Friends, here is the rough text of a sermon I gave at my church, Whitton Ave Bible Church on Isaiah 58. Enjoy.
Thank you for being here at Whitton Avenue Bible Church this fine June morning. My name is Dan Hoffman and I have the distinct honor of sharing with you what God has put on my heart concerning the next chapter of our series on Isaiah, Chapter 58.
As I was reading through this chapter I couldn’t help but think back to a math class I had in college. Now, those who know me well are probably thinking, “Dan hates math, how could this possibly be a good thing?” Well, rest assured my friends. There was one thing in math that didn’t frustrate me to the nth degree and those things were the “if/then” statements in logic. I loved those. What is better is that they are appropriately called “Truth Functions”. Well, as I was reading Isaiah 58 these past few weeks I couldn’t help but recognize that in a sense God has a truth function for us to wrestle with today that will help us understand a truth about him, namely an important aspect of his character. This is a theme of the text, and it can be summed up like this: That IF we do justice THEN God will shine His light through our lives.
Ok, so throughout Isaiah we have seen the burgeoning call to “do justice” given by God through this firebrand prophet loudly proclaiming the reign of God across Israel and the whole world. As we have seen, God uses no uncertain terms as he addresses his people about what he expects of them. So in this section of Isaiah—56 through the end—we learned that God is now describing to us what trust and faith in Him looks like in real life. Rest assured brothers and sisters, what Isaiah said so long ago is painfully applicable today.
One of the central questions that Chris has raised in the last few weeks has been, “Do I view my resources as gifts to be shared or as earnings to be hoarded?” Basically, is what God has given me God’s or is it mine? Is my money mine? Are my talents mine? Is my time mine? Are my rights mine? Does any of this belong to me? Chris also noted that it is sin, particularly idolatry, in the hearts of men that creates injustice because as our vertical relationship with God is marred by idolatry our horizontal relationship with others is marred by injustice and so Chris asked, “which path are you on: the path of justice or injustice?”
So I find myself well positioned to dive into Chapter 58, a chapter where God asks some more questions and continues to reveal his requirement for keeping justice and doing righteousness.
So with no further ado, let us pray and dive into God’s word today.
[pray]
[read text; get assistance]
What an incredible text. You see, these folks that God was talking about enjoyed every religious ritual. They were pious people. They looked good from the outside. They fasted and looked like they were enjoying God, but they were not. They focused on the things that would make them self-justified, and this is what they enjoyed. They did not care about the Sabbath in what it really was, a day consecrated to God. They were concerned with their own selfish gain and that is all… And yet they cry out to God: “Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?” What they are saying is, “Look at me, God! I am humble! I am fasting!” And instead of doing right, they thought “IF we do these religious rituals, if we fast, THEN God will hear us.”
But this fast, this faux-humility is displeasing to the Lord. Their piety did not produce a passion for what God was passionate about: justice and righteousness and mercy.
Does anyone hear Jesus here? Matthew 23:23 says this, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” Jesus is saying, “IF you understood the law, THEN you would have understood what it meant to do justice and mercy, and be faithful.”
So God’s people were in a sense tithing the finer things, yet neglecting the weightier matters of the law, a law God gave them because He loved them and because of His grace towards them. He didn’t have to give them the law; He could have let them remained under Pharaoh’s oppressive hand, but He chose to free them, give them the law, and in so doing, set them apart.
So in Isaiah 58 God comes against their self-righteousness because he is just. He says in v. 6,7, “Is this not 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 the 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?”
He could just as easily be saying, “IF you delight in me and my ways, THEN you will free the slave, share what you own, feed the hungry, advocate for the oppressed, offer the prostituted girl a way out the life, and love and not abuse your family.”
God is saying that his justice is both relational and social! He is saying that right living—What is acceptable—means doing what is right to all you come in contact with and all you have some power over! Do we appreciate the language here? The word for oppressed means literally to “crush”; in Judges it means the breaking of the skull. It conveys imagery of the powerless being utterly dominated. And yet our God of mercy associates himself with these broken, abused people. These “oppressed” in Isaiah 6 are sandwiched between these statements: undo the straps of the yoke and break every yoke. We are to undo those straps and then destroy the yoke so it may terrify, and enslave no more. This is what is required of us. This is a fast acceptable to the Lord.
Did you hear it?
