Fasting can humble a person if it is properly used. It is undoubtedly an uncomfortable experience requiring a measure of faith, discipline, and willpower. It requires a measure of faith if one is going to do it God's way. It can be done.
Fasting is a tool. It is a self-imposed affliction. Human nature seeks to gratify itself, which is exactly what we do when we sin. We gratify natural desires: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Fasting, then, can bring a person face-to-face with what he really is, not what his human nature tells him he is. Human nature always puffs us up to be more than we are. We are, in reality, mortal beings. We need all the help we can get just to stay alive. Fasting makes one weak and makes one aware of how much we need what God provides.
This actually confirms that God permits national observances. His complaint is not with the observance of the fasts per se, but with the attitude in which the Jews observed them. The Jews' attitude abused something permitted but not commanded. God expresses His disapproval of the ethical and spiritual attitudes that underlay their outward observance. He questions their sincerity and motivation during their fasts, which should have been times of prayer and repentance. They should have used the time to recall the sins that had led them into the slavery that made calling the fasts so necessary. They should have been searching for any remnant of those sins still residing in them and repenting of them. In Isaiah 58:5, God asks, "Is it a fast that I have chosen?" God is scolding the Jews in the same way.
Jesus warns against this in the Sermon on the Mount when He tells us to do our spiritual devotions privately. We are to fast and pray privately. We should not let everyone know what and how much we are studying God's Word. We should not draw attention to our good deeds. However, the pride in a person leads him to ensure he is recognized and honored for what he does.
Notice that this verse does not say that the proud's work was not a good one. It may indeed have been a good work. But for him to make sure that he gets the glory for it has the same effect on him spiritually as eating too much honey has physically: It tastes awfully good going down, but it causes serious consequences later on. That is the lesson of the proverb: Seeking one's own glory will someday result in negative consequences.
In fact, the word "fast" is quickly becoming archaic in this way of looking at it. And if it is not that, then at least it is specialized in the area of health. Most people think of fasting in terms of a hunger strike that some prisoner or political person might do to get some sort of action accomplished; or, as I mentioned before, as a health measure—as in a juice fast. That is, somebody going on a fast to make sure that he gets a good body cleanse and can then go on with a healthy body. It is more seen as those types of things, than as a religious activity. So, if you want to put it in just a few words, fasting is not in vogue these days. It is just not a thing that people want to do.
God was, indeed, foresighted to have us rehearse the meaning of His holy days every year, because it would not take long for us to lose the significance of fasting if we were not frequently reminded of its purpose. It seems to me that it would not take very long before we would be fasting simply because that is what this day requires. We would totally lose the significance of fasting. We would think of it merely as not eating and drinking for twenty-four hours to accomplish what is commanded of us. It would become a legalistic religious requirement if we did not rehearse (at least once a year) what fasting is all about.
Fasting is a lot more than just abstaining from food and drink. However, that abstaining from food and drink is its "letter of the law" significance. When we, as New Testament Christians, try to look at it in a more spiritual way, then the fast that we keep once a year is ratcheted up a few notches in significance. It has deep spiritual meaning. That is, fasting, not just on the Day of Atonement, but throughout the year. Both have deep spiritual meaning. So, I want to look into this "spirit of the law" type of fasting today; and later on we will focus primarily on Isaiah 58. However, we will look at a few other things before we get there. Let's start with Leviticus 23 and the command to keep the day (in the famous "Holy Day Chapter").
Leviticus 23:26-32 And the LORDspoke to Moses, saying: "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. [Now, listen to these requirements.] And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORDyour God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. [That is pretty dire consequences for not afflicting the soul.] And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. [So it is pretty much the same punishment if you do not afflict your soul, or if you do work. Either you will be cut off, or destroyed. So, it is pretty much the same thing.] You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening [meaning "at day's end"], from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath."
Just so there is no confusion about that last verse, what God means is that, when the sun is going down on the ninth, that is when you begin your fast. Then it goes from that evening to the next evening, on the tenth. So it covers the entire day of the tenth—which day this is [today].
Having looked at those six or seven verses there, it is no wonder that the Jews consider Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—the most solemn day of the year. There are three pronouncements of death in there, if you do not keep it properly. That is pretty solemn, if you ask me. That is pretty serious business.
God goes to great lengths to impress its seriousness on us. We have to afflict our souls. We have to do no work. We will be cut off, if we do. We will be destroyed by God. And it just seems to go on and on. But God says, "You have to do this, this day. And, if you don't, there are dire consequences for it." God takes this day very seriously.
And the whole idea of the Day of Atonement, from this section, all revolves around three basic things. The first thing is fasting. The second thing is doing no work. And the third thing is the offering that was made on this day. That is the ritual that is in Leviticus 16. (This is the one about the two goatsthat are offered on this day.)
The two goats show the two aspects of the Day of Atonement. The one goat represents Christ. This is the one that is brought and killed, and offered as a sin offering. This is the payment for our sins. This is the price for our sins. The Creator God had to come here, as a man, and be offered as a sinless offering so that our sins could be forgiven and wiped out.
The other aspect is the Azazel goat. This goat was brought before Aaron, and all of the sins of the people were confessed over it and placed on its head. A fit man then led it out into the wilderness. Then that man had to wash his clothes before he could come back into camp. This goat depicts our sins being removed completely.
So we have these two parts of Atonement. Before you can have unity with God, two things have to be done. First, sin has to be paid for. The second thing is that the sins must be removed so far away that they are, in essence, forgotten—"as far as east is from the west."
As far as our sins go, we cannot say, "The devil made me do it"—because, when it comes down to it, we all make the decision to sin. Certainly, Satan is the one who, predominantly, influences us to sin. It is his attitude that is out there, which makes our human nature so rotten. And his influence is all the time on us. We cannot get away from it. And if we are weak and we give in to it, then we sin. But the choice is ours, and we have to pay for that wrong choice. Satan will pay for his own sins. So the Atonement ritual shows these two aspects of atonement being done—being worked out for us. We have, on one hand, the sin offering given for us in the person of Jesus Christ. And, on the other hand, we have our sins removed to a far-away place, something else Christ did for us.
Let us look at Leviticus 16:29. It is kind of interesting that God does not even mention the Day of Atonement until this point in the chapter.
Leviticus 16:29-31 This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells [sojourns] among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.
Notice that as this ritual was completed and God gave some instruction just after it, He mentions these three aspects again: (1) fasting, (2) doing no work, and (3) the offering for atonement that is made for us.
I want to key in a little bit on this doing no work, because it is very interesting. In the holy day list, back in Leviticus 23, God says "no customary work"—or, in some Bibles it will say "no servile work" or "no occupational work" shall be done on the other holy days. But on Atonement, it is like a Sabbath day. I do not know if you ever noticed this before; but on the [weekly] Sabbath day and on Atonement it says "no work shall be done." That is pretty absolute. And here in Leviticus 16, it says no work at all! The difference is very significant.
The other holy days say "no customary work," "no servile work," "no occupational work." But on the Day of Atonement it says, "No work shall be done." Why is this difference significant? I will give it to you in just a few words. On the Day of Atonement, we do no work. I am not trying to be cute, or witty, or smart. That is the answer. That is why it is significant. Because on the Day of Atonement we do not do a thing! Think about it. We have little, or nothing, to do with the work of atonement with God.
Who is the One who gave His life for our atonement? Christ. What work did we do? None. (Except, if you want to say that we sinned. We were the cause of why He had to do it.) In the work of removing our sin, how much effort are we going to have in that? None. Think about it. On the Day of Atonement, we do no work—because most of the work of atonement (of unity, of "at-one-ment" with God) is done for us by Him. And we rehearse that each year, on the Day of Atonement.
What is our work on the Day of Atonement? To afflict your soul. To fast. To be humble. To be contrite. To get yourself in the proper attitude—so that you can have a right relationship with God. That is the work we do in atonement. Think about it. How do we have unity with God?
Micah 6:8 What does the LORDrequire of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
What does it say in Isaiah 59, keeps God away from us?
Isaiah 59:2 Your iniquities [your sins] have separated you from your God.
So the Day of Atonement shows our humbling ourselves, our repenting before God, and coming into the proper attitude so that we can be "one" with Him. God says, "You shall do no work on the Day of Atonement." It is a type of showing us that we do so little in this work of atonement with Him. The only part that we have to play in it is to be humble, and to understand our place before God.
We go without the life-sustaining food and drink to remind ourselves how much we depend on God. He provides us with life, with all of our sustenance, with everything we have, everything we own, and everything we use. Every opportunity we have comes from Him. Eventually, even eternal life itself comes from Him. Our job is to understand that and to be humble before Him. This is one day in the year when we can really focus on God's providence. He makes us focus on it. We can go one day without food, but what if it was longer? How long could we last without what He can provide? Not very long!
Then, think of this spiritually. If we were not given what He provides spiritually—His Word, His Spirit, forgiveness, mercy, grace, kindness, love, etc., etc.—how long would we last? How long before we would reject Him and go back to the vomit [of this world]? If God did not give us all the things that He does spiritually, we would die. We would wither on the vine and die, just as we would if we did not have the physical food to eat every day.
Do not get me wrong, there are things that we can do on this day. Those things will surface, when we get to Isaiah 58. But the point here is that any work that we do (work for a living, work for our maintenance, work on our possessions, and any kind of work that we might do around the house) is strictly "off limits" for this day—and for good reason. If we did these things, they would declare our self-sufficiency before God. We would be declaring to God that we want to work for our salvation—that we do not want His help, but we want to do it ourselves. That is the exact opposite of one of the meanings of this day—which is that God has done so much for us. Working would just tell Him that we do not care about what He has done for us.
Before we get to Isaiah 58, I want to show you a few things from the Bible about the Day of Atonement. So let us go to Acts 27. I want to show you that they did keep Atonement in the New Testament. Paul is on his way to Rome here, as a prisoner.
Acts 27:9 Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying. . .
