The word of the Lord in Isaiah is severe.

“Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!”

God is speaking to His own people.
But He names them with the names of cities
destroyed for their sin.

This is not exaggeration.
It is diagnosis.

They are religious.
They bring offerings.
They keep feasts.
They pray.

And God says later in the chapter:

“I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.”

Worship and injustice
cannot live together.

So God commands something very concrete:

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression.”

God does not ask for better feelings.
He asks for changed behaviour.

Religion without repentance
is noise.

Prayer without obedience
is empty.

And then God speaks words of mercy:

“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow.”

The problem is not that sin is too great.
The problem is that the people refuse to turn.

“If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword.”

The choice is placed plainly before them.

Worship or pretense.
Repentance or rebellion.

This prepares us for the Gospel.

Jesus speaks about the scribes and Pharisees.

“They sit on Moses’ seat,
so do and observe whatever they tell you,
but not the works they do.”

They teach the Law.
But they do not live it.

“They preach, but do not practice.”

Religion has become performance.

“They do all their deeds
to be seen by others.”

Broad phylacteries.
Long fringes.
Places of honour.
Titles.

The problem is not that they are visible.
It is that they are empty.

They want authority
without obedience.

Jesus does not attack the Law.
He attacks hypocrisy.

And then He gives the rule of the kingdom:

“The greatest among you shall be your servant.”

This is not advice.
It is reversal.

In the world, greatness is displayed.
In the kingdom, greatness is hidden.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

This is not punishment.
It is truth.

Pride collapses.
Humility endures.

Isaiah and Jesus are saying the same thing.

God does not want religious theatre.
He wants conversion.

He does not want honoured lips
with untouched lives.

He does not want prayers
that protect injustice.

He wants hearts
that listen
and lives
that change.

The danger for us
is not that we reject God.

It is that we perform faith.

To know the right words.
To keep the outer forms.
To be seen as religious.

And still refuse to repent.

Isaiah says:
“Cease to do evil, learn to do good.”

Jesus says:
“They preach, but do not practice.”

The sickness is the same.

It is possible
to belong to the Church
and resist conversion.

It is possible
to pray
and still exploit.

To teach
and still avoid obedience.

That is why Lent is not optional.

It is the season
when God interrupts appearance
with truth.

“Wash yourselves.”

Not your clothes.
Not your reputation.

Your lives.

The promise is real:

“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow.”

But it is joined to a condition:

“If you are willing and obedient.”

Willingness without obedience
is sentiment.

Obedience without willingness
is fear.

God asks for both.

Jesus shows us
what that looks like.

Not titles.
Not recognition.

Service.

Not elevation.
But lowering.

Because the Son of God Himself
will soon take that path.

He will not cling to honour.
He will carry the cross.

And that is the final exposure
of hypocrisy.

The one who truly teaches the Law
will fulfill it in suffering.

Lent is the time
to let God strip away
what only looks holy.

To ask:
Where is my faith still performance?

Where do I protect appearance
instead of changing?

Isaiah offers cleansing.
Jesus offers truth.

Both demand humility.

“The greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Not because service is impressive,
but because it is honest.

God does not need to be seen.
He needs to be obeyed.

So the question today is not:

Do I appear faithful?

It is:

Am I willing to change?

“Wash yourselves.”
“Cease to do evil.”
“Learn to do good.”

“Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

These are not threats.

They are mercy spoken plainly.

Because God prefers
a sinner who turns
to a believer who performs.

And Lent is the time
He gives us
to choose which we will be.