Isaiah 1:10-17
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomor’rah! “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats. “When you come to appear before me, who requires of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Homily:
Your rituals – fasting, tithing, vigils and many others, mean nothing without a commitment to obey God’s Word.
Nothing describes how much he detests empty rituals than the words, “Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them.”
I was once on a table with a guy that was praising the merits of his tithing and how those who don’t pay their tithes are missing a critical relationship with God. A less religious person on the table asked him if God dismisses the chronic adultery he is into because of his tithes. And he replied, “that is a separate matter, remove the log in your own eyes. I am only trying to show you how tithing works for me”.
You see what I learnt from that exchange was simple – “people do not care about what you bring to the altar, they care about what you bring to the marketplace”. Everybody tries to bring their best selves to the orderly altar, but you see who people actually are in the chaotic market.
The other guy in the above story cannot see your tithing which you take to the altar, but he sees the entanglements you bring to the marketplace. God knows the impact of the inconsistency you provide to His children and at a point He just gets tired of the bullshit.
Whatever is unbefitting for the altar, should be unbefitting for the marketplace.