He prophesies that there is going to be a disaster not too long in the future, because they are sailing on the Mediterranean Sea during the time when storms are approaching. But it is very interesting that Luke, when he wrote Acts, uses "the Fast" as a time marker. Obviously, there can only be one "the Fast," and that is the Day of Atonement. You and I would probably say, "the Feast," would not we [in speaking about the Feast of Tabernacles]? That is the big time of the year for us. In fact, we would probably pick Trumpets over Atonement as a time marker; but Luke does not. I would imagine that Luke has Paul's influence in this. It was "theFast" that was important, because it got the peoples' minds back on God in a big way.
It is "the Fast." And it is the time marker that Luke uses. Other than this, the Day of Atonement is not mentioned at all in the New Testament. This is the one and only time. Instruction on fasting is very scarce in the New Testament also. In fact, the one we will go to next is just about the only occurrence of instruction on fasting. There are other places where it instructs us to fast, but it does not instruct us on how to fast. This is the one spot, here in Matthew 6:16-18, where it is mentioned; and it comes directly from our Savior.
Matthew 6:16-18 Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting, Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Like I said, this is the New Testament's only extended section on fasting—and it deals primarily with hypocrisy, rather than any spiritual attitude that we should have. Notice that Jesus says, "When you fast" (and not "if you fast"). This is a general command that is talking about the fasting that you would do throughout the year.
This is not necessarily the fast that you would do on the Day of Atonement. Normally, when we fast on the Day of Atonement, everybody knows—because everybody in our "community" here is also fasting; and it is simply expected. So this extended instruction on fasting really does not have to do with the Day of Atonement. It does not apply very well [in regard to these specific instructions].
So it is more pointed toward our personal fasts throughout the year. Those are private—between you and God, for whatever reasons you would do a fast. And what He says here, basically, is that no one outside your family needs to know. It is between you and God. It is a good idea, if you are going to fast, to let your wife know—so that she does not make you breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But it really does not need to go much beyond that. Only those who are on a "need to know" basis need to know.
Since Jesus and the apostles do not leave us any real, big chunks of information on fasting, our primary source is the Old Testament. I could go to several scriptures that define fasting physically, but let us just go to one that will suffice as representative of the instructions. We will look at Esther 4. (If you want to write down another one, put down Exodus 34:28, which is how Moses fasted when he went up into the Mount.) But here in Esther 4:16, Esther asks Mordecai to tell all the Jews there in Shushan to fast for three days before she went before the king to make her request and save the nation.
Esther 4:16 Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law, and if I perish, I perish!
This is very straightforward. It does not leave much room for negotiation. Godly fasting, as Esther says here, is going without food or drink for a period of time. Notice too that she says "neither night nor day." (That means that we do not fast like the Muslims do—who fast during the day and then binge during the night, during Ramadan.) Normally, it is a twenty-four-hour period that you would choose to fast.
Now, it does not necessarily have to be a twenty-four-hour period, but it is most effective when it is done for a whole day or more. I have heard of people fasting for a meal in order to do something good, let us say. That would be perfectly all right and acceptable. But a normal fast is a twenty-four hour period. Especially on the Day of Atonement, we are given strict instructions that it is from the evening (as the sun is going down on the ninth) through the tenth. That is pretty straightforward.
If you think about it, eating and drinking are inherently selfish. Have you ever thought about that? You are feeding your body. You are doing it for your own life. When we sacrifice eating, we are telling God how serious and selfless we are about whatever the matter is at hand.
Certainly what was happening here in Esther 4 was quite serious. It was pretty high on the list of disasters that might have happened. Here were the Jews of whom the Messiah would come. And what was going to happen was that, if things did not change, there was a decree out there that said that anybody who wanted to could kill all the Jews, wherever they lived, within the Persian Empire. That would definitely have been Judea, as well as in Persia. So this particular event effected the line of the Messiah. If they had killed all of the line of David, then where would Messiah have come from?
Of course, God could not have allowed that. In effect, they were fasting for something that God would not allow anyway. But it certainly showed God their desire. It showed God their selflessness. And it showed God how serious they were about this. Also, the act of fasting itself humbled them for His decision—so that they would have the proper relationship with God, as His people, and allow Him to do whatever it was that He would do. That is reflected in Esther's attitude, when she says that she was going to go to the king, even though it was a death sentence for her to do so. Unless the king himself called you, you died if you appeared before the king like that. But she said, "Whatever happens. . . if I perish, I perish. My life is in God's hands." That was a very fitting attitude for her to have.
We still have not particularly answered the question of why we fast. Obviously we do not fast to be seen as "righteous" by others. That is what Jesus covered. We certainly do not fast for the fun of it. It is not something that we do for entertainment, or for our pleasure. What is its purpose? What does it do for us? What effect does it have on God? This is where the instruction in Isaiah 58 comes into play. However, we are going to begin in Isaiah 57, because Isaiah 57 is a run up into Isaiah 58. It kind of sets the theme for why God discusses what He does there in chapter 58. The themes that are mentioned here in chapter 57 are what come up in Isaiah 58. And it is very interesting to look at it from that perspective.
Isaiah 57:14 And one shall say, "Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people."
This is pretty well translated from the Hebrew. It is interesting that it starts out "and one shall say;" but it is very evident from the end of the verse that it is God Himself that's talking. He says, "Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people." What He is saying is, "Build a highway." That is what "heap it up" means. When you take the earth and you are making a causeway of sorts, to build a highway on the top of it.
"Prepare the way. Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people." He is saying, "Make everything smooth, and straightforward, and easily accessible"—so that His people can do what is right. So the first little theme that we have here is that God Himself is the One who prepares and smooths the way for His people.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
This sets up a dichotomy. Notice the difference here between God and the people. God is the one who high and lofty. He is the one who inhabits eternity. He dwells in the high and holy place. But who does He dwell with? He dwells with those who are lowly, who are contrite, who are humble. And why does He do that? To revive them—to revive the spirit of the humble, and revive the heart of the contrite ones. To revive means "to give life again."
Is that not what our relationship is all about? God is so much more than we are. Here we are, lowly and humble, of nothing—just dust that He scooped out of the ground and made into a man. And He says, "I want to dwell with these forever, and give them life. And I will dwell with those who are contrite and humble."
This sets up the proper relationship. God is everything; and we are nothing. But [even though we are 'nothing'] God accepts us—when we understand that we are nothing and that all the cards are in His hands. If we want to live again, that's how we have to be—humble, lowly, and contrite.
Isaiah 57:16 For I will not contend forever. . .
God says, "There's an end to all of this. I'm not going to go on and on and on—fighting you."
Isaiah 57:16 Nor will I always be angry: for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made.
God says that He does not want an adversarial relationship—because we would lose. We would die! He says, "Not only would your spirit fail, but your soul would fail as well." This takes up everything that we are—our bodies and our spirits. God would just put us out like a light—if we would contend forever with Him, or if He Himself could contends forever with us. We cannot go fifteen rounds with God! So He says, "Make up your mind. Do the right thing."—because there is a finite time limit on all of this.
Isaiah 57:17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
God does correct. That is part of His character. If He never corrected us, He would not be able to make us into what He wants us to be. And so He says that He does correct us for sin. He will be angry and strike us when we sin. But He also says that the carnal person keeps on backsliding. Thus, if we do not have the humble and contrite attitude, we are going to take the correction and keep on sinning. That is not what God wants. God wants a humble and contrite people that will, yes, take the correction but also learn from it—so that He does not have to contend with them anymore. That He does not have to be angry and strike us. That He does not have to go hide, because of our sin (as He says, here in verse 17).
Isaiah 57:18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him [Look at the positive way that He puts that.]; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
God says that if we will just give Him a chance, He will heal us spiritually. He will lead us to salvation. But He is still looking for the humble and contrite person here. These are the only kinds of people that will do this. But He is willing. He will do it! All we have to do is have the proper relationship with Him—which is that He is up high and we are down low.
Isaiah 57:19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near." says the LORD, "and I will heal him.
God wants peace with us. It is interesting to whom He says that He wants to give peace—(1) to the one who is far off, and (2) to the one who is near. One commentary said that the one who is far off is a penitent person. That is, the one who is ready to repent and who has begun to repent, meaning the one who has been far from God, but sees the error of his ways and wants to come near. Also, God says He wants peace with those who are already near—which would be us. He doesn't want to fight with us either. He wants peace with us—that is,a proper relationship. But, if we are not careful, even those who are "near" can regress. So we have to be careful.
Kind of as an aside, this "I create the fruit of the lips"—in the first clause here—means that God is the one that makes the situation and the events, the ideas, or what have you that will make us praise Him. The idea is that God does everything for us. He even creates all of the situations to which we respond to Him by praise. If you look in Hebrews 13, the fruit of the lips is praise. So, God says, "I even create the reasons why you praise Me. I want peace with you"—which is something that we should be praising Him for every day (both those who are far off and those who are near). God says that IF that happens, THEN He'll heal. It says that twice in this one section—"and I will heal him."
Next we will take verses 20 and 21 together because this describes "the wicked"—those who won't humble themselves and be contrite before God.
Isaiah 57:20-21 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. [God is very definite in His pronouncement here.] "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
The figure here is of a sea in a tempest, in a storm, that is being tossed. It is dirty water, and there is froth all over. It is just going back and forth, and there is no stability to it. "It cannot rest," He says. This says something about the wicked one's mind. It is constantly going about and probably looking for more evil. And it casts up mire and dirt on the beach. That is the result of it. The "fruit" of this kind of mind, unsettled and wicked, is one of dirt and evil.
This is the lead-in for the chapter on fasting. It is very interesting that He would put these back to back. So let us go right into Isaiah 58. Immediately after He says all of this [in Isaiah 57], He says:
Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
This is the first step in healing. Isaiah 58 is all about the healing that He says He will give. He mentions it again in Isaiah 58:8. That is one of the great themes that link chapters 57 and 58. But the first step that you must have (so that healing can begin) is that you recognize sin. People can go for years and years doing the wrong thing and never realize that they are doing it wrong. So God commands the ministry to cry aloud and spare not, so that people know what sin is and so that they know what they have to change to have this peace with God—to have this healing. Until that happens, no progress is made.
People get upset at us [in the ministry] for constantly talking about negative things—talking about sin and about how "bad" we are. Well, that is part of our commission, to expose sin. I know that the ministry tries its best not to be personal about it. We do not say, "John Smith, we know that you did this and this this week, and you should stop that." Rather, we do it in a more general way. We "cry aloud and spare not" in a more general way, so that people can understand what they need to change.
