PRACTICE TRUE RELIGION

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2025

Beyond Ritual: A Call to Justice, Mercy, and Genuine Faith

Introduction

In the modern world, “religion” often conjures images of rituals, traditions, and outward displays of piety. We see people attending services, observing fasts, and participating in ceremonies, all while the world around them is rife with injustice, oppression, and suffering. But is this what God truly desires? The prophet Zechariah offers a powerful and timeless answer. His message, delivered to a people who were meticulously observing their religious duties, cuts to the heart of what true religion is—it’s not about the performance of rituals, but the practice of justice, mercy, and compassion.

The book of Zechariah is a message of restoration and hope for a nation returning from exile. Yet, in the midst of this rebuilding, God addresses a fundamental hypocrisy. People from Bethel send a delegation to the priests, asking if they should continue a long-held tradition of mourning and fasting. God’s response, however, completely upends their expectations. He doesn’t commend their devotion; instead, He questions their motives and exposes the hollowness of their piety.

This message will delve into the profound difference between religious ritual and genuine faith, exploring how God’s ancient word to Zechariah remains a piercing question for our own lives today.

The Question of Motive: Fasting for Yourself

The people of Bethel came to Zechariah with a seemingly spiritual question: “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” (Zechariah 7:3). Their question was rooted in a tradition that had been practiced for seventy years to commemorate the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. They were focused on a ritual, but God was focused on their heart.

God’s response, delivered through Zechariah, is a masterclass in spiritual discernment. He asks, “When you fasted and mourned…was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?” (Zechariah 7:5-6).

The Problem with Performance-Based Piety: The people were performing an act of religious observance, but their hearts were far from God. They were going through the motions, but the purpose of their actions was self-serving. They were not fasting to draw closer to God or to mourn the sins that led to their exile; they were simply fulfilling a tradition. This illustrates a universal spiritual pitfall: focusing on what we do for God rather than on a genuine relationship with Him. Jesus addressed this same hypocrisy in His time, condemning the Pharisees who “fasted twice a week” but neglected “the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23).

God’s Definition of True Religion

If God is not impressed by empty rituals, what does He truly want from us? Zechariah 7:9-10 provides a clear, unmistakable answer. God bypasses their question about fasting and gets straight to what truly matters.

Zechariah 7:9-10: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’”

God’s definition of true religion is centered on how we treat one another. It’s not about how many times we pray or fast, but about how we live our lives in relation to others. It’s about embodying His character of love and justice. This echoes the teachings of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles.

Micah 6:8: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Isaiah 58:6-7: When God’s people complained that their fasting was going unnoticed, God asked, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house?”

James 1:27: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

These scriptures are a powerful, consistent witness to the heart of God. He wants a society where justice prevails, where the privileged don’t oppress the poor, and where everyone relates to one another with mercy and compassion.

The Consequences of a Hardened Heart

The people’s response to God’s clear instruction was heartbreaking. “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets” (Zechariah 7:11-12).

Their refusal to listen led to severe consequences. Because they would not listen to God, He would not listen to them when they called out in distress. This is a profound warning: a hardened heart that rejects God’s commands will eventually find itself cut off from His help. The land they once enjoyed became desolate, and they were scattered among the nations—a direct result of their disobedience and hypocritical lifestyle.

This lesson is as relevant today as it was then. Our religious practices, no matter how outwardly impressive, are worthless if they are not a reflection of a heart that is committed to justice, mercy, and love.

Conclusion

God’s desire for humanity is simple: to live in peace and unity, upholding mercy, love, and justice. The core of true religion is not found in the frequency of our fasting or the length of our prayers, but in the genuineness of our deeds. God still speaks to us today, just as He did to the people of Zechariah’s time. He wants our religious practices to be backed by a life of integrity, compassion, and a tireless commitment to justice.

The question for us today is, “Do you back your religious practices with deeds?” We must move beyond a superficial faith and embrace a life that demonstrates the very nature of God. When we do, we will not only find favor with Him, but we will also become His hands and feet in a world that desperately needs His love and justice.

Prayer

Dear Father, we are sorry for our hypocritical lifestyles and pray that You help us practice pure religion as instructed in Your word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.