IF we:
· Loose the bonds of wickedness
· Let the oppressed go free
· Break every yoke
· Share our bread with the hungry
· Bring the homeless into our houses (use princess lost example)
· Cover the naked
· Stop pointing fingers
· Stop speaking wickedness
· Pour ourselves out for the hungry
· Satisfy the desire of the afflicted
THEN:
· Our light will break forth like the dawn
· Our healing will spring up rapidly
· Our righteousness will “go before” us
· God’s glory will be our rear guard
· Our cries to the Lord will be heard and he will say, “Here I am.”
· Our light will rise from the darkness
· The Lord will guide us continually
· The Lord will satisfy our desires in scorched places
· The Lord will make our bones strong
This is God’s version of a truth function. The “If” and the “Then” have an extremely strong relationship. They are bound together. They are bound together because God is just and he desires for us to do justice. He is saying, IF we do justice THEN God will shine His light through our lives.
God is using no uncertain terms here. He is saying that by the very nature of breaking the yoke and freeing the oppressed something very profound will occur in the Kingdom. He is saying our light will “break forth”. This statement, “break forth” is not some benign “exposure” or “revealing.” It means to tear, rend, and burst. Its connotation gives off the idea that something is being held back that is under pressure. Imagine a dam collapsing and the waters filling the land. This is for us, Whitton Avenue. IF we break every yoke and advocate for the oppressed, THEN our witness, our light, will burst forth. Our healing will come quickly as we grow deep in communion with Him. And our God will also say, “here I am”, revealing himself to us.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to go to Congo with Mending the Soul. As many of you know the Democratic Republic of Congo is the rape capitol of the world and a place where over 5 million people have perished due to war-related deaths in the past decade or so. It is a place rife with injustice of every kind. Yet at the Christian university in Beni, where we at, justice work is being done. The Christians there, the church is engaging society and proclaiming the gospel to all. And justice is being done. Women are being freed from prostitution, men are repenting of their violence, women are being healed of their wounds, and pastors proclaiming boldly the reign of Christ in a land wrought with evil. And the story of each is a miracle. God is saying, “here I am” in the Congo as His church is doing justice and proclaiming the gospel in all its glory. IF we follow God in his commands, THEN God will say, “here I am”. IF we do justice THEN God will shine His light through our lives.
But what is this justice thing, really? I’m sure we’d all define it differently. But to God’s people Justice was essentially theological; it was not rooted in Greco-Roman thought or concepts of the rights of man, reason, etc; that came along later. This is important for us to note because we live in an era when all our political factions claim to champion justice and yet all fall utterly short of God’s radical and comprehensive vision for Kingdom-building justice.
To the God’s people the following was true:
· Justice is rooted in the character of God
· Justice flowed from his actions in history (justice is active)
· Justice was demanded by his covenant relationship with Israel
· Justice would ultimately be established on earth by God’s sovereign power
· Justice is universal, God’s love and justice are for all
This is vitally important to understand as we try to recapture our vision of justice from the enlightenment. As scholars note, this God-centered understanding of justice is borne out in the whole of scripture, especially the Old Testament. We see this when Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah asking God to spare the righteous because he knew that God was inherently, innately just and that for God to not do justice was contrary to His character. Furthermore, God’s concern for the suffering and the oppressed triggered God’s action on behalf of the Israelites. He saw, heard, cared, and went. God worked for the oppressed and against the oppressor. He had a side. And because the Israelites had experienced justice they were to do justice. Do you see how justice is active? God didn’t just talk to the Israelites in the plight in Egypt—He intervened! His justice was active and fully an extension of His character.
IF we can reengage God as a God of justice, THEN we will be able to view justice, as He desires us to view it…
Application:
Now! I’ve been asked to speak not because I can exposit well or because I’m a biblical scholar or because I’m a particularly good preacher. I can assure that I’m not. I’ve been asked to speak because this integral part of the gospel, this justice I am excited to share with you today, has utterly changed me… Or that’s what I’d like you to believe at least.
Now we’re going to go in a slightly different direction. You may call it a tangent; I’ll likely refer to it as “an opportunity to come full circle.” This is, in a way, the “application” part of the sermon, but truth be told, this sermon is only part sermon. It is also part prayer, part plea, and part confession.
A couple days ago Jakob asked me a question that spoke right to my heart. He asked, “Where is grace in this text?” To be completely honest, as I’ve been writing this sermon I’ve been wrestling we complex and painful feelings of shame and guilt. I saw my own inadequacy and was asking myself what Jakob had asked me, “Where is the grace in this text?”