And do not ever think that we [in the ministry] think that we are above it, because we are in this game with you. We have just been given the job of crying aloud. It is often that we give these sermons to ourselves, just as much as to you. There are things that we see that we need to change. And the best way for us to funnel that understanding is through a sermon. Then it gets a broader audience and hopefully, helps more people. But this is something that we have been ordained to do. And it is not fun to do!
Oftentimes, I do not enjoy Monday mornings, when I go to look at my e-mail. I get letters from people saying that I stepped on their toes, that I offended them somehow, or that I was just plain wrong. But I just have to shrug my shoulders and say, "I did what I felt that God wanted me to do. And I gave the sermon that God inspired me to give." So I ask you to please be patient with us, and please do not be so critical. That is what Israel was condemned for in the wilderness —murmuring, being critical. We are just doing our jobs. And we try to do it humbly. We try not to offend, but sometimes, if the shoe fits, it has to be worn.
Now back to Isaiah 58. This is the response of the people, and in verse 2, He begins to describe the way they are.
Isaiah 58:2 Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God.
This is really interesting. God just told them that He was going to send His messengers to tell them their transgressions and their sins. But the way they looked at things was, "It's not for me!" What He is saying here is that the people are very religious, and they think that they are doing the right thing. They think they have not forsaken God and that they are a nation that did righteousness (like they are not the people who have forsaken the covenant). In a way, they would say, "God, you have no right to send those people to us, to tell us our sins—because we do things by the book." And they loved religious practices—like going to the Feast and worshipping before God. "They love to approach God," He says.
I mean, they could really get into this religious thing. "It's fun! We get six feasts throughout a year. Boy, we have a good time, don't we? We get to go and take a trip—be away for a little more than a week. We get to have one-tenth of our yearly income to blow on whatever we want. Boy, this religious stuff is fun and enjoyable. We're good people too. We do everything that God says. We're righteous, dude" (to put it into the vernacular). That is basically what they are saying here. Then, in verse 3, they ask God a question.
Isaiah 58:3 "Why have we fasted," they say, "and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?"
"Look God, we've done all this—just like You told us to do. And You don't seem to hear us. You don't seem to react to us. You don't do anything for us." That is what they are saying. They complain, when God does not respond to them. "It's His fault. We've done everything right. Why don't You heal us? Why don't You give us these things that we need? Why don't You protect us from our enemies? Why didn't you keep that robber out of my house?" (Or whatever it happens to be.)
When you ask such a question of God, there is no humility there. There is no contrite spirit. There is no lowliness about it. It is all pride! "Look what I've done, God. Why haven't You responded to me? It's all Your fault. You owe me!" There is a lot of self-righteousness and pride in such statements. "I've done everything right; and now You need to do Your part, God." That is totally the opposite of the kind of attitude that God wants us to have as Christians. It is a totally wrong attitude from what we are supposed to be building on a fast.
Let us read the part of verse 3 that we did not read before. This is God's response.
Isaiah 58:3-4 "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.
What we see here is a wide difference between what they considered a good fast and what God considered a good fast. In a way, you could say that the fasting was just one illustration of how they approached their spiritual life, and it was totally 180 degrees away from the way that God wanted it to be. So you could say, in a way, that fasting is just an example here, to show the wider context of improper religion. But it is very instructive for us about fasting, nonetheless.
The way that they conducted their fast was rather negative, maybe not from their point of view, but from the outside looking in, it was very negative. First of all, He says that they find "pleasure" in their fast days. Now, that is kind of odd. They had a good time on their fast days. What this actually means is that they went about their business on their fast days. It does not necessarily mean that they had great entertainment or what have you. But on their fast days, they did what they normally do. They went about their normal, every day business. It is the same thing as in verse 13, where it talks about "doing your own pleasure" on the Sabbath day—meaning that they did whatever they wanted to do. They did not confine themselves to what God wanted them to do.
Another thing that they did was that they oppressed their employees, their laborers. They drove them to work harder on these fast days. They did not give their employees time off to fast themselves. They made them work. Like I said, this is a parallel to the other phrase—where they do their pleasure or they find pleasure. This means that they went ahead and went to work, and they did whatever they wanted to do. It is just another way of saying it. The Hebrew does that quite often. It will take one phrase, and then restate it in a second phrase. So "finding pleasure" in the fast and "exploiting all your laborers" are basically talking about the same situation. They went to work. They did what they wanted to do. They made their money. They grind their employee's nose on the millstone. And God says, "The fast should teach you something totally opposite to this."
The third thing it says, "You fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness." They fasted to win arguments. They fasted to win conflicts. What they were trying to do was get God on their side. "If I fast this week, maybe I can get the contract on that bit of business that Joe Blow down the street is also trying to get a contract on. Maybe, if I fast, God will have good thoughts for me, and He will let me have it, instead of Joe Blow." That's the idea. They were fasting in order to make God choose sides on areas, arguments, or even conflicts that came to blows. It says, "to strike with the fist of wickedness."
They wanted God to condone their sin, just because they went without some food and water for a short period of time. They thought this would sway God's mind in their favor. But God says, "This is not the kind of fast that is going to get My attention."
Isaiah 58:5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
This is what Jesus picked up on, in Matthew 6. It's the same sort of thing that He was talking about there. He was talking about hypocrisy. The fast—that is, actually going without food and water—is not the end-all of fasting. There is something more to it than that. He said, "Did I tell you to fast, just so you can be seen by others—holding your stomach, wailing, and making a big show about how much you are afflicting yourself?" That's NOT the way He wants us to fast. There's no godliness inherent in suffering without food and water—not unless you are doing it for the right reasons. If you are doing it just to go without food and water, you are just going through the motions. And it is not going to do you a bit of good, except maybe whatever the health benefits of fasting are. That's it. You won't gain a bit, spiritually.
There's no merit, either, in looking humble and mournful. That's just plain hypocrisy, because it is only skin deep. A person, who "acts" humble and mournful, is proud in his heart. He just wants to be seen. He's doing it for his own glory. So Christ says, "Wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your hair, put on your duds so that nobody else knows that you are fasting—except God in heaven, who sees your proper attitude, and He'll reward you openly." Jesus just expanded on this verse 5.
Beginning with verse 6, God gets into what He says a correct fast is.
Isaiah 58:6 Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
We could go on to verse 7, but I want to stay here in verse 6 for just a moment. There are two different concepts that are addressed in these two verses. (Verse 6 speaks of one concept, and verse 7 speaks of another.) Verse 6 covers freeing, loosing, and unburdening other people. It can also be applied personally as well, because you pretty much have to start with yourself.
What it is is that when you do your fast, it involves taking steps to lighten loads that have resulted from sin and oppression. So when you fast, you are trying to figure out ways to make other people's lives—and your own—free from sin. When you free yourself from sin, you become humble. It's all part of that process. You are yielding to God. And that's the kind of action that He is going to look kindly upon.
It should begin with getting free of sin and wickedness in ourselves—as in the parable that Jesus gave about the beam in one's own eye and the speck in the other person's. Well, He says that you have to get rid of the beam that is in your own eye before you can see the speck that is in the other person's eye. And this applies here. First, free yourself from sin. Obviously, you cannot free yourself from sin without the help of Jesus Christ. What I mean is that you seek forgiveness and then pursue repentance first yourself. That should be among the first things that we do when we fast—because it is in this way that we are then free to do the same for others (to lift their burdens and lighten their loads and to help them along in this way).
In John 8, Jesus had a little bit to say about this, as well. If you look in the commentaries, they'll say that Isaiah 58:6 is about slavery. That is, that you fast in order to free people from slavery. And that's well and good, but the New Testament emphasis is on freedom from sin. And I should go beyond that to say freedom to live righteously.
John 8:30-36 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
We can be freed from sin by Christ's sacrifice for us. But, as He says here, continuing in the truth is what enables us to stay free. "You shall know the truth, and the truth can make you free." We need the truth to even come to the first step—that is, knowing that Christ Himself can free us by His sacrifice. The truth, then, as we learn it and grow in it, keeps us free and makes us even freer.
A proper godly fast helps to free us from sin because it puts us in the proper frame of mind, that is, the humble, dependent, contrite attitude to submit to God and be "one" with Him. Once we come to that point, we are free. We know the right way to live, and we know the wrong way to live. We are free to choose the right way because we are not shackled by sin. How many times does that image come up throughout the Bible? Paul says in Hebrews 12 that we are to throw off the weight that so easily besets us and run towards Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
So when we are "one" with God—when we are in this proper attitude and our perspective is right (that He's way up there and we are way down here)—if we reach that point, then we are free. And we are free from sin.
Once we are in this proper attitude, then we are prepared to help others to become free. This is one reason why this church has said that going to the world is not our primary work at this time. Notice that I said "primary" work. There is a greater work that needs to be done—so that we can be free to go to the world. As a whole, the church in general (that is, the greater church of God)—we are not free enough from sin to be effective in bringing others to freedom.
It's the old plank-and-speck thing. Would God want us, with our planks, to go out and help people in the world who may only have specks by comparison? I say it that way because here we are, we've known the truth for such a long time, and we might think something is minor because somebody out in the world would never think that it was a sin. But with our increased knowledge, to us it's more worrisome (detrimental, destructive) to our character than a sin that somebody in the world may have (that may be entirely physical in nature).
And so I say that what we have to do is get the planks out of our own eyes. Then, when we reach the point that God is satisfied that we are going in the right direction, and doing what is proper, and that we'll be good witnesses before Him, He will certainly open the doors. But we have to make sure that God is the One who gives the judgment that we are ready and not we ourselves because we (mankind) tend to be very hypocritical when we look at ourselves, our own unrighteousness, and our own preparedness for what God wants us to do. But God will open the doors of evangelism for the church when the church itself is ready.
Back in Isaiah 58, verse 7 gives the second part of this. God says:
Isaiah 58:7 Is it [this fast] not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
The other major activity that we do during a fast is good works. As I said before, this isn't necessarily something that we would do on the Day of Atonement. But it is a general admonition about what we would do during a normal fast. But we can get the spiritual principles out of this. We should be doing things that benefit others—[such as] feed, shelter, and clothe those who are in need.
