The Poetry Of JusticeSample

Fasting. Chains. Yokes. Freedom. What do these things have in common? What was Isaiah thinking? 

The prophet was intimately aware of the Holy Spirit’s great work in history; he knew the Almighty had always been about rescuing his people from oppression. The God of Israel had provided a way out of bondage and injustice time and again. 

If we look closely at verse 6, we’ll also discover what could easily define the heart of Christ’s mission on earth: God the Father chose to send God the Son into the world to offer himself as a living sacrifice (a ‘true fast’) in order to untie his people from the cords of rebellion, bringing them into freedom with him. Through God the Spirit, Christ spent three years in ministry loosening the (sometimes literal) chains of injustice, and breaking every yoke that enslaved his people. 

The good news is he still does. 

How does verse 6 change your definition of fasting?