Saturday after Ash Wednesday
The reading from the latter chapters of Isaiah, attributed to a disciple of the prophet Isaiah, continues the instruction begun in yesterday’s reading on the kind of “fasting” that is pleasing to the Lord. It turns the focus away from sackcloth and ashes, and provides food for thought as we begin the Lenten season.
The opening verse of the reading from Isaiah seems to have been written for our present moment in history, and it gives each of us our call:
Remove from your midst oppression, false accusation, and malicious speech.
But oh how hard that is to do when people disagree on who is the oppressor and who is oppressed, who is lying and who is telling the truth. Where is the boundary between righteous anger and malice? On a national and worldwide scale, these issues bedevil us still, as they have over the centuries. In the midst of this, what is our calling? To recognize and name injustice when we see it; to do our best to determine the truth of situations we find ourselves in; to attempt to solve problems and differences without malice. We may not be able to do this on a global or national scale, but we can begin with our own lives and our circle of family and neighbors.
To do these things, we will need and we hope for what is promised to us:
He will renew your strength, and you shall be like…a spring whose water never fails. We need the wellspring of faith and hope in our God to bring healing to our world.
Looking at the scene at Levi’s house, one can imagine the contrast between Levi, the brand-new disciple joyfully introducing Jesus to his friends at a banquet, and the cynical Pharisees stuck in their self-righteousness. Who are “the sick” and the sinners in this story? Who needs the healing but is not even aware of their needfulness?
Lord, teach me Your way. I recognize that I need Your presence in my life to give me strength and hope. Help me to speak honestly without malice, to work against injustice and to bring Your joy and Your peace to those I encounter. Amen.
Zsuzsanna Kadas, P’13, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics
First Reading: Isaiah 58:9b-14
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