However, we should look at the more spiritual side of this—especially today. What does feeding the hungry parallel, spiritually? I would say that is a pretty fair way of saying "preach the gospel," teach God's Word. That's one of the things that fasting helps to do. It puts us in the proper attitude to do.
Sheltering the poor and the outcast—what spiritual parallel might that have? Could that be expanding our fellowship—including those who are maybe cast out from our midst or needy in other ways spiritually? That is, those who have been excluded somehow. How about covering the naked? What could that have a parallel with? Doesn't it say, in Revelation 3, that the Laodiceans are naked? What do you do when you clothe a person spiritually? You help them to become righteous. You strengthen them. You give them what spiritual help they need to become clothed in white linen. We exhort one another daily. Isn't that what Paul says that we should do?
Maybe you won't find somebody in the street who is naked, needs shelter, or is hungry. But there are certainly spiritual things that you could do, and a fast day is a good day to do them. Yes, the physical is important, but the spiritual application of this—to us, right now—is paramount.
You might want to jot down Matthew 25:31-40, because Jesus picks up on this once more. This is the parable of the sheep and the goats. Remember that the sheep, on His right hand, did all these things. They fed the hungry. They visited those in prison. They clothed the naked. They gave shelter, etc. And they said, "When did we do all these things? We don't remember doing these things." And He said, "Enter into My kingdom and be on My right hand." And then there's the goats, who didn't do any of those things, and He cast them into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. These things are very important, and there are spiritual parallels that we can apply every time we fast.
Let's finish here in Isaiah 58:8-12. This is the result of proper fasting. God says:
Isaiah 58:8-12 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you. The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORDwill answer; you shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell in.
Did you notice how many blessings there were? If we fast properly, God's blessings will just cascade upon us—like a waterfall. This is really an inspiring section. Think about things like light. It says in verse 8, "Your light shall break forth like the morning." We normally think of this in terms of "glory" or maybe "understanding." But in the Hebrew, the image is of "prosperity." Remember that He is speaking to physical people here. So we have to sort of juxtapose the physical and the spiritual here. Light is an image of prosperity, but it does represent glory and attractive goodness that will spring from us.
Healing can be both physical and spiritual. And God is willing to do both abundantly. Did Jesus ever turn anybody away? Not those who had faith, not if they believed in Him, and He commends those who keep at it, who keep coming to Him—in faith—knowing that He will heal.
Verse 8 is very interesting. "Your righteousness shall go before you"—meaning that righteousness will lead you. It's your vanguard. It's what goes out front. It's a witness, as well as a clearer of the way. That's what happens when a vanguard goes out. They make way for the rest of the army to come behind. And our righteousness will do that for us.
And what is it that watches our backs? God Himself! He is our rear guard. He gives us security. He props us up. He lifts us up. And sometimes He even propels us forward, from behind. And He's willing to do all of these things for us.
So, if we fast properly—putting us in the proper attitude—we see here that God will be with us. He will respond to us, and He will be very happy to guide us into His Kingdom and into His Family.
When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18 (NET)
In Matthew 6, Christ deals with three commonly abused religious practices in Israel—giving, praying, and fasting. The religious leaders had made things that were good in and of themselves into bad things. The rituals of giving, praying, and fasting had become a form of self-worship. They did those acts to be seen and praised by men instead of to honor God and receive his approval.
It is appropriate that right after teaching about proper prayer, Christ focuses on fasting. One can pray without fasting, but one cannot fast biblically without prayer. They go together. Therefore, in one sense, Christ is continuing his teaching on prayer.
Fasting literally means “not to eat.”1 It is giving up food to focus on seeking God over some matter. It is to be so consumed with this matter that it becomes more important than food.2Fasting, therefore, is a way to enhance our prayer life and our relationship with God.
Though fasting was very common in Israel, the Day of Atonement was the only required fast. On that day, they were called to “deny” themselves (Lev 16:29, 23:27), which was a Hebrew expression that included forsaking food.3 In addition, during the exile, Jews added specific months of fasting. They would fast on the fifth and seventh months (Zech 7:5)—probably as a way of seeking God to restore them to the land. Also, it is clear from at least four scribal additions of the word “fasting” in the New Testament, which are not in the earliest and best manuscripts (cf. Matt 17:21, Mark 9:29, Acts 10:30, 1 Cor 7:5), that it was strongly practiced and possibly overemphasized by early Christians.4
Obviously, in the New Testament, we no longer practice the Day of Atonement, as Christ paid for our sins once and for all on the cross. With that said, though we are never commanded to fast in the NT, it is clear that Christ expected believers to fast. In Matthew 6:16, he said, “when you fast,” implying that we would. Also, in Matthew 9:15, Christ declared that while he was alive, his disciples had no reason to fast, but after his death, they would fast. As many great saints before us fasted, including Moses, Samuel, Daniel, Christ, and the apostles, we must fast also.
In this study, we will consider how to properly fast.
Big Question: According to Matthew 6:16-18 and the rest of Scripture, what does proper fasting entail?
Proper Fasting
“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18
Observation Question: According to Jesus, what practices were associated with the hypocrites and their fasting?
In Matthew 6:16, Christ describes how the religious leaders commonly abused the discipline of fasting. They would purposely look sullen by disfiguring their faces. “Disfigure their faces” literally means “covering their faces.”5They commonly would do this with dirt and ashes—so that everybody could see. In addition, they would wear their oldest and dirtiest clothes during their fasts to be noticed by others.6
The Pharisees fasted on Monday and Thursday. They claimed that the reason was because Moses ascended and descended from Mount Sinai, where he received the law, on those days.7However, those days just “happened” to be major market days, where people from the country would crowd the towns and cities to buy and sell.8Clearly, those were the days the religious leaders had the biggest audience. Christ called them “hypocrites,” which was a word used of actors (v. 16). Their fasting was about putting on a show and receiving applause. They had received their reward in full, which was the praise of people, but they would receive no reward from God. Therefore, Christ warned his disciples to not fast like them.
Application Question: How should we practice proper fasting?
- When fasting, we must practice secrecy. Of course, when we choose to not eat, others may notice. But we should practice, as much as possible, not sharing this discipline with others. Why? It’s not because telling others is bad; it’s because our hearts are bad. They are too prone to spiritual pride and loving the praise of others. We practice secrecy to protect our sin-filled hearts. Certainly, there may be times to share that we are fasting—such as with a corporate fast or for accountability sake—but as a general principle, we must practice secrecy.
- When fasting, we should act normal. When Christ said that the disciples should put oil on their heads and wash their faces, he was not describing extravagant practices. These were normal acts of body care and grooming in ancient times. Oil was often scented and used, at least partially, as perfume. 9
- When fasting, we must focus on God alone and not others. He is the purpose of our fast—to seek his face in a special way. As we do this, God will reward our faithfulness.
- When fasting, we must fervently pray. As mentioned, one can pray without fasting, but not fast without praying. In every biblical account, the two are linked together.10 If we have no extra prayer and time in God’s Word, we are just not eating—which, by itself, brings no spiritual benefit.
- When fasting, we must practice obedient living. In Zechariah 7:4-5 and 8-10, God rebukes Israel for fasting without the accompanying righteousness. The text says,
The word of the Lord who rules over all then came to me, “Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me—for me, indeed? …Again the word of the Lord came to Zechariah: “The Lord who rules over all said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other. You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow human being.’
To seek the Lord by fasting or any other religious act and yet to continue in unrepentant sin is worthless. Why seek the Lord in fasting if we plan to continue in sin and unrighteousness? That is exactly what the Pharisees were doing. It was just hypocrisy! Fasting must be accompanied by righteousness. David said if he cherished iniquity in his heart the Lord would not hear him (Ps 66:18).
Application Question: What has been your experience with fasting? How have you found it beneficial or not?
Reasons to Fast
Interpretation Question: What are some common reasons for fasting, as seen in Scripture?
1. Fasting is appropriate when mourning over some great pain or loss.
In Matthew 9:15, Christ said this in reply to the question of why his disciples didn’t fast, “‘The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.” When Christ died, the disciples would fast and mourn. Often when people are hurting over the loss of a loved one or some great pain, they don’t desire to eat. This is totally normal. But to biblically fast while mourning, we must direct those emotions and thoughts to the Lord, as we mourn in hope.
2. Fasting is appropriate when mourning over sin.
In Ezra 10, when the Israelites were intermarrying with unbelieving Gentiles, Ezra confessed their sins and mourned with fasting. Ezra 10:6 says, “…he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles.” He was hurting over their sins and desiring for them to repent.
At times, we also see fasting with national repentance. When Jonah called Nineveh to repent, they responded with mourning and fasting. The Ninevite king commanded for both people and animals to abstain from food and water, as they called upon the Lord and repented (Jonah 3:7-9). In addition, when Ezra and Nehemiah led Israel in repentance, the nation corporately fasted and confessed their sins together (Neh 9:1-3).
Similarly, when our family members, churches, and nations are in great sin, it is appropriate to mourn, confess their sins, and fast—seeking for God to turn them back to himself. It is also appropriate to mourn and fast when we are struggling with habitual sin.
Fasting is a natural response to mental, spiritual, or physical pain. Our problem is that sin often doesn’t deeply affect us. Sadly, we’re often too comfortable with it; therefore, we eat, drink, and continue as if nothing is happening. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn.” God blesses those who mourn, fast, and repent because of their sin and that of others.
3. Fasting is an appropriate means of seeking to conquer sin and temptation.
Similar to the last point, Isaiah 58:6(NIV) says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Certainly, we should fast as a means of conquering sin and temptation in our own lives. Christ was fasting when he conquered Satan’s temptations in the wilderness (Matt 4). We should consider this when constantly plagued by a reoccurring depression, a stronghold of lust, or an addiction. Fasting is also a great way to confront cultural and societal evils like abortion, trafficking, government corruption, and discord in the church and family. God desires for fasting that loosens the chains of injustice, unties the cords of a yoke, and sets the oppressed free. Lord help us to fast in such a way.