How could I stand before fellow sinners and talk about God’s justice without realizing the own injustice of my ways? The reality is that I need grace to be in this text. It’s so hard to read this book, this Bible here, and not be refined, not be challenged, and not be moved. But it moves me, and I don’t always like where it tells me to go. It tells me that I must remove the plank from my eye before I can go after the speck in someone else’s.
So here is part of my plank: As I’ve been reading Isaiah 58, I feel a peculiar sense of familiarity with the dangerous false piety Isaiah is addressing in God’s people. I love justice, the experiences I’ve had and God’s call on my life have deeply impacted me to want to champion justice—and this is a good thing. But you see, I always have an agenda. I want you to believe what I believe because I want to be right and if not right, I want to be seen as right. Moreover, I want to be justified. I want to instruct others on the fallenness of their ways and feel unlike those other people. Part of what drives me to speak to others about justice is self-righteousness. I am equal parts passionate about justice and passionate about appearances.
Do I not, like the people being addressed in Isaiah 58, give off the air of religious piety and ritual in my life and yet neglect the needs of the most oppressed? What have I truly given up because of my incredible experience with God’s grace? Nothing really. I have still not oriented my life in a way that truly believes the gospel in its radical call to give all that I have—my time, my money, my connections, my resources, my gifts—to the poor, proclaiming the good news of a new Kingdom, a new economy, a new community, and a new King.
People will say, “But Dan, you serve the poor often.” It’s true, but how much of it is done for me? Plenty, if I’m honest. Some days I love well, and other days I do it because of guilt—not love. There is plenty of benefit in this world in doing right: people respect you, say good things about you, and speak highly of your humility and service. In the church we respect and honor religious piety, ritual, and action. But if you knew my heart you would hear the echo of Isaiah 58 where I ask God “why have I done these things and you’ve not seen it?” My appeal of good works are speaking for me, justifying myself before God when in all actuality he has seen my heart and nothing I do can justify me before Him. He asks the same thing of me that he is asking in Isaiah 58 to his people: “Do they truly delight in me and my precepts or are you doing what they are doing to look good in the my eyes?” Why do we fast? Why do we ask God for just decision when we still haven’t truly experienced the radical nature of the gospel? God sees our hearts, the ways we’ve forsaken justice, the ways we’ve hidden our sin or—worse yet—justified our sin with the veneer of righteousness.
Ultimately I had my own “Truth Statement” except mine was false. Mine was IF I do these good works, IF others believe my motives are pure, THEN God will accept and love me”
It is desperately important that we do not miss God’s call of justice and equally important that we do not miss His call to accept grace. So where is the grace in Isaiah 58? That is a great question. We were shown grace in the atoning sacrifice of Christ. It was unmerited and undeserved, but it was freely given. But what was the stipulation if there was one at all? IF we accept God’s grace and repent of our sins, THEN we will be saved. See Romans 10 if you have any questions. So is it so different here in Isaiah 58? IF, oh Israel, you seek justice and do what is right—if you REPENT—THEN I will be near, and I will hear your prayers, my Glory will shine through you. He is offering His people grace through the words of Isaiah. He didn’t have to give it to them. He didn’t have to give them the law and he didn’t have to offer them a chance to repent—but in His grace, He did. This is how it all comes together, brothers and sisters. God in his invitation into communion with him never meant for my life to look the same. It should be utterly transformed, should it not? Transformation starts with repentance.
So today I am repenting before you.
I have been silent as people who proclaim Christ dehumanize others
I have perpetuated idolatry and injustice with my lust of the flesh
I have hoarded my wealth with a litany of justifications
I have hoarded what was freely given to me yet never completely mine
I have looked spitefully at the weak
I have viewed the poor with contempt
I have been lazy when I have been afforded opportunities to enact change
I have spoken about justice, much more than I’ve done it
I have justified violence
I have consumed without conscience
I have subtly and unrepentantly enjoyed the privilege of being a White Male in America
I have believed, even if less so now than before, the great lie that is the American dream
Of these things, I repent. I repent in the context of community, this body of believers, the bride of Christ, who can hold me accountable and extend me more grace as is needed.
We start with repentance, brothers and sisters. We experience that sweet grace that reminds us of our position relative to God and we take a moment to revel in the scandal of it all. And then we go and do likewise. Remember, IF we do justice THEN God will shine His light through our lives.
