Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. (Matthew 18:28-35)
I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. (Isaiah 47:6)
23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Exodus 2:23-24)
Bear in mind that this message is to those who forsake not the ordinance of their God. They are essentially good people as we would judge it. It seems that we need to forgive more and not require so much of others, it's hard to know what this means practically though. Should we ignore the failures of those who claim to represent God and remain under their influence. I doubt it. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 9:4) We need to mourn for the wicked in God's church; it seems this is a condition of receiving the seal of God. It's not that we need to separate from the midst of Jerusalem, but to come before God in sorrow over its evils not before men. However the Rechabites (Jeremiah 35) were commended for their conservative lifestyle and living outside the city; they escaped the fate of the other Jews for this reason. So it is not true that we all ought to live in the midst of wickedness; but we ought to sigh and cry for the wickedness of God's professed people.
But back to exacting labours. If we believe that soon Jesus will come and the elements shall melt with fervent heat (2 Pet 3:12) then it doesn't make sense for us to care a lot about getting the most out of those who serve us. It makes sense for us to want to give the most to those we serve. That doesn't sound so new. Well, it shouldn't be new, but it's not how we live. The public system of education trains us to get as much as we can for as little effort as possible. That sounds like a good idea doesn't it? It's not a good idea. We were made to give. God's economy is give and it shall be given unto you not take and take then give a bit when you have to. God's economy will tend to make us impoverished in this age but rich in the next, and rich in character today.
At this time in earth's history more than any other we need to be willing to follow Jesus' instructions in the Sermon on the Mount and deal generously with others to our own disadvantage; because that is what God is like.
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