NOTES for Isa 5:7-16

The words of the Lord that we read today in Isaiah's prophecy can be addressed directly to almost every one of us. Regardless of how much property we possess, in many respects we live “as though you alone were settled in the land.” This appears not only when we leave no living space for other people and take for ourselves everything we can. According to the prophet's word today, every instance of our disrespect for others and every humiliation of those around us is a grave sin. It is important to understand that “as though you alone were settled in the land” does not apply only to some high-ranking official for whom traffic across half of Moscow is stopped, as though he were the only one who needed to go somewhere. It applies no less to us when we jostle in the metro, trying to squeeze our bodies through and settle into a comfortable seat. Most frightening of all is that we behave in exactly the same way in the house of God.

The Lord says that what we obtain by disregarding the needs of others does us no good. Everything built on such disregard will be destroyed. The Lord Himself, by contrast, can serve as our example: He cares for the good and salvation of us all, even though we so neglect and betray His mercy.