4. Fasting is appropriate when seeking God’s favor in a desperate situation.
When David’s first child was ill unto death, he fasted and prayed that God would spare the infant (2 Sam 12:16). Similarly, in Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah fasts and prays for God to forgive Israel’s sin and that God would give him favor with the Persian king, as he desired to help rebuild Jerusalem. Likewise, when Israel was about to be slaughtered in Persia, Esther asked the people to fast as she sought the King’s favor. Esther 4:15-16 says:
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!”
When we encounter desperate situations, it is appropriate to seek God’s favor through fasting and prayer.
5. Fasting is appropriate when seeking wisdom and revelation from God.
In Daniel 9 and 10—on two separate occasions—Daniel fasted, and God gave him revelation through an angel. Also, in Exodus 24, Moses received the law from God while fasting on Mount Sinai. Similarly, it was while the elders in Antioch were fasting that the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to global missions (Acts 13). It was that revelation that led to much of the Gentile world being reached. Certainly, we should employ fasting and prayer when seeking God’s guidance, making a big decision, and even trying to understand God’s Word. Our lack of fasting often shows how little we desire to know God’s will and understand his Word. MacArthur shares:
We often fail to understand God’s Word as fully as we ought simply because, unlike those great people of God, we do not seek to comprehend it with their degree of intensity and determination. Skipping a few meals might be the small price we willingly pay for staying in the Word until understanding comes.11
In what ways is God calling you to seek wisdom for a current situation, the future, or understanding from his Word through fasting?
6. Fasting is appropriate when preparing for some great ministry or task.
In Luke 4, Jesus fasted for forty days before beginning his ministry. After finishing, he left the wilderness in the Spirit’s power (cf. Lk 4:14). In addition, when elders were set apart for ministry in the early church, it was commonly done with prayer and fasting. Acts 14:23 says, “When they had appointed elders for them in the various churches, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the protection of the Lord in whom they had believed.” Fasting and prayer was preparation for their great work—it was a recognition that ministry could not be effectively done in human power. We need God’s grace for ministry, and we should seek it through prayer and fasting. No doubt, we often lack power for ministry because we lack intense times of prayer and fasting.
7. Fasting is appropriate for developing self-control.
In describing how Christians must be like spiritual athletes, Paul said, “Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:27). William Barclay’s comments are helpful in considering how fasting can be helpful for discipline:
There are not a few of us who indulge in certain habits because we find it impossible to stop them. They have become so essential that we cannot break them; we develop such a craving for certain things that what ought to be a pleasure has become a necessity; and to be cut off from the thing which we have learned to desire so much can be a purgatory. If we practiced a wise fasting, no pleasure would become a chain, and no habit would come to rule our lives. We would have control over our pleasures, and not our pleasures over us.12
Fasting can help us avoid becoming slaves of our desires, and instead have control over them.
8. Fasting is appropriate in helping us extend mercy to others.
This might be implied by Isaiah’s rebuke in 58:6-7:
No, this is the kind of fast I want … I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood!
It is appropriate to not eat out or abstain from some other luxury, so we can share with those who have needs. It seems Israel was fasting and yet there were people around them without food and clothes. God says that type of fasting is useless. We should fast in order to practice mercy.
Application Question: Which reason for fasting was new to you or stood out the most? Is there a specific purpose or matter you feel God is calling you to fast about?
Practical Tips for Fasting
Application Question: What are some practical tips to be applied when fasting or initially trying out fasting?
1. When initially beginning to fast, start out small.
Don’t try a forty day fast for your first time. Try skipping a meal or two. After skipping a meal or two, try fasting for a day or more. Typically, during the first day of fasting, one experiences headaches as the body gets rid of toxins. However, after the first day or so, one begins to experience a fasting high where they feel like they can keep going. As one feels more comfortable with the discipline of fasting or compelled to seek the Lord in a greater way, then he or she can gradually increase the time given to fasting.
2. When beginning a fast, one must decide what type of fast they will perform.
In Scripture, there are all types of fasts: (1) Most people will employ some type of partial fast—like drinking water but not eating food. People can only survive around thirty to forty days without food. In a partial fast, one must consider what types of food/drink to abstain from. In Daniel 1:12, the four Hebrews chose to eat only vegetables and drink only water. This is often called a Daniel fast. (2) Others practice absolute fasts—without food and water. People can only survive without liquid for a short period of time—only about three days—so that type of fast should be limited.
3. When fasting, it must be remembered that fasting is not simply giving up something—it is giving up something to pursue something greater, which is God.
Therefore, one must consider how he will spend that time with or for God that would normally be given to eating and drinking. It should be used to pursue God through prayer, worship, Bible study, service, etc.
Application Question: What are some other tips or practices you have found helpful or not helpful when fasting?
Fasting from Other Things
Application Question: Can believers fast from things other than food and drink?
In Scripture, fasts only included giving up food and drink. However, if we consider the ‘essence’ of a fast—giving up something important to focus more on God—then certainly giving up things other than food and drink might be more beneficial.13 We must ask ourselves, “Is there anything that is keeping me away from devotion to God or serving others?” There are many things that can distract us from God—some of them being good things, like social media, TV, sports, video games, relationships, etc. It is good for us to ask the Lord if he is calling us to fast from something in order to better seek him.
James Boice shares a powerful story about Pastor David Wilkerson’s time of fasting, which was the beginning of a famous ministry to gang members and troubled youth called Teen Challenge. This ministry has outlived its founder and is spread throughout the world. Boice shares:
Sometimes our fasting will lead us away from such things as entertainment, perhaps from television. This was the experience of David Wilkerson whose story is told in The Cross and the Switchblade. Wilkerson had been the pastor of a small Assemblies of God church in Philipsburg, Pa. Although the church had grown and the congregation had been able to erect several new buildings, the pastor himself was restless. One night as he sat watching the “late show” on television the thought came to him that he might profit from spending the time which he usually spent watching television, praying. In other words, he might “fast from television” and then see what happened.
Immediately he came up with a number of excuses. He was tired at night; he needed the relaxation. It was good for him to be in touch with the things most people were seeing and talking about. But his excuses were not entirely convincing. So he prayed, “Jesus, I need some help in deciding this thing, so here’s what I’m asking you. I’m going to put an ad for that [television] set in the paper. If you’re behind this idea, let a buyer appear right away. Let him appear within an hour … within half an hour … after the paper gets on the streets.”
His wife was not very impressed with the idea when he told her about it the next morning, but he went ahead and put the ad in the newspaper anyway. It was a humorous scene in the Wilkerson home the next day after the newspaper appeared on the streets. Wilkerson sat on the couch with the TV set on one side, his wife and children on the other, and the clock and the telephone before him. After twenty-five minutes, just as he was saying, “Well, Gwen, it looks like you’re right. I guess I won’t have to …” the telephone rang.
“Do you have a TV set for sale?” a man’s voice asked.
“That’s right. An RCA in good condition. Nineteen-inch screen, two years old.”
“How much do you want for it?”
“One hundred dollars,” Wilkerson said quickly.
“I’ll take it,” was the reply. “Have it ready in fifteen minutes. I’ll bring you the money.”
Well, that was the beginning. Out of the times of prayer that followed, David Wilkerson was directed by God to the plight of the teenage gang members in the heart of New York City. Out of his efforts to help them came a work that God has blessed and is continuing to bless not only in New York but in many other cities also.
I do not know how all of this will apply to you. But whatever your daily routine or habits, there are undoubtedly some things that you may want to lay aside temporarily to spend time with God. Probably you will not tell people about it. That is all right, but you have the promise of Jesus that the Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.14
Christ promises a ‘reward’ for those who seek the Lord with fasting and a right heart (Matt 6:18). What is God calling you to give up, so he can lead you into a deeper intimacy with him and service for his kingdom?
Application Question: If you were to begin a fast of something other than food, what would it be and why? How much time would be available if you did so?
Conclusion
Christ did not say “if you fast,” but “when you fast.” He expects his followers to fast. We live in a world that vies for our attention and affection. It is so easy to neglect the best thing for not only the good but also the bad. Fasting assures that the best thing stays the first. Are you practicing the discipline of fasting, so the best thing can remain the first thing? When you do this, God, who sees your secret sacrifices, will reward you in the open. Lord, draw your people to deep seasons of fasting and reward them with yourself and your righteousness. In Jesus Name, Amen!
I. Jesus Assumes That We Will Fast(vs. 16a)
NKJ Matthew 6:16 Moreover [δέ], when [ὅταν, as often as, every time that] you fast [νηστεύω], do not be like the hypocrites [ὑποκριτής] ….
Notice that Jesus says to the disciples “when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites.” He clearly presupposes that they will fast, even if not until a later time, as He discussed with the disciples of John the Baptist on another occasion:
NKJ Matthew 9:14-15 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
So, Jesus did not expect that His disciples would fast while He was still with them, but He clearly did expect that they would fast after He was “taken away from them,” which must refer to the days following His death, resurrection, and ascension. Not, surprisingly, then, the Bible clearly shows that Jesus’ followers did indeed fast after His resurrection and ascension. For example:
NKJ Acts 13:1-3 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Here we see a couple of purposes for our fasting. First, fasting helps us to seek the Lord’s guidance and can even be done as a group. Second, fasting can accompany praying for and setting apart certain people for ministry. This no doubt involves praying for God’s empowerment and protection for them as they embark upon such an important ministry.
NKJ Acts 14:23 So when they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Again we see that fasting is a part of committing men to service for the Lord. Observe that they prayed and fasted in every church when they appointed elders there. In other words, this was commonly done when setting men apart for ministry in the early church. It is the example the Apostles have left us.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Notice that fasting can involve abstaining from more than just food. In this case Paul assumes that married couples might wish abstain from marital relations during a fast. He only stresses in such cases that it be with the consent of both the husband and the wife. The late J. I. Packer, appropriately expanding the application of this principle has observed:
We tend to think of fasting as going without food. But we can fast from anything. If we love music and decide to miss a concert in order to spend time with God, that is fasting. It is helpful to think of the parallel of human friendship. When friends need to be together, they will cancel all other activities in order to make that possible. There’s nothing magical about fasting. It’s just one way of telling God that your priority at that moment is to be alone with him, sorting out whatever is necessary, and you have canceled the meal, party, concert, or whatever else you had planned to do in order to fulfill that priority. (Your Father Loves You, devotion for June 14, https://bible.org/illustration/purposes-fasting)
Another example may be seen in Paul’s description of his sufferings as an Apostle:
NKJ2 Corinthians 6:4-5 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings ….
