Sirach 34:17-26: a reflection

17He raises up the soul, and enlightens the eyes. He gives health, life, and blessing. 18He who sacrifices a thing wrongfully gotten, his offering is made in mockery. The mockeries of wicked men are not acceptable. 19The Most High has no pleasure in the offerings of the ungodly, Neither is he pacified for sins by the multitude of sacrifices. 20Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes is he who brings a sacrifice from the goods of the poor. 21The bread of the needy is the life of the poor. He who deprives him of it is a man of blood. 22Like one who murders his neighbor is he who takes away his living. Like a shedder of blood is he who deprives a hireling of his hire. 23When one builds, and another pulls down, what profit do they have but toil? 24When one prays, and another curses, whose voice will the Lord listen to? 25He who washes himself after touching a dead body, and touches it again, what does he gain by his washing? 26Even so a man fasting for his sins, and going again, and doing the same, who will listen to his prayer? What profit does he have in his humiliation?

This passage speaks bluntly about worship that God will not accept. An offering made from what was gained by wronging others, it says, is made in mockery; to bring a sacrifice from goods taken from the poor is like killing a son before his father's eyes. And it exposes the futility of repentance that returns to the same sin: one who fasts for his sins and then goes and does the same, who will hear his prayer? Worship divorced from justice and true repentance is empty before God.

Notice the two things this passage exposes as making worship empty: injustice, and unrepentant sin. First, an offering built on wronging others, on goods taken from the poor, is no true offering; God will not accept worship from hands that oppress. And second, repentance that returns to the same sin, fasting for one's sins and then committing them again, is futile; the outward act of penitence means nothing if the heart returns to the sin. Worship and penitence divorced from justice and real turning are empty before God.

That is a searching word about the reality of our worship. We can offer God worship while wronging others, or go through the motions of repentance while returning to the same sins; but such worship and penitence, divorced from justice and true turning, are empty before God. God does not accept worship from those who oppress the poor, or repentance that has no intention of changing. Examine your own worship and repentance: is your worship offered by hands that deal justly, or that wrong others? Is your repentance a true turning, or a mere form that returns to the same sin? Do not offer God a worship divorced from justice, or a repentance divorced from real turning; let your worship be joined to just dealing, and your repentance to a genuine turning from sin. Worship and penitence that are empty of justice and true change do not reach God; let yours be real, joined to justice and to a heart that truly turns.

Lord, this passage speaks bluntly about worship you will not accept: an offering made from what was gained by wronging others is made in mockery, and repentance that returns to the same sin is futile, for who will hear the prayer of one who fasts and then does the same? Give me that searching word about the reality of my worship. I can offer you worship while wronging others, or go through the motions of repentance while returning to the same sins; but such worship and penitence, divorced from justice and true turning, are empty before you. You do not accept worship from those who oppress the poor, or repentance that has no intention of changing. Help me examine my own worship and repentance: is my worship offered by hands that deal justly, or that wrong others? Is my repentance a true turning, or a mere form that returns to the same sin? Keep me from offering you a worship divorced from justice, or a repentance divorced from real turning; let my worship be joined to just dealing, and my repentance to a genuine turning from sin. Worship and penitence that are empty of justice and true change do not reach you; let mine be real, Lord, joined to justice and to a heart that truly turns.