So we go, seeking out the people and places where we can do justice. After all, God’s people are a people on the move. This world is defined by and engorged with evil and injustice. Recently a large group of migrants was executed by the cartel in northern Mexico not that far from here. Why? Because Satan is a liar and a murderer; because of injustice; because of a million reasons that should make the most hardy of us squirm. But the tragic murder of those Children of God isn’t the end of the story. When that news story broke you should have seen the comment section on the website (I won’t name names). One commenter said, “at least that is 60 less illegals coming across our border.” This, brothers and sisters, is the world we have been sent into to do justice; to speak truth to the fool who uttered those hateful, damning words; to speak truth to the systems of injustice that perpetuate the necessity of migration and the continued flourishing of the cartels. To humanize those who have been labeled. Jesus was sent to a world not so different than ours. IF we seek justice, THEN we will confront evil: Evil in humans and in complex human systems.
We will likely ask God, “How are we to be effective when the need is so great?!” I’m not a scholar, but I don’t remember the word “effective” being in the gospels. I do remember a word, faithfulness, however. Mother Teresa said, “We are called upon not to be effective, but to be faithful.” Amen. How often I’ve merely tried to be effective; how I’ve tried to think “correctly” about an issue so as to achieve the desired end. Most people would say that’s “wise”, yet I feel it to be foolishness. God didn’t call me to be effective. He called me to be faithful. Faithful to Christ.
And this brings us full circle into how we come to be people of justice, delighting in what God delights in.
This is our perspective: a discipleship rooted in faithfulness to Christ. And that, brothers and sisters, is where we find our example. Our example is Christ. We needn’t reconcile our ideological beliefs, for they must submit themselves to the Lordship of Christ. We needn’t become overly occupied about our stances on complex issues in our world, because they must submit themselves to the Lordship of Christ. Christ is our example.
You see Christ exhibited the full character of God because He is God. His very actions and teaching were just. He didn’t have an ideology. He said, “Be like me.” That is our charge and desire as followers of Christ. The spirit of the Lord came upon Him, because the Father anointed him to proclaim good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captive, recover the sight of the blind, set at liberty those who are oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Sound familiar? If you’ve read ahead, you’ll see that Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 61. And quoting Isaiah is a heck of a way to do your inaugural speech. Being a prophet, after all, is destined to get you killed. But Jesus identified strongly with the tradition of the prophets, especially Isaiah. In fact, Jesus quoted Isaiah more than any other book. So we have a book, Isaiah, that prophetically asserts what is the content of a life consecrated to God—and a Savior who lives that out that consecrated life to God.
So what did our Savior, the Son of God, prophet, Messiah, King do? He made justice one of the central virtues of his teaching. He showed God’s people that justice is at the heart of God’s will—that it is woven into the righteous life. I’m going to get a little heady here, but bear with me: He showed that justice is crucial for relating love to a public ethic that reflects the sovereignty of God and the His lordship over all aspects of life. Seeing Christ’s relationship to justice is pivotal in present-day struggles for the soul of our society. I want to say that again. Seeing Christ’s relationship to justice is pivotal in present-day struggles for the soul of our society. The truth function returns, because IF we do justice THEN God will shine His light through our lives… and that display of glory will have a social impact—it will “go public.”
I confess there was a dark season of my life in which it was in my self-interest to not believe in God’s heart for justice. Likely, it’s still in my self-interest not to believe that… because if I believe what Christ’s example means for justice, I’ll have to “go public.” Just like we “go public” with our message of salvation, we “go public” with our life as the message about the justice and righteousness of our God. Justice, you see, has a relational and therefore public manifestation…
For example, Jesus confronted the representatives of the temple authority. In so doing he was confronting the public authorities of his time. Why? In Jesus’ time the state, church, and economic wealth were not separated but very much mixed together on the same hill and in the same temple in Jerusalem—the Romans, after all, let the Jewish authorities do most of the daily ruling. How sad it is then to steal Jesus power by making little of what he said by saying “he only taught on love! He had nothing to say about the political and economic powers and authorities!” I once believed a version of that lie. Another thing I repent of. David Gushee, a prominent scholar on the subject, notes that in Jesus “justice is not presented merely as an ideal for good that guides individuals in their private life but is a righteous demand that has the power to confront those who have power.” IF we do justice THEN God will shine His light through our lives.
And we have many examples:
· Jesus told the rich young ruler, “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven”.
· His parable of the unforgiving slave (Matthew 18) confronts those who do not forgive debts. If we’ll remember, God likes the releasing of debts as He instructed His people to do so during Jubilee.
