Isaiah 1:10. 16-20
Matthew 23:1-12
Wash, make yourselves clean.
Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the orphan,
plead for the widow.
This is one of my favourite pieces of Hebrew poetry. It has a rhythm which makes it easy to memorise. It’s an uncompromising message and it’s meant to be. The prophet’s job is to see the world as God sees it. Isaiah is impatient with a way of living which compartmentalises worship and daily life: the two must go together. In just a few verses we have a whole programme for Gospel living.
Wash
Take
Cease
Search
Learn
Help
Be just
Plead
In the Rule of St Benedict, Lent is seen as a time when we ‘wash away in this holy season the negligences of other times.’ It sounds a little gentler than Isaiah’s message, but the result can be the same.
How do you hear Isaiah’s message this Lent?