Our next major prophet continues this same message from Yahweh. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.(Isaiah 58:6-9a, NRSV)
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 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? 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. Later in chapter 58, God tells Israel what He finds delight in. How does He tell them to do this? “Learn to do good seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). He tells them to stop their evil works and wash themselves clean. All of the religious rituals of God’s people mean absolutely nothing in the face of God and in fact become burdens to Yahweh. Yahweh no longer enjoys their animal sacrifices or is pleased by their temple offerings.
In Isaiah 1:10-17, the prophet describes God as being disgusted with Israel. When it comes to our major prophets in the Hebrew Bible, many of them view lack of care for the poor and for the foreigner as a crucial part of Israel’s sin. The Israelite wrote it into their law that people need to give generously to the poor.(Deuteronomy. They are not to strip the land of all its food and then profit off it at the expense of these strangers. When the Israelites reap their harvest they are told to leave some extra for the foreigner. 24:17 strictly commands to not withhold justice from the widow and the orphan. Israel is told not to withhold wages from the poor, but rather to pay them before the sun sets, “because they are poor and their livelihood depends them” (Deuteronomy. In this passage the people of Israel are told how they should treat the oppressed. Though Deuteronomy is filled with verses concerning how a person should treat someone who is in need, I want to focus on Deuteronomy. The book of Deuteronomy, a.k.a “The Law”, is often recognized for its humanitarian perspective on obedience to Yahweh. Caring for the widows, orphans, foreigners, and those who are oppressed is one of the most consistent messages throughout Scripture. One of the biggest themes, if not the biggest theme, in the Bible is that of caring for the poor. Though I truly believe social justice is a crucial aspect of the Gospel, this humanitarian influence in Christianity did not start with Jesus. He once said “Justice consist of not being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.” Staying neutral in matters of oppression does not bring us closer to justice, rather we just become a part of the injustice. One of my favorite quotes concerning social justice comes from Theodore Roosevelt. For years it has been recognized that things such as racism, sexism, and extreme poverty are results of both oppressive institutions and people who are unwilling to sacrifice their own pleasures for the help of others. When I think of those who fight for social justice, I think of those who fight to make right the wrongs that have been done to people in terms of (how google describes it) distribution of wealth, opportunity, and privilege. “Justice In Terms Of The Distribution Of Wealth, Opportunities, And Privileges Within A Society.” This is the type of justice we see in the gospels. I think Matthew recognizes Jesus’ gospel as having a major concern for those who are in need of help. In this passage Jesus uses a different standard of how He will judge His followers.
Though these beliefs are at the core of what it means to be a Christian, they are not the only ones. Often when we think of people who consider themselves Christians, we think of those who profess Christ as their savior and believe He resurrected from the dead. Those on His left, the goats who aren’t described as having any of these qualities, are cast away. Jesus distinguishes these sheep by their care for others.Those who follow Jesus feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned ( Matthew 25:34-40). The Son of Man separates His sheep from the goats, putting His sheep on the right and the goats on the left. Jesus speaks to His disciples concerning the end of the age and in chapter 25, verse 31, He begins speaking about the Son of Man on the throne. This speech comes immediately after Jesus foretells the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in chapter 24. Toward the end of the Gospel of Matthew, in chapter 25, Jesus gives this long speech to His disciples.