Paul clearly saw fasting – and fasting often (implied by the plural and the context) – as one sign of the genuineness of His Apostolic ministry. Fasting was simply one of the things a true Apostle did! This point is further emphasized later in the same epistle, where Paul described himself as being …
NKJ 2 Corinthians 11:27-28 … in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
Notice that fasting is mentioned separately from other times of hunger and thirst. Paul may have had to suffer hunger and thirst at times through no choice of his own, but fasting is different because it is an active choice.
So, in the early Church – especially if Paul may be taken as an example – fasting was common, just as Jesus assumed it would be. In fact, based on His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus assumed fasting would be a common practice for Christians just as as praying and giving would be common practice for them.
But what about you and me? Can we say that fasting has been a common part of our Christian lives? Would we think of fasting as an ordinary practice just as we would think of praying or giving as common practices? I hope so! But, if not, then we should all be encouraged to include fasting as an important spiritual discipline in our lives. However, we should be careful about the way we do it, as Jesus teaches in this passage by comparing wrong fasting with right fasting. He begins with the former, which brings us to our second main point.
II. Jesus Warns Us Against Hypocritical Fasting (vs. 16)
In first part of verse 16, Jesus describes hypocritical fasting by stressing both its goal and its reward.
1. The Goal of Hypocritical Fasting
NKJ Matthew 6:16a Moreover, when [ὅταν, as often as, every time that] you fast [νηστεύω], do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance [σκυθρωπός]. For they disfigure [ἀφανίζω] their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting [νηστεύω].
The hypocrites liked to go around looking like they were fasting so that other people would notice how spiritual they were. As Jesus describes them, they would go around with a sad countenance, and they would disfigure their faces so that they would appear to be fasting to others. But what precisely does Jesus mean when He says that they would disfiguretheir faces? He uses the Greek word aphanízō, which is defined as follows in the Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament:
… to render invisible or unrecognizable, of one’s face, to disfigure, that is, with ashes and by leaving the hair and beard unattended or by coloring the face to look pale as though fasting. (p. 18)
Instead of trying merely to look sad, these hypocrites should have actually been saddened by their own spiritual bankruptcy, and they should have repented of their sinful pride! They should also have known better, because the Old Testament Scriptures warned about such insincere fasting just as Jesus did:
NKJ Isaiah 58:3-8 “Why have we fasted,” they say, “and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?” In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers. 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high. 5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
In the early Church Christians took such passages – and especially Jesus’ teaching – so much to heart that they wouldn’t even fast on the same days of the week as the Pharisees typically fasted. For example, The Didache, a late first century document, teaches: “But do not let your fasts coincide with those of the hypocrites. They fast on Monday and Thursday, so you must fast on Wednesday and Friday” (8:1, The Apostolic Fathers 2nd Edition, p. 153).
2. The Reward of Hypocritical Fasting
NKJ Matthew 6:16b Assuredly, I say to you, they have [ἀπέχω] their reward [μισθός].
When our Lord Jesus said that they have their reward, He didn’t use the Greek words that He typically used that mean either to have (ἔχω) or to receive(such as δέχομαι or λαμβάνω). Instead, the word He used here is one that He occasionally employed in similar contexts in order to stress that the reward was received in full. In fact, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature says that the primary meaning of this word “to receive in full what is due” (BAGD3 #870, BibleWorks). This more nuanced meaning of the word is certainly implied in the context here, but it is actually reflected explicitly in several modern versions.
NAU Matthew 6:16b Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
NIV Matthew 6:16b Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
NLT Matthew 6:16b I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
So, the point Jesus was making couldn’t be any clearer, could it? The hypocrite aims at impressing men with his supposed “spirituality” in order to selfishly pat himself on the back, but in doing so he receives the only reward he will ever get! As John Piper has helpfully observed:
Jesus says in the last part of verse 16, “Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” In other words, if that is the reward you aim at in fasting, that is what you will get and that will be all you get. In other words, the danger of hypocrisy is that it is so successful. It aims at the praise of men. And it succeeds. But that’s all. (https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/fasting-for-the-fathers-reward)
This is a situation our Lord Jesus would have us avoid, which brings us to our third and final main point.
III. Jesus Admonishes Us to Heartfelt Fasting (vss. 17-18)
Just as with hypocritical fasting, so also with true, heartfelt fasting Jesus stresses both its goal and its reward.
1. The Goal of True Fasting
NKJ Matthew 6:17-18aBut [δέ] you [σύ, emphatic], when you fast [Pres. Act. Part. > νηστεύω], anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting [νηστεύω], but to your Father who is in the secret place;
The goal of true fasting is to fellowship with God and to be concerned with what He thinks first of all rather than what other people may think. It is about bringing glory to Him rather than to ourselves. Again John Piper is insightful when he writes that:
If someone finds out you are fasting, you haven’t sinned. The value of your fast is not destroyed if someone notices that you have skipped lunch. It is possible to fast with other people—for example: our staff fasting together on a planning retreat to seek the Lord [or as we saw that the early Christians did in Antioch, Acts 13:1-3]—it is possible to fast like that and NOT to fast “to be seen by men.” Being seen fasting and fasting to be seen are not the same. Being seen fasting is a mere external event. Fasting TO BE SEEN is a self-exalting motive of the heart. (https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/fasting-for-the-fathers-reward, italics mine)
This is why Jesus says that His disciples should go about their day of fasting just like they would go about every other day by washing their faces. But He also says they should anoint their heads, which most likely refers to an extra effort to look happy. As New Testament scholar Donald A. Hagner has pointed out:
In view here is a special instance of grooming (cf. 2 Sam 12:20; Eccl 9:8) and personal enjoyment, a sign of happiness that was forbidden on fast days. Jesus thus exhorts even an extra measure of care to one’s appearance, so that it could not give the slightest hint that one was fasting. (Word Biblical Commentary, p. 154)
So, the goal of true fasting is to be faithful to our heavenly Father, desirous of pleasing Him rather than men, knowing that He looks not merely on outward appearance but upon the heart. This was a lesson the Prophet Samuel learned when he thought David’s older brother Eliab looked more like a king than David did:
NKJ 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
This is a lesson the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees had clearly forgotten, but one which we should never forget. When we fast to be seen by God rather than men, He sees what they cannot see. He sees what is in our hearts.
2. The Reward of True Fasting
NKJ Matthew 6:18b and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
What reward does Jesus have in mind? Might it be in this life? I suppose that is possible. Certainly we will find it very rewarding when we see God’s name being hallowed and His Kingdom being advanced through our prayer and fasting. But I think the focus in the context is on future, heavenly rewards. Recall, for example, what Jesus said earlier in the Sermon on the Mount:
NKJ Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
And notice what Jesus says immediately following His teaching on fasting:
NKJ Matthew 6:19-21Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As we fast, we should remembered that we are seeking heavenly treasure.
Conclusion: If I may quote John Piper once more in closing, I think you will agree that he puts his finger on an important issue raised by this text:
What Jesus does here is test the reality of God in our lives. O, how easy it is to do religious things if other people are watching—preaching, praying, attending church, reading the Bible, acts of kindness and charity, etc. The reason for this is not only the commendation we might get, but more subtly the sense that the real effectiveness of our spiritual acts is on the horizontal axis among people, not the vertical axis with God. If the kids see me pray at meals, it will do them good. If the staff sees me fast they may be inspired to fast. If my roommate sees me read my Bible he may be inspired to read his. In other words, we feel that the value of our devotion is the horizontal effect it has on others as they see us.
Now that’s not all bad. But the danger is that all of our life starts to be justified and understood simply on the horizontal level for the effects it can have because others see it happening. And so God can become a secondary Person in the living of our lives. We think that he is important because all these things are the kinds of things he wants us to do. But he himself is falling out of the picture as the focus of it all. (https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/fasting-for-the-fathers-reward)
This is the kind of thing Jesus wants us to avoid when we give, when we pray, and when we fast. He never wants us to lose sight of God as the center of our lives when we get so busy living before and with other people. He never wants us to forget that hypocrisy always begins with a selfish desire to be thought well of by others, with a tendency to crowd God out of the very things we are trying to do for Him. I hope today that we will all leave off considering this teaching of our Lord Jesus with a renewed desire that He be first in all that we do. And I hope we will be encouraged to think of fasting as one way to help us in this regard.
One of the texts that moved Dr. Lundquist in those latter years of his life was the one we are looking at this morning—Matthew 6:16–18. The thing that gripped him from this text were the words in verse 16, "And whenever you fast . . . " Like so many others, Dr. Lundquist noticed that it does not say, "If you fast," but, "when you fast." He concluded, as I do, and as most commentators do, that Jesus assumed that fasting was a good thing and that it would be done by his disciples. This is what we saw in Matthew 9:15—When the bridegroom is taken away, then the disciples will fast.
So Jesus is not teaching on whether we should fast or not. He is assuming we will fast and teaching us how to do it and especially how not to do it.
Hypocrisy: A Danger in Fasting
If fasting is going to be built into our lives as a way of seeking all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19), we need to know how not to do it. That would include physical tips on how not to endanger our bodies, and spiritual teaching on how not to endanger our souls. On the physical side, I will be making available to you a short paper from a medical doctor who spoke to us when I was in Orlando last December.
"They Have Their Reward in Full"
But more important than that is the warning of Jesus about the spiritual danger of fasting in the wrong way. That's what this text is about. Jesus warns us what not to do and then tells us what to do instead.
He warns us in verse 16 not to be like the hypocrites: "Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men." So the hypocrites are folks who do their spiritual disciplines "to be seen by men." This is the reward the hypocrites are after. And who has not felt how rewarding indeed it is to be admired for our discipline or our zeal or our devotion. This is a great reward among men. Few things feel more gratifying to the heart of us fallen people than being made much of for our accomplishments—especially our religious accomplishments.
So Jesus says in the last part of verse 16, "Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." In other words, if that is the reward you aim at in fasting, that is what you will get and that will be all you get. In other words the danger of hypocrisy is that it is so successful. It aims at the praise of men. And it succeeds. But that's all.