· Jesus confronted the Pharisees about “devouring widow’s houses” while, as Gushee says, “maintaining a façade of piety with their long prayers.”
· He protected the adulterous woman from those who simply hid their sin better. He healed those who were socially relegated because of infirmity.
· He criticized the domination of the system, saying “they love to lord it over you, but it is not so among you”.
· In the parable of the tenants confronted those in authority for doing violence against the Lord’s servants.
· Jesus also taught about the exclusion from community. His parable of the Samaritan directly confronted those who excluded or hated the Samaritans.
· He healed the crippled man at Bethesda, restoring him to community.
These examples are directly applicable today. We have a climate where the religious authorities collude with the powers of the state and oppress the poor, both in our countries and in others. We as a society have an unwillingness to release debts, an unwillingness to commit our lives to the healing and restoration of others, an unwillingness to see peace as a viable option, an unwillingness to humanize the “other”, and an unwillingness to protect the most vulnerable from the abuses of power.
Who are the Vulnerable, the Poor, the Oppressed, and the Outcast today?
· Prisoners
· Those on welfare
· Those with infirmities
· The homeless
· Those who live down the street
· “illegal” immigrants
· Single mothers & most of the mothers who have had abortions
· Children who have been abused
· The fatherless
· Victims of war
· Prostitutes, young and old
· Refugees
· Street children
· The Dalit, “untouchable” class in India
· Slaves
· A widow in Uganda whose home has been stolen by relatives
· The displaced people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Sudan, elsewhere
Granted, it’s easy to feel compassion for most of these groups of people, but do we have what it takes to give of our resources—our time, our connections, our money, our gifts—regardless of how they use them, in an expression of love and unmerited grace? Do we have what it takes to stand between them and their oppressors and champion their dignity and cause possibly at the cost of our life? If the prospect of either makes you feel overwhelmed with the enormity that is appropriate. After all, we’re likely not going to be able to impact every one of those people’s lives. But I have good news for you: It’s not our job to save the world. That’s God’s job. It’s our job to be faithful, love our neighbors, and to fight off the insidious desire to be comfortable and removed from the suffering around us.
As people approach justice, as the breadth of God’s instruction on the subject enters our heart, we often want to know where to start, what “issue” to champion. Should I care more about poverty or modern-day slavery? I urge you brother and sisters, to just go out into the world and love people. The “issues” will find you. If you love a family in the throes of poverty you will inevitably ask, “why are they poor?” The “issue” will simply be a person and a face—someone God loves. Injustice, after all, happens to people. So I encourage you brothers and sisters to go into the world to love people and not be afraid of the injustice you will find in the lives of the forgotten, the oppressed, and the abused. You can count on it being there and God has invited you to be a part of the solution. Remember, God can use me and he can use you. He used a number of murderers and prostitutes (namely Moses, King David, Paul, Rahab) to do some of His greatest work.
This is the good part, folks. We’ve seen that IF we delight in God and His ways, and do justice, THEN God’s glory will shine through us for all to see. Ok, so where does that put you and I? “How can I be like Christ in his justice work?” That’s a great question; I’m so glad you’ve asked:
As I go on, I’m going to have some of my friends here hand out some cards that I want you to have. I only printed 80… I hope that is enough. On this card is Micah 6:8—
What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? [MICAH 6:8]
I want you to write down some of the people or people groups that you yourself want to get to know, that you want to move closer to relationally, that you want to share the fullness of the gospel with. All people need Jesus, but think specifically about the poor, the oppressed, and the forgotten right now. I want you to write on the front or back about this person or people and be honest with your ignorance about their experience, your not being sure about how to love them…. and your plan to rectify that. I am challenging you.
I’ll share with you what I would write. For me, one of my goals for the next year is to get to know some male prostitutes and love them and encourage them towards freedom and healing. Sure, I care about the “issue”, but at the end of the day an issue is only an issue because people are being treated unjustly.
So as those go out I will share just some small examples of what all this looks like in real life.
I have this friend Lana who met a group of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi here in the US and her heart just broke for them. They’ve come from a land that experienced terrible genocide and now they’re struggling to get by here in America. So Lana goes to them, she meets with them, provides for them, gives them here time, and connections. If you get the Church’s email, you’ve probably seen Chris’ email about her and her needs. That’s her using me as a connection, and me using the Church as a connection. Lana is doing a justice and mercy work. Also—If, for example, the police were to start harassing her Burundi friends—they are not, of course—and it became a justice issue of that kind, would she not intervene? Of course she would, because these people matter to her. This is where it all begins, by pouring ourselves out for the afflicted.
