Lent 3C

Isaiah 55:1-9

⁵⁵Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ²Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. ³Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. ⁴See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. ⁵See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

⁶Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; ⁷let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. ⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Exiles

This first reading comes from the final chapter in the second main section – "Second Isaiah" – (chapters 40 through 55) of the 66 chapter long book of Isaiah. The author mostly wrote during the Babylonian exile. This section begins with the famous tenor recitative and aria, "Comfort, Ye–Every Valley Shall be Exalted" that opens Handel's Messiah.

By the way, everyone in Judea did not get deported to Babylon, and of those who did, some stayed and helped create good lives for themselves and their neighbors, while others returned to Jerusalem and Judah.

Given the size of the population, we almost necessarily live in a world of economic exchanges where we expect to pay something (legal tender, labor, in-kind) for everything we receive. We don't believe in free lunches; God does believe in free lunches and provides them, too!

For the past month a devastating war between the Russian Federation and the three decades young democracy of Ukraine has raged and been viewed by the entire free world—because democracies don't censor their press. As I blog this, around 3,000,000 people have left Ukraine for neighboring free states of Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary(!) that's technically closed to immigrants, Moldova and others. All nations have been doing everything they can to welcome, accommodate, feed, and help refugees feel as much at home as possible. The European Union has offered refugees from Ukraine the right to stay and work in any member state for up to three years. The United Kingdom has a similar welcoming arrangement. When things are going ok, most people don't and won't imagine receiving or providing free food, but immanent starvation reverses that conviction. Countries of Ukrainian refuge have been fulfilling God's promise through Isaiah of free food and water!


Free Food, God's Thing

If you're thirsty, come to the waters and drink your fill. If you're hungry, come on over and "buy" food that won't cost you anything. The people Isaiah addressed these words of promise to were hungry and thirsty. The war has cut off communication, transportation, and basic supplies, so even citizens of Ukraine who've stayed put no longer can shop for food as usual. Besides, at home or on the road, food and water get used up and need replacing, which humanitarian agencies and welcoming nations have been trying to do.

We don't believe in free lunches; God does! We frequently consider how God created humanity in the Divine Image (Imago Dei) and through the Holy Spirit calls and enables us to be God's hands, feet, presence, and provision wherever we find ourselves. Have you noticed how those locations sometimes feel both accidental and providential? Amidst the current horrific war, individuals in every kind of setting, organizations of every type, and entire countries have been providing free lunches, breakfasts, and dinners.


Material or Spiritual?

It's sometimes hard to know where God’s offer of material goods ends and where God's offer of the spiritual substance of salvation begins. Does this passage refer to material provision or spiritual provision? Yes. Both. And.


Where We Live

This scripture opens with a series of commandments, summons, invitations:

come – buy – eat – listen – eat – delight – incline – come – listen – seek – let

Through Isaiah God asks why we spend money on fake food? Nutrition has become commodified. Even water has become a commodity. The spiritual soul food and the bodily soul food God offers in Isaiah 55 isn't even available for the kinds of money we use for economic exchanges. God has picked up the tab because we could never have paid for it, anyway.

The Lord's Supper reminds us the food and drink God offers us is both spiritual and material. Eating and drinking can be a means of grace—not only exclusively in Holy Communion. Think about it!

In verse 8, Hebrew "thoughts" is closer to our English word designs than it is to cerebral brain processes.

Our thoughts? We expect to pay for everything we receive. God does believe in free lunches and provides them, too! Without asking, we already know Ukrainians still in their country and those who have left absolutely for sure have rejoiced in food and friendship offered and received them as gifts of grace.