I came across this today in my Bible reading:
“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. – Amos 5:21-24
The words from the Lord are stark towards Israel. They worship in the way that God prescribed, and yet, it was not received by the Lord. And why was it not received? Their hearts were not in the right place, they were playing at religion without focusing on what the Lord truly desires. God wanted them to respond to his gracious love by not only worshiping him with their whole hearts, they were to bear fruit in caring about the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. And they didn’t care about these things – and continually Israel is chided for this neglect. Israel also pursued false gods when it was convenient for them, denying God’s clear command to have “no other gods before me.” And if it isn’t true to them in heart, then it isn’t true to the Lord, and isn’t valuable. He rejects that kind of religion. Instead, he commands them, let their be justice at the tip of your tongue, and let righteousness (pursuing obedience and love of God’s creation, including human beings), let those things pour out of you as God’s people.
While the particulars will be different under the new covenant, the heart behind these commands will forever be the same. Are we as a people those who will go through the motions, offering what we think to be a holy worship, without caring about justice and righteousness? Or do we allow our lives to reflect God’s mercy not only in our worship but also in our life practice? We will never be a church that chooses to do one or there other: have a high view of Scripture or love our neighbors. We will do both all the time, and let both be an expression of God’s pursuit of true shalom in the world – never avoiding conversation about sin and redemption, nor love of the lost. Our faith is dynamic, exciting, and the opposite of easy: just like anything worth pursuing, it’s hard, but it’s so so good.