I have another friend here in the Valley who spent years in South America as a lawyer with International Justice Mission prosecuting cases of child rape. Now he’s here in Phoenix and he fights for the rights of undocumented migrants. He speaks truth to power and champions the cause of those with no power. It’s all justice work. It’s very different than Lana’s experience, but it’s all done out of an adherence to a fuller gospel.
And there are people in our church who have started ministries for the homeless and have catalyzed movement among the youth to pray for and serve the homeless right where they are—on the streets. Others in this church have done MTS groups for men & women who have experienced abuse. Others serve girls who have been prostituted on the streets of our city. Others give generously of what they have to the poor.
Plus we have classic examples in people like Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr. There are a million ways to pursue justice in our world. And “pursue” is a good word to use because justice is active. Giving extravagantly to the poor is fine; moreover it is expected of us and Chris talked about just generosity in the past couple of weeks. But no matter what, we should meet the poor and oppressed where they are. It make you to Van Buren, it may take you to Washington DC, or it may take you to a war zone.
I hope you’ve all been able to write something down.
Remember, IF we do justice THEN God will shine His light, His glory, through our lives.
- CLOSING
As we move into the final stretch I want to recap what God has shown us today:
· The fast that he desires is to do justice
· And IF we do Justice, His Glory will shine before us and we will experience God and His healing
· Also, if we have not done justice, as we should, then we should repent and accept God’s grace
· As a response to that grace we go into the world to extend God’s grace and His justice
· Finally, we have an awesome example in Christ and those who follow Him, of how to do these things faithfully.
Now, I will wrap this up with a story of how justice can look in our current context, right here, right now:
In Luke 14 Jesus tells us how to throw a party and his teaching on this party has something to say about justice. “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind and you will be blessed.” Doing so is a picture of justice, of viewing others as God views them and inviting them into healing, restorative community. To see an example of this, I will tell a story that Shane Claiborne tells about an experience he and his community, The Simple Way, had in Philadelphia: “Philly had begun to pass anti-homeless legislation, making it illegal to sleep in the parks, illegal to ask for money, illegal to lie down on the sidewalks. Ironically, the reason for many of these laws was Love Park, which was a place where homeless folks hung out because it was visible, safe, and central. Folks knew you could go there to give out food or clothing to people on the street. One of the city’s boldest moves was passing an ordinance that banned all food from the park, reading specifically ‘All persons must cease and desist from distributing food.’ and they began fining those who shared food with the homeless. We started to wonder what in the world it meant to love our neighbors as ourselves when they were being jailed for sleeping and eating. As St. Augustine said, “an unjust law is no law at all.” What did it mean to submit to authority and yet uphold God’s law of love? Either we had to invite them into our homes, which had reached capacity, or we wanted to be out with them in solidarity. So we threw a party in Love Park. About a hundred of us gathered in Love Park with homeless friends. We worshiped, sang, and prayed. Then we served communion, which was illegal. We continued the “breaking of the bread” by bringing in pizzas. It was a love feast and then we slept overnight with our homeless friends. We did that week after week. Then one night the police surrounded us and arrested us.” He recounts how at the court hearing—where he was wearing a “Jesus was Homeless” t-shirt— he and his friends were represented by a homeless friend they had because while the Simple Way folks have been offered legal representation, they recognized that the poor wouldn’t have been afforded it so they forwent legal representation in solidarity with the homeless. Ultimately the judge sided with them and exonerated them. That sounds like quite an end to the party Jesus is talking about, but what else can we expect from a world who does not view justice like God does. Shane later says, “There are cooler ways to live than by trying to follow the gospel. But look on the bright side; if you end up in jail, historically, you will be in very good company. Jail has always been an important place for Christians. In eras of injustice it becomes the Christian’s home.”
The question before me is: “Would I do that?” I mean, would I, like Paul, go to prison for preaching the gospel or living the gospel? Would you do that? Do I believe in God’s call for justice enough to suffer for it? In the meantime, while I’m not doing justice and not seeking to break the yoke of oppression, I am doing meaningless religious actions in expectance that it is a “fast pleasing to the Lord”. Of this I must repent. Remember, Jesus was crucified—in the most literal sense—because he spoke truth to power in his advocacy for the powerless. He was deeply concerned about justice in his context, how can we not be concerned about justice in ours? Can we not repent and follow him?
Let us pray.