Why Is This Hypocrisy?
But let's ask why this is hypocrisy. Here you have religious people. They decide to fast. Instead of concealing that they are fasting they make it plain that they are fasting. Why is that hypocrisy? Why isn't it hypocrisy to fast, but to anoint your hair and wash your face and not let anybody know that you are fasting? Isn't the definition of hypocrisy trying to look on the outside different than you are on the inside? So these religious folks are letting reality show, right? They are the opposite of hypocrites. They fast, and they look like they fast. No sham. Be real. If you fast, look like you fast.
But Jesus calls them hypocrites. Why? Because the heart that motivates fasting is supposed to be a heart for God. That's what fasting means: a heart-hunger for God. But the heart motivating their fasting is a heart for human admiration. So they are being open and transparent about what they are doing, but that very openness is deceptive about what they're feeling. If they wanted to be really open, they would have to wear a sign about their necks that said, "The bottom line reward in my fasting is the praise of men." Then they would not be hypocrites. They would be openly and transparently vain.
So there are two dangers that these fasting folks have fallen into. One is that they are seeking the wrong reward in fasting, namely, the esteem of other people. They love the praise of men. And the other is that they hide this with a pretense of love for God. Fasting means love for God—hunger for God. So with their actions they are saying that they have a hunger for God. But on the inside they are hungry to be admired and approved by other people. That's the god that satisfies them.
An Alternative Way of Fasting
In verses 17 and 18 Jesus gives an alternative to this way of fasting—the way he wants it to be done. He says,
But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face, 18 so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Now there are all kinds of public fasting in the Bible, including the New Testament, for example, in Acts 13:1–3 and 14:23. If someone finds out you are fasting, you haven't sinned. The value of your fast is not destroyed if someone notices that you have skipped lunch. It is possible to fast with other people—for example: our staff fasting together on a planning retreat to seek the Lord—it is possible to fast like that and NOT to fast "to be seen by men." Being seen fasting and fasting to be seen are not the same. Being seen fasting is a mere external event. Fasting TO BE SEEN is a self-exalting motive of the heart.
Jesus' Test of the Reality of God in Our Lives
So Jesus gives us instruction that will test our hearts. He says to us when we are fasting, don't make any effort to be seen. In fact, make efforts in the other direction—not to be seen. Fix your hair, wash your face so that as far as possible people will not even know that you are fasting.
But he goes beyond this and says, that your goal is to be seen by God not man. "But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face, 18 so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret." Fast to be seen by God in secret.
What Jesus does here is test the reality of God in our lives. O, how easy it is to do religious things if other people are watching—preaching, praying, attending church, reading the Bible, acts of kindness and charity, etc. The reason for this is not only the commendation we might get, but more subtly the sense that the real effectiveness of our spiritual acts is on the horizontal axis among people, not the vertical axis with God. If the kids see me pray at meals, it will do them good. If the staff sees me fast, they may be inspired to fast. If my roommate sees me read my Bible, he may be inspired to read his. In other words, we feel that the value of our devotion is the horizontal effect it has on others as they see us.
Now that's not all bad. But the danger is that all of our life starts to be justified and understood simply on the horizontal level for the effects it can have because others see it happening. And so God can become a secondary Person in the living of our lives. We think that he is important because all these things are the kinds of things he wants us to do. But he himself is falling out of the picture as the focus of it all.
So Jesus tests our hearts to see if God himself will be our sufficiency—when nobody else knows what we are doing. When no one is saying, "How are you getting on with the fast?" No one even knows—no one but God! Jesus is calling for a radical orientation on God himself. He is pushing us to have a real, utterly authentic, personal relationship with God. If God is not real to you, it will be miserable to endure something difficult with God as the only one who knows. It will all seem very pointless, very inefficient because the whole range of horizontal possibilities will be nullified because no one knows what you are experiencing. All that matters is God and who he is and what he thinks and what he will do.
Jesus' Promise to Those Whose Focus Is God
Which brings us to the last part of verse 18 and the promise Jesus makes about what God will do for those who focus vertically on him and do not need the praise of other people to make their devotion worthwhile. He says, "And your Father who sees in secret will repay you."
The word "repay" in the NASB (New American Standard Bible) is probably a little too mercenary. It seems to suggest a business deal: We do the work of fasting and God pays up with wages. That is not necessarily implied in the word that simply means "give back" or "make a return." In some places it may be money. In others it may be justice. In others it may be God's gracious response to an act of faith and prayer. That's what it is here, I believe.
God sees us fasting. He sees that we have a deep longing that is pulling us to fast. He sees that our heart is not seeking the ordinary pleasures of human admiration and applause. He sees that we are acting not out of strength to impress others with our discipline, but out of weakness to express to God our need and our great longing that he would act. And when he sees this, he responds. He acts. We have seen him acting in these last weeks of fasting in some remarkable ways. People who have been hard to the gospel opening up. People closed off to reconciliation opening up. People long lukewarm and indifferent awakening to the greatness of God and their salvation.
What Is the "Reward" Jesus Promises?
But what is the "repayment" or the "reward" that Jesus promises from the Father here? Might it be "the praise of men"? We would make a dupe out of God if we tried to use him in some roundabout way to get what we really want instead of him, the praise of men. That's not the reward he gives.
Might it be money? The very next verse (v. 19) warns against laying up treasures on earth (whether God gives them or not) and says to lay up treasures in heaven—where there is no earthly currency except faith and love.
No, the best place to find out the reward of our fasting is to look here in the Sermon on the Mount. For example, the prayer that Jesus just taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9–13 begins with three main longings: that God's name be hallowed or revered, that his kingdom come, that his will be done on earth the way it's done in heaven. That is the main reward God gives for our fasting. We fast out of longing for God's name to be known and cherished and honored, and longing for his rule to be extended and then consummated in history, and longing for his will to hold sway everywhere with the same devotion and energy that the inexhaustible angels show sleeplessly in heaven forever and ever.
For sure he gives us many, many specific things through fasting. And it is not wrong to seek specifically for his help in every area of our lives through fasting. But these three petitions: hallowing his name, seeking his kingdom, and doing his will—these give the test to see if all the other things we long for are expressions of these. Do we want our sons and daughters saved because this would hallow God's name? Do we want North Korea to open for the sake of the advance of the kingship of Jesus? Do we want upright leaders in government because God's holy, revealed will for his creation is at stake? Do we want Bethlehem revived and awakened with divine power and love and joy because it glorifies the name of God and advances his kingdom and brings about his will?
This is what Jesus is calling us to—a radically God-oriented fasting. So for the sake of your own soul, and in response to Jesus, and for the advancement of the kingdom of God's great saving purpose to glorify his name, join the "Fasting Forty" and fix your hair, and wash your face, and let the Father who sees in secret see you open your heart of yearning to him with fasting. The Father who sees in secret is brimming with rewards for your joy and for his glory.
I. "MOREOVER WHEN YOU FAST."
A. Note that the assumption is that we will fast.
1. Fasting has been a spiritual exercise through the years, and in many different religions.
a. Moses fasted for 40 days as he was receiving the law.
b. David fasted for his little child when it was so sick.
c. He writes of his fasting in the psalms.
d. Esther called on all of the people to fast for her.
e. Nehemiah speaks of his fasting.
f. Daniel spoke of his fasting.
2. There were times of national fasting for the nation of Israel.
a. The day of atonement was to be a day of fasting.
b. At the time of the sin of the men of the tribe of Benjamin.
c. Samuel called on the nation to fast after they had turned in false worship of Baal.
d. They fasted for their sin in Nehemiah's day.
3. Jesus said the day would come when His disciples would fast.
a. Cornelius the Roman centurian was fasting when the angel appeared to him and instructed him to send for Peter to bring them the gospel.
b. It was when the disciples were fasting that the Holy Spirit directed them into the first missionary activity of the church.
c. They fasted and prayed before ordaining elders in the churches.
d. Paul spoke of his fasting often.
B. There is a wrong way to fast.
1. Making it very obvious to others that you are fasting, that they might be impressed with your deep spirituality.
a. During the times of Jesus, Monday and Thursdays were market days, so these were the days that the Pharisee's fasted as so many would come into the city from the countryside to bring their goods for market, and so many would be out shopping on those days, so that there were more people to observe how spiritual they were. They would often deliberately muss up their hair, wear soiled clothes, or sackcloth, and would whiten their faces that you could not help but observe that they were fasting.
b. These were the practices that Jesus was condemning.
2. In the Old Testament, God spoke of those who were fasting with wrong motives.
a. God rebuked the people through the prophet Isaiah.
b. The prophet Joel called on the people,
c. We read in Zechariah,
II. THE PURPOSE OF FASTING.
I. "LAY NOT UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES ON EARTH, BUT LAY UP TREASURES." IN HEAVEN."
A. This begins a new section of the Sermon, where Jesus is now going to talk about treasures, earthly and heavenly.
B. The believer must guard against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
1. In this next section Jesus is going to be dealing with the battle against the world.
2. He will look at two issues, the love of the world, the anxieties that the world creates.
C. These could be subheadings under the whole section of the believers relation to the world and the Father.
1. We have just been looking at the spiritual life of the believer.
a. His giving,
b. His praying,
c. His denying himself.
2. In each case we saw that these things should not be done in such a way as to draw the attention, and thus the adulation of the world.
3. These things were all to be done in such an unobtrusive way that they will be noticed by the Father only. We live before God.
4. As we move into this new section, we will be looking at the material life of the believer. We will see his attitudes toward the temporal things that the world offers, and the eternal things that the Father offers.
5. We are in the world, but not of the world. Jesus prayed,
6. We will find that the real issue is not, how much of the world do you possess, but how much the worldly things possess you.
D. The basic principle that is stated is, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up treasures in heaven."
1. The rest is all the reasons and the rational for the principle.
2. As Lord He could just lay out the command,and that is it, no questions, no argument. But as a friend, He gives us the reason for the order.
II. THE REASONS.
A. Moth and rust can decay, and thieves can steal your earthly treasures.
B. James said:
C. There is real danger with prosperity.
D. Worldly riches bring their share of woe.
1. My good friend that would walk the streets at three in the morning because he could not sleep as he worried over the riches that he had amassed.
