Isaiah restates one of the central messages of the prophets: God is not impressed by spiritual practices and rituals if they are only performative and not sincere. Personal, penitential acts intended to bring a person closer to God are meaningless and even counterproductive if not done with sincere, God-seeking in mind. Truly seeking God will result not in self-aggrandizement, but in making people’s lives better. God knows the difference! Jesus’ teaching recalls and reinforces this message of acting in ways that truly represent God. As in the past, the living out of God’s message is left in the hands of people who choose to live in God-honouring ways. It is in how followers live, that God’s new world will be reflected and furthered. Jesus and his followers were–and are– called and challenged to live their everyday lives with God’s big picture in mind. What role do you have to play in this biggest of all stories?