All through the Scriptures the people are reminded that their faith is not just about the practice of religion but is also about the living of life. There is to be coherence between what they profess with their lips and celebrate in their rituals on the one hand, and how just and kind they are to their fellow human beings on the other. Religious practices are not an end in themselves: they are always at the service of the people's relationship with God and with each other.
Notice how cleverly this point is made in the first reading today. You want to offer a sacrifice? Then keep the law. You want to make a peace offering? Observe the commandments. You want to offer fine flour? Do works of charity. You want to offer a sacrifice of praise? Give alms. You want to please the Lord? Refrain from evil. You want atonement? Then avoid injustice.
Sometimes people speak nowadays as if the 'social gospel' or 'social justice' or working for 'justice and peace' is some kind of liberalised or secularised reduction of the gospel, turning it into 'social work' (the latter to be uttered in a disparaging tone of voice).
But such views seem quite ignorant of what the Bible teaches. From the Jubilee legislation in the Book of Leviticus through to the great prophets and wisdom teachers of Israel, the tendency to separate religious practice in the temple and works of justice in the city is criticised and rejected. Again and again it is criticised, over and over again - which testifies to how powerful a tendency it is, how persistent it must have been among the people.
How persistent it must be among us also, this kind of hypocrisy. We will be called back to coherence again and again during Lent. What is the fast the Lord wants? Not the hypocritical fast of people whose treatment of others is deplorable but, in the first place (if you have to choose) works of justice, kindness, care and compassion. That is the fast the Lord wants, Isaiah will tell us.
God is not to be bribed by the offerings of those who oppress and exploit others. There is no point in sacrificing the fruits of extortion: they won't carry. God is a God of justice who knows no favourites. We might think we are fooling others or ourselves if we are hypocritical in our practice of religion but of course God sees right through us. Jesus pushes it even further, making it even more radical: the sacrifice that saves the world is the offering of himself, his practice of religion and his living of life becoming simply identical.
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