March 11, 2007 – Lent 3
Isaiah 55:1-13
“Are You Thirsty? Are You Hungry?”

“Are you thirsty?” All living things need the life-giving refreshment that comes from water, H2O, the basic building block of our existence. God knows we have need of drink.

“Are you hungry?” Likewise, creation is built upon the fundamental search for nutrition, for the stuff that will make our metabolisms work and our bodies grow and thrive. God knows we have need of food.

“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!” Here, in this marvelous outpouring of generosity, the writer knows of the basic cravings of any living organism, so “thirst” and “hunger” are about something more than just water and bread. We are talking here about the deepest fulfillment of human needs. This text is about God’s ultimate fulfillment of all human needs: mind, body, and soul.

Listen and hear God’s voice echo deep within your soul: “Are you thirsty?” “Are you hungry?” “Come! Come!”

The poet who has written Isaiah 55 begins by lyrically reminding us that we all have needs and yet all-too-often our attempts to satisfy our needs are in vain. Then the poet reminds us that God, who is the only one capable of doing so, is luring/enticing/inviting us to sacred fulfillment of our wants, needs, and desires. “Come to the waters…” “Come!” “Come delight yourselves in rich food…” “Come!” “Incline your ear…” “Come!”

Yet even though we are like every other living organism and have basic needs, we creatures of the human sort live in a world where our requirements to live are confused with our desires, our wants, and wishes. Our priorities as a species are out-of-kilter.
A major survey released by the nonprofit Merck Family Fund found that a majority of us Americans, alarmed by materialism and greed, rank among our deepest aspirations such nonmaterial things as more family time and less job stress. More and more people are coming to the conclusion that the American dream is not simply about a large house, expensive cars, and exotic vacations. It's also about peace of mind and being part of a community. We are recognizing the wisdom of philosopher Henry David Thoreau's declaration: "Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify." (1)

One of the architects of America, Benjamin Franklin, wrote: "Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it makes one. If it satisfies one want, it doubles and trebles that want another way." (2)

And, of course, scripture supports this observation repeatedly: "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income" (Ecclesiastes 5:10, NIV)

“I’m thirsty!” “We’re hungry!” So, we have needs, but we let these simple needs get out of hand. As any good poet would do, an example is offered to us of one, like us, who also had needs, and who accepted God’s invitation to come. “[Remember] my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.” King David, gifted musician, warrior, and leader not only had basic human needs, he clearly also had insatiable desires (do we remember Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop?) But even this craving-laden man ultimately found fulfillment in God alone and stands as a beacon to us as one who was satisfied by none alone, save God.

This satisfaction will be, and indeed is, so compelling, others will want to join us in receiving it. “See, 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.” Others, too, have needs and others, also, know there is something more, someone larger than themselves and all their desires wrapped up together who can fulfill them. God and God alone.

Then the poet moves to some guidelines to help us receive this divine contentment:
1. The tried and true routine of:
a. asking for God’s presence in our lives,
b. repenting of our sin,
c. receiving God’s mercy and forgiveness.
2. True contentment is built on our humility and knowing our place in God’s creation,
3. Even though our needs are great, we can rely on the effectiveness of God’s word: God brings results,
4. This fulfillment is extraordinary and it deserves grand celebration,
5. We must remember, in the end, God always intends good in bringing gratification to creation.

First, the tried and true routine of:
a. asking for God’s presence in our lives,
b. repenting of our sin,
c. receiving God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Beginning at verse 6, the poet tells us, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let 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.”

We live in a culture where the rush for more and larger and faster and prettier and sexier and higher pushes what is “normal” and “reasonable” off center. We become accustomed to souped-up requirements for living and fulfillment of them becomes harder and harder to attain. These hyped up needs and desires can become manageable (not really), except if we feel there is a deadline, unless we’re told we are “running out of time.” Ask anyone who has been given a shocking timetable by a doctor because of a life-threatening illness.

For most of us, however, we have few chances, little opportunity to reassess the uber-needs of our world. But for those of us in the Church, Lent is kind of an artificial, self-imposed “deadline” we take on each year to help us address and asses those things of our culture and world which we might never get around to if we didn’t have such deadlines!

A la John the Baptist “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” we are to “seek the Lord” and “call upon him while he is near.” We should be doing this each and every time we secret ourselves away in prayer, but Lent offers us a special chance to do so. We quiet our minds and hear our souls ask the divine questions: “Are you thirsty?” “Are you hungry?” Yes! Yes!

