The Others

We all know some group that we can claim is the subject of this reading, don't we?

Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land! The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah. Ah, you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine, whose feasts consist of lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine, but who do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands! Ah, you who drag iniquity along with cords of falsehood, who drag sin along as with cart ropes, who say, "Let him make haste, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel hasten to fulfillment, that we may know it!" Ah, you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Ah, you who are wise in your own eyes, and shrewd in your own sight! Ah, you who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant at mixing drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of their rights! -  Isa. 5:8-12,18-23

Oh, yes. We know who Isaiah is talking about, and it is not us, right?

The first target is the one who separates himself from his neighbors by living on large tracts of land, far away from anyone. Isaiah talks about buying up the land around your home to isolate yourself. But today, many are selling off parcels of that land to enrich themselves, yet still keeping some distance from others.

The next target is the one who drinks liquor all day long. 

We tend to think of these people as the homeless or destitute, but he is talking about those who have enough wealth to spend their days doing nothing of value

And then we have those who intentionally sin, believing God will save them.

These are the ones who think they are outsmarting God, using his compassion and grace to outwit Him.

Good luck with that.

We like to think he is talking about the wealthy only. Sure, they can do more, but can't we as well?

Take the log out of your eye, Jesus said, before removing the splinter from someone else's eye.

Maybe the message is simple. Focus on yourself. Bring yourself closer to God and let God worry about the others.

More to come...