“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
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. ..." (NIV)
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. ..." (NIV)
It is clear that this text is a call to social justice.
However, while the literal interpretation is clear and urgent, especially in our fallen world, the text also invites us to look at a broader understanding too. Not least by opening this section (it is only part of a larger text and we should never ignore the context in which this section is a part) with an image of people being yoked or chained. This metaphorical language invites us to look deeper into the meaning of the text while not loosing sight of the literal meaning of much of this section.
A caution to the wise
It is vital we do not create hierarchies of understanding. Both the literal meaning and the metaphorical interpretation are to be held equal and concurrent in motivating our behaviour. As James writes in his letter "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:15-16 (NIV).
Developing a metaphorical understanding
Let's think then about the more metaphorical understanding of this section
Holding this in a good tension. We should never loose sight of the importance of sharing the knowledge we have of God and what He has done in comming to us as a human being in the form of Jesus.
Outline:
v7:
- Food: knowledge of salvation, Eucharist, doing God's work (John 4:34 & John 6:28-29, after Jesus had fed them first NB!), ...
- Shelter: knowing God as our shelter eg Psalm 46:1, ....
- Naked-->clothing: ignorance --> knowledge,
- Your own: both family AND friends AND colleagues
v8-9a: the historical reality of how the early Church spread is by doing BOTH the literal and the actions inherent in the metaphorical understanding!
