generosity.
Key Takeaways:
1. Fasting as a Call to Justice: True fasting is not just about personal spiritual growth but about engaging with the world's injustices. It calls us to loosen the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free, aligning our actions with God's heart for justice. [12:35]
2. Stories of Transformation: Acts of kindness and generosity, like those of Sarah, Paul, and Connie, illustrate how small actions can transform lives. These stories remind us that our resources and compassion can make a significant impact in the lives of others. [04:20]
3. Solidarity with the Hungry: Fasting allows us to stand in solidarity with the hungry, helping us to empathize with those who go without food not by choice. This practice connects us to the millions who suffer from hunger and poverty, urging us to respond with compassion. [21:18]
4. Fasting and Almsgiving: Combining fasting with acts of mercy, such as almsgiving, creates a powerful tool for change. This practice invites us to share our resources and challenge systemic injustices, participating in the church's legacy of caring for the marginalized. [16:01]
5. Small Moves Against Destructiveness: In the face of overwhelming injustice, we are called to make small moves against destructiveness. By fasting and giving, we align our lives with God's heart for justice, participating in a legacy of hope and transformation. [35:14]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Introduction to Isaiah 58
[01:58] - Stories of Generosity
[04:20] - The Reality of Poverty
[06:00] - Fasting as a Practice of Justice
[07:23] - Biblical Vision of Justice
[09:54] - Israel's Shortcomings
[12:35] - True Fasting Defined
[14:11] - Promises of True Fasting
[16:01] - Fasting and Almsgiving
[18:24] - Historical Context of Fasting
[21:18] - Solidarity with the Hungry
[24:40] - Sharing Resources
[28:22] - Small Moves Against Injustice
[36:50] - Fasting as Protest
[39:08] - Vision for the Church
[42:01] - Final Week's Practice
[46:46] - Fasting and Feasting in Scripture
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Isaiah 58:6-12
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Observation Questions:
1. What specific actions does Isaiah 58:6-7 describe as part of the true fasting God desires? How do these actions relate to social justice? [12:18]
2. In the sermon, how did the stories of Sarah, Paul, and Connie illustrate the impact of small acts of kindness and generosity? [04:20]
3. According to the sermon, what is the relationship between fasting and almsgiving, and how does this combination serve as a tool for change? [16:01]
4. How does the sermon describe the historical role of the church in caring for the marginalized, and what examples were given? [17:43]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of fasting in Isaiah 58 challenge the traditional view of fasting as merely a personal spiritual discipline? [12:18]
2. What might be the significance of aligning personal resources with God's call to justice, as illustrated by Paul's story in the sermon? [03:39]
3. How does the sermon suggest that fasting can help us empathize with those who suffer from hunger and poverty? [21:18]
4. In what ways does the sermon propose that fasting and almsgiving can contribute to the church's legacy of hope and transformation? [36:35]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current understanding of fasting. How does the idea of fasting as a call to justice change your perspective on this practice? [12:18]
2. Consider a time when you witnessed or participated in an act of kindness or generosity. How did it impact you or others involved? How can you incorporate similar actions into your life? [04:20]
3. Identify a specific injustice in your community. What small steps can you take, perhaps through fasting or almsgiving, to address this issue? [36:35]
4. How can you use your resources, like Paul did, to align with God's heart for justice? What practical steps can you take this week to make a difference? [03:39]
5. Think about the people in your life who may be struggling with hunger or poverty. How can you stand in solidarity with them through your actions? [21:18]
6. The sermon mentioned the historical role of the church in caring for the marginalized. How can your small group or church community actively participate in this legacy today? [17:43]
7. What is one specific way you can practice fasting and almsgiving this week to make a small move against destructiveness in your community? [36:35]
Devotional
Day 1: Fasting as a Pathway to Justice
True fasting, as described in Isaiah 58, is not merely a personal spiritual exercise but a profound call to engage with the world's injustices. It challenges individuals to look beyond their own spiritual growth and consider how their actions can impact the lives of the oppressed and marginalized. This form of fasting is about loosening the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, and sharing with those in need. It aligns one's actions with God's heart for justice, urging believers to actively participate in creating a more equitable world. [12:35]
Isaiah 58:6-7 (ESV): "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? 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?"
Reflection: Consider a specific injustice in your community. How can you use your resources or influence to address this issue today?
