Isaiah 58 (NRSVue)
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 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 them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your needs in parched places
and make your bones strong,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never fail.
God’s blessings are found in blessing others.
Here are some questions for discussion:
1. If the sort of fast described in Isaiah 58:6–11 were fully lived out in church, what would noticeably change—in us and around us?
2. When you check your fridge, most of what we put in containers takes the shape of the container. When we are the container rather than the conduit we foolishly try to fit God into ourselves. How does being a “container” diminish the message?
3. How does God’s definition of a meaningful fast in this week’s scripture differ from what we usually picture as the spiritual discipline? Why do you think God connects worship so closely with how people treat one another?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. Isaiah 58:11 envisions God’s people as “a well-watered garden,” an image that assumes continual care, not heroic rescue. How does this challenge justice models built around projects, campaigns, or short-term impact? What is lost when communities chase visible impact rather than cultivating sustainability?
2. Isaiah verse 58:11 states: “The LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places.” God does not remove the desert—He meets people within it. What does this imply about prosperity, suffering, and divine favor? How does this verse speak to people living with chronic illness, systemic marginalization, or long-term uncertainty?
3. How might Isaiah 58:8’s image of light breaking forth like the dawn challenge our expectations for quick results in justice-oriented faith, and what does it teach us about perseverance when obedience feels slow or unseen?
4. How can we turn a brief period of fasting into something more spiritually sound and God centered? Does making the fast longer help? Or hinder?
5. While the container is open on one end a conduit is open on both ends. While the container takes in or gives out, the conduit both takes in and gives out at the same time. How does this allow for our own growth while we share God’s love around us?
For further contemplation, consider these prompts:
1. How does the battle we fight with ourselves over a public relations image end up hurting ourselves? What steps can we take to help keep our focus on what God has actually called us to?
2. Fighting against oppression and injustice requires real effort on our part as opposed to adding the vertical line to the grade sign. It requires us to do something. How might our sincere fasting help us in the cause of spreading God’s love? What makes our fasting something more than just false piety?