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Isaiah 56Isaiah 56MR/DD Awareness Month MessageDon't shut that door behind you!We've all gotten this command at some point in our lives- Shut the door behindyou! -as a child running in from outdoor play or as an adult bringing in anarmful of groceries. Why is this phrase expressed as such an imperative? "You'lllet the bugs in!" or "you're heating the outdoors!" It is obvious to us all,that we use that expression to keep things on the outside from getting inside.Isaiah 56 begins by telling the listener to keep justice and do righteousness.Verse two of the chapter implores us to keep the Sabbath and refrain fromevil. I dont know about you, but hearing those words evokes a closed offfeeling. Remember, "Be careful little ears what you hear, be careful littleeyes what you see." Can you hear the door slamming shut behind me. It isingrained in us that we must be very careful what and who we let in. That iswhy chapter 56 is so shocking to our sensibilities.

The chapter that begins with keep the Sabbath and refrain from evil does notcontinue with a tidy list of what and who we should keep out. Instead, we hearabout who we should let in; namely, the foreigners and the eunuchs. Both inIsaiah's time were considered different in a "Not quite good enough" way. Thesepeople were easy to spot, because they dressed and behaved differently than

their neighbors and family. Many acted kindly upon the outcast because, "That'swhat God wants us to do- be kind to the less fortunate." But everyone knew thatthey were excluded and none knew it better than the outcasts themselves.V.3 Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say, The Lord willsurely exclude me from his people. And let not any eunuch complain, I am onlya dry tree.

I suppose it must have been very hard for a foreigner to the Hebrew culture toeven understand the rich meaning of the Sabbath rituals. I mean really howcould they? And how could eunuchs who are unable to produce offspring, offeranything of value to their community, much less God? Yet, Isaiah declaresboldly that their offerings and sacrifices will be accepted by God.

A couple of years ago I had a discussion with a local pastor about why he feltit was appropriate to ask disruptive people to leave a worship service. In thiscase the disruptive person was young lady with CP. During a well crafted sermonon tithing, she responded out loud to his rhetorical questions with a Yeah.For this young lady, church was an unfamiliar setting, and speaking is verydifficult for her. In fact she can really only pronounce a couple of wordsclearly. Yeah is her best one. The pastor explained to me that when a memberof his staff asked that the young lady be removed from the service he wasfollowing the First Noise policy. Evidently, with babies in mind, the church(was intentional enough to actually) created a procedure for removing disruptive

people. It was explained to me that the reason they took this policy soseriously was that it was imperative that nothing be allowed to distract peoplefrom hearing the Gospel message. I pointed out that by asking my friend toleave the service, she was distracted from hearing the Good News she sodesperately needed. The pastor very sincerely responded by asking if I reallythought she could understand the service, anyway. I suppose it is very hard forher to understand the rich meaning of the sermon he was delivering. However, Iknow she understood clearly that day that she was not quite good enough. LikeIsaiahs first hearers, we are immersed in a culture obsessed with productivity.

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I think it is difficult for us to fully appreciate Gods welcome to people thatcan produce nothing of value for us.

V.8 Their burnt offerings and sacrifice will be accepted on my altar; formy house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. The Sovereign Lorddeclareshe who gathers the exiles of Israel; I will gather still others tothem besides those already gathered.I in no way believe the pastor and church in my story set out to harm my friend.On the contrary they have in many ways attempted to minister to the needs ofpeople with disabilities and their families. As I said earlier, the message ofthis text is a shock to our sensibilities. It is not enough to minister topeople with disabilities; we must minister with them. My friend ministered tothe church by giving her Yeah as an offering, an affirmation. Rather than bedistracted by her offering, we can let it in and be blessed by it. Isaiahexclaims, Don't shut the door behind you- keep the door open so others cancome.Click here to return to MR/DD Month media kit page