Day 2: Transformative Power of Kindness
The stories of Sarah, Paul, and Connie illustrate the transformative power of small acts of kindness and generosity. Sarah, a new mother, receives unexpected support from her church community, while Paul, a businessman, aligns his resources with God's call to justice by funding a community dinner for the homeless. Connie, a regular at the community dinner, experiences a life-changing moment when a volunteer provides her with a new walker. These stories remind us that our actions, no matter how small, can have a significant impact on the lives of others. [04:20]
Proverbs 11:25 (ESV): "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered."
Reflection: Think of a small act of kindness you can perform today. How might this action impact someone else's life?
Day 3: Standing in Solidarity with the Hungry
Fasting allows individuals to stand in solidarity with the hungry, helping them empathize with those who go without food not by choice. This practice connects believers to the millions who suffer from hunger and poverty, urging them to respond with compassion. By experiencing hunger, even temporarily, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of the struggles faced by those who are less fortunate, motivating them to take action and provide support where it is needed most. [21:18]
Matthew 25:35-36 (ESV): "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt hungry or in need. How can this experience guide you to help someone in need today?
Day 4: Fasting and Almsgiving as Tools for Change
Combining fasting with acts of mercy, such as almsgiving, creates a powerful tool for change. This practice invites individuals to share their resources and challenge systemic injustices, participating in the church's legacy of caring for the marginalized. By aligning their lives with God's heart for justice and mercy, believers can make a meaningful impact in their communities, contributing to a legacy of hope and transformation. [16:01]
James 2:15-17 (ESV): "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Reflection: Identify a resource you have that could be shared with someone in need. How can you offer this resource today?
Day 5: Small Moves Against Destructiveness
In the face of overwhelming injustice, individuals are called to make small moves against destructiveness. By fasting and giving, they align their lives with God's heart for justice, participating in a legacy of hope and transformation. These small actions, when combined with the efforts of others, can create a ripple effect, leading to significant change in the world. Believers are encouraged to look beyond themselves, see the needs of others, and respond with compassion and generosity. [35:14]
Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Reflection: What is one small action you can take today to contribute to justice in your community? How can you encourage others to join you in this effort?
Quotes
True fasting, as Isaiah describes, is about loosening the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, and sharing with those in need. [00:57:57]
Sarah, a new mother here in LA, and due to a number of reasons, sadly she is all alone in this season of her life. The dad is out of the picture. Like many in the city, she's just trying to scrape by with the cost of living here. [01:53:32]
Paul is a business person here at vintage, and earlier this year, he found out at the Salvation Army, where vintage volunteers host a weekly dinner for our houseless neighbors, that the Salvation Army lost its funding for that Weekly Outreach dinner. [02:49:36]
Connie is a regular guest at that same Thursday night dinner. She's become friends with Kirk. I don't actually know Kirk. I got this from the staff. He sounds like a great dude. Maybe you're here, Kirk. He is a volunteer from vintage. [03:46:59]
Throughout church history, fasting was one of the core practices that followers of Jesus adopted to move toward those intentionally toward those that Jesus called the needy. That could be the poor or the hungry or the fatherless or those on the receiving end of evil and injustice. [06:38:40]
Fasting is not only to offer ourselves to God, grow in holiness, amplify our prayers. There's more to it. Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke to set the oppressed free? [12:14:60]
Notice the motivation for this type of fasting is to fight injustice, to free people from oppression, to share your food with the hungry, to provide shelter for refugees, immigrants, and those with no home, to clothe the naked, and to meet the practical needs of your family, your friends, and the people in your community. [12:51:99]
Fasting allows us to stand in solidarity with the hungry, regularly going without food by choice can get us emotionally in touch with the millions of people around the world and in our own country and in our own city who regularly go without food, not by choice. [21:27:52]
Fasting with almsgiving is a little move against destructiveness. That said, fasting is not always as little as we may imagine. Finally, this type of fasting can enable us to stand against evil and injustice at a social level. [36:32:40]
Fasting is a way for the powerful to voluntarily align with the powerless, as Jesus did for us, but at a spiritual level, which is a bit more in our paradigm, fasting is a way to stand against what the New Testament calls the principalities and powers that are behind the systems and structures of injustice and evil in our world and age. [37:14:40]
The fast Isaiah has in mind is one where we stand in solidarity with the poor, we share our resources, and we stand against evil and injustice. This last type of fasting will have an effect not just on you or on me, but on our community and on the church as a whole. [38:44:79]
Fasting is temporary, but feasting is eternal. The story of scripture begins, arguably, depending on how you read the story, with a fast. A number of the church fathers and mothers point out that the first command in scripture in Genesis 3 is to not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. [46:46:00]
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