And in doing so, if we really listen closely to that voice and our own response, we know we need a change. We need to “forsake our ways and our thoughts” and “return to the Lord. There is a bumper sticker that says, “On the road of life, God allows u-turns.” It’s true!

And, of course, if we do so, the Lord will have mercy on us, and God will abundantly pardon. It is God’s most earnest will and God’s deepest desire that we be given, and receive, the overflowing waters of forgiveness that are awaiting us.

But the poet doesn’t simply leave us with this tried and true equation of asking, repenting, and receiving. The poet wants us to recall more about holy contentment, so that we might not have to go through this so often.

Second, we are reminded that true contentment is built on our humility and the simplicity of God’s created order of life. In verses 8 & 9, we are sternly instructed, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

This brings to mind Job’s conversation with God, when God bellows: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements – surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?” (Job 38: 4-5)

One of the quickest and most efficient ways to get our needs, wants, desires, and wishes in order with the divine is to forget who is who in this relationship. God loves us dearly, but we are not God. Never have been, never will be. God is God. Period.

Then, the poet turns in verses 10 and 11 to a little softer approach, and reminds us, through the wonder of creation, that we need not worry about our needs getting met. Even though our needs are great, we can rely on the effectiveness of God’s word: God brings results:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

God intends for our fulfillment, and this is not something for which we should be anxious. After all, we’ve got the top-rated giver on the planet working for us. God can be trusted, but we must trust first and completely.

If we do, the rewards are great. The fulfillment God ultimately provides is extraordinary and it deserves grand celebration. “For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

Now these are no shallow platitudes. Joy and peace may sound like very simple things, but the poet speaks to a people who have lost the joy and peace meant for God's children. As is always the case in the biblical drama, the joy and peace of God are lost when God's people turn away from the source of joy and peace.

The magnificent poetry of the passage brings to life all kinds of scenes and images in our imagination. However, the background to the text reminds us of the very real problems addressed by the prophet. This chapter concludes the second part of the book of Isaiah (Second Isaiah, Isaiah 40-55). The people of Judah and Jerusalem have been in exile. They had been violently removed from their homeland by the Babylonians 40 years earlier. The prophet brings a word of hope of return. This hope is a fulfillment of God’s promise to the people.

Earlier the prophet sought to comfort them with the message that their servitude was over (Isa 40:1-11). But people who have suffered badly do not embrace hope easily. In Isaiah 40 the prophet tried to convince the people that God was powerful enough to save, and had the will to. At the end of his message the poet again returns to the themes of human frailty and the utter reliability of God’s word (cf. Isa 40:6-8 with 55:8-11). (3)

So - the divine goal Isaiah points to is restoration of perfect fellowship with God. It is this union that brings authentic joy and peace to living. Jesus told his disciples in his last night with them in the Upper Room that all his teaching had a goal for their lives – namely, "...that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11) In that same evening he also said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." (John 14:27) (4)

And finally, we must remember, in the end, God always intends good in bringing gratification to creation. Verse 13 says, “Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
When God seeks to fulfill our deepest desires and heartfelt wishes, we may not get what we want. It may seem, quite often really, that God hasn’t got a clue what it is we really need. But ultimately, God is always working for the good of all creation, and God sees to it that all of us are offered fulfillment, satisfaction, and contentment.

“Are you thirsty?” Come, drink to your hearts content at the well that will never run dry. “Are you hungry?” Come, eat the rich food of the Bread of Life, the food that sustains all life. You may have to work a little for your gratification – a little repentance, a little humility, a little trust, a little celebration – but rest assured, God has your best interests in mind at this feast of fulfillment. Amen!

(1) 'Tis a gift to be simple: 8 suggestions for simplifying your life
Vibrant Life, July-August, 2002 by Victor M. Parachin found online at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_4_18/ai_90301465
(2) Ibid
(3) Isaiah 55:1-9 (10-13), The Old Testament Readings: Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Howard Wallace, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia. http://hwallace.unitingchurch.org.au/WebOTcomments/LentC/Lent3.html
(4) "The Purposes of God," John Jewell, 2002. http://www.lectionarysermons.com/july_14.02.htm



Rev. Allen V. Harris
Franklin Circle Christian Church
www.FranklinCircleChurch.org


 

Copyright 2007 -- The Rev. Allen V. Harris

Franklin Circle Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

1688 Fulton Rd., Cleveland, OH 44113-3096