2. Solomon worried about who would inherit all of his wealth that he labored so hard to amass. He feared lest he should just waste it in foolish expenditures.
3. My grand kids spend more money for clothes and shoes than I do. They spend more for their cars. I sacrifice and go without in order to save money, for what reason? So I can leave it to them to spend.
4. Solomon said:
5. The Psalmist observed,
6. Luke's gospel records a parable of Jesus on this subject.
E. Note that Jesus is talking about treasures, we usually think of treasures in terms of money, but if we do we are missing the whole point of the words of Jesus.
1. We have things that we say that we treasure. It is often said of certain possessions that they are priceless.
2. We sometimes treasure our jobs, we can get so absorbed in the desire for success that the eternal things are set aside, they take a second place in our lives.
3. It can be said of family.
4. It can be said of our homes.
5. It can also be said of success in the ministry.
6. We can become so absorbed with building a large church, that this ambition becomes the consuming passion of our lives.
7. The real issue however is our attitude toward these things.
a. Jesus makes reference to our hearts.
b. Are our hearts in the things of this world, or are they on heavenly things.
c. This is the bottom line. Not how much do I have in my bank account, but what is the attitude of my heart towards what I have.
III. JESUS TELLS US TO LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN.
A. How do we do that? Is Jesus speaking salvation by works?
1. As to the second issue, no He is not suggesting that we can earn our salvation.
a. Our justification is by our faith in Jesus alone.
b. Paul's words to Titus and the church of Ephesus still stand,
c. Salvation is not a reward, but the gift of God.
d. There are rewards however given to the servants of Jesus Christ for their labor for Him.
e. Jesus has spoken much about the rewards in heaven, as well as the loss of rewards.
2. How can I lay up treasures in heaven? David said:
a. Solomon said:
b. Paul said to Timothy,
c. It is obvious that I cannot take them with me.
d. That means they must be sent up in advance.
e. Jesus gave a very interesting but often confusing parable on this subject.
f. Note He did not commend him for his honesty, but for his wisdom.
g. His wisdom was manifested in his using his present position to his advantage in securing his future.
Intro: We are to use everything we have - talents, gifts, possessions that we lay up treasures in heaven.
I. INSPIRATION TO CHRISTIANS NOT TO WORLD.
A. Worldliness usually is certain particular things of which we are not guilty.
1. Worldliness is an attitude toward life.
B. 1st reason natural.
1. Reasons against treasure on earth.
a. "Moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal."
1. Element of decay in all things.
a. They never fully satisfy.
b. We tend to tire of them. Fashions change, "new."
d. They inevitably perish. Beautiful flower.
b. Thieves.
1. Illness.
2. Business failure.
3. Stock market crash.
4. Death.
2. Reasons for treasure in heaven.
a. Treasure safe, God is keeping it.
b. No impurities.
C. 2nd reason spiritual.
1. Where treasure is heart will be also.
2. Verse 24, No man can serve two masters.
Why do men seem to get more cynical as they get older. Why does noble outlet begin to go. Victims of treasure on earth. Single eye, two ways of looking at things, single purpose.
The blurring of vision by love of earthly treasures effects us morally. How clever we are in explaining why what we are doing is not dishonest. If a man rob a born robber.
They effect heart, mind, will. It ultimately affects our relationship to God. "Hold one and despise the other."
The man who thinks he is godly just because he uses religious phraseology and attends church. Occasionally, but is really buying for earthly things. How great is that man's darkness.
Why do you serve?
Story of farmer with twin calves. It is always the Lord's calf that dies. Short on finances, what is the first thing that is cut out? Tithes.
I. CURRENT COIN OF HEAVEN "LIVES OF MEN."
A. Money will fail.
B. People whose whole lives absorbed in gaining money wasted.
C. Philippine nickel.
D. What we get and keep we lose. What we give we gain.
E. Readjustment in heaven.
1. Rich on earth.
II. EXCHANGED LIVES.
A. Lady called to China.
B. Bible teacher.
III. SACRIFICE HALLOWS AND INCREASES GIFT.
A. God sacrificed when He gave.
B. $50.O0 to missions, easy this year.
%75.00.
Wear the suit a little longer, wear shoes half soled. Sacrifice will give new beauty to face.
Intro: This whole section devoted to living our lives in relationship to God. 1st principle - take heed that you do not your righteousness before men. Be careful that my motive is not having others think well of me. God should always be my primary consideration.
I. LAY NOT UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES ON EARTH.
A. Two extremes.
1. God wants all His children to drive Cadillacs.
2. If you have a Cadillac, you should sell it and buy a cheaper car, give the difference to the community.
B. It is not wrong to be wealthy.
1. "If riches increase set not your heart upon them."
2. God prospered Abraham, Job, David as sign of His blessings.
3. To rich young ruler, the command to sell what he had and distribute to poor was because his riches were keeping him from following Christ.
C. Jesus is not necessarily talking about money.
1. People treasure many things.
a. A car.
b. A home.
c. A job.
d. A career.
2. What He is referring to is really getting your heart into earthly things.
II. NEXT HE EXPLAINS WHY.
A. This is not really necessary.
1. He doesn't owe us an explanation.
B. Moth and rust can corrupt.
1. This speaks to us of the transitory value of all earthly things.
C. "Where thieves break through and steal."
1. This speaks to us of the vulnerability or instability of earthly things.
a. How many who have what the rich man of Christ's parable said, eat, drink, and be merry for you are set.
D. Heavenly treasures are not subject to loss or depreciation.
III. WHAT YOU TREASURE IS A TRUE INDICATOR OF YOUR HEART.
A. "Heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?"
1. It is easy for a man to deceive himself.
a. "I love the Lord so much."
b. "Everything I have belongs to God."
Intro: Indirect teaching. Why these kind of warnings necessary? Sin and its effects.
I. SIN HAS UPSETTING EFFECT UPON NORMAL BALANCE OF MAN.
A. Three parts to man - body, soul & spirit.
1. Spirit highest, soul next, then body.
2. Highest gift to man is mind.
a. Think and reason.
b. Logic.
c. Mind - affections - will.
3. Sin - reversed order and balance.
a. Instructions: heart comes first, then mind, then will.
4. Man no longer governed by mind, but by heart.
5. People who say that Christianity not reasonable attempt to intellectually justify the godlessness of their heart.
a. "The fool hath said in his heart."
b. The heart covets worldly things and rules the mind.
A. Blinds us to things perfectly obvious.
1. Worldly treasures, fact is.
a. None of them last.
1. Personal appearance.
2. How often face this fact?
a. Money - can't take it with you.
b. Jealous and envious of one another.
B. Change and decay all around. We see but we don't perceive.
1. Value of man and God.
2. Try to please man, God ignored.
3. Our worldly life put before God, this is blindness.
C. Blind to impossibility of mixing opposites.
1. No mixing of light and darkness.
2. No serving God and mammon.
III. SIN MAKES MAN A SLAVE OF THINGS THAT WERE MEANT TO SERVE HIM.
A. Earthly, worldly things become our god.
1. We love them and serve them.
2. Cigarettes.
IV. SIN ENTIRELY RUINS MEN.
A. Sin - Eden.
B. How?
1. Spends life laying up certain things on earth.
a. Moth and rust have corrupted.
b. Thieves have stolen.
C. Finds he has been wrong all his life.
1. Light has become dark.
D. Outside God's love.
1. He has been serving main.
Fasting is that discipline which tries to recapture our hunger for God. It says to God, I am willing to forgo anything in order to be in your presence. Fasting provides an atmosphere whereby we are prepared to face up to the dulling effects of food and all those things which we continually nibble on. If I told you that I had hidden 10 million dollars in your house, and that you could keep every cent if you found it, what would you do? Would you go home this afternoon and watch television or take a nap? I doubt it. I bet you would skip CSI and American Idol, and just about every other activity and would take your house apart searching for the money. Fasting expresses that passion to know Him more. Some time after Moses watched the Lord part the Red Sea, he said to the Lord, "Show me your glory". Now Moses saw the glory of the Lord when the Lord closed the waters, delivering them from the Egyptian armies! But for Moses, the only glory that He really wanted was to rest in the presence of God. It is with that heart, one that longs to be in the presence of God, that we need to consider the Biblical discipline of fasting.
Richard Foster says, "More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us." Thus, it helps us to uncover what is really inside. For example, if you are one who eats in order to feel better, to forget, then the absence of food will make that clear. It can reveal to us just how much pain, pride, or anger is inside of us. If we had a terrible morning, the one thing that might get us by was knowing that we were going out to lunch. But, all of a sudden you realize that you are fasting. You are forced to consider another way of dealing with your feelings. Piper writes of fasting, "Humbly and quietly, with scarcely a movement, she brings up out of the dark places of my soul the dissatisfactions in relationships, the frustrations of the ministry, the fears of failure, the emptiness of wasted time. And just when my heart begins to retreat to the delicious hope of eating supper at Pizza Hut, she quietly reminds me: not tonight." Our fasting proves the presence and fans the flame of our hunger for God, and through it, God wants to awaken us to the reality of His presence.
What Is Fasting?
"Moreover, when you fast" - the Greek word for fast is nesteuo, which means: "to abstain from food". The Hebrew word for fast is tsowm, which means: "to cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast" Throughout Scripture, fasting is referred to as the abstaining of food for spiritual purposes. Fasting, as discussed in Scripture, has nothing to do with diet. Some people write books for Christians and talk about the merits of fasting. Fasting may have its merits for physical or health reasons, but that has nothing to do with what Jesus is talking about. He is talking about fasting related to spiritual matters. Biblical fasting always centers on spiritual purposes. In Scripture, the normal means of fasting involves abstaining from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water. Luke 4:2 describes for us Jesus' fast of forty days. We are told, "He ate nothing," and at the end of the fast, "He was hungry." From a physical standpoint, this is the manner in which Scripture describes fasting. There are other fasts described in Scripture, such as the partial fast in Daniel:
Daniel 10:3 (NKJV) I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
And the absolute fast in:
Esther 4:16 (NKJV) "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"
So, fasting is not eating for a period of time. It could be skipping a meal or not eating for forty days.
What Is The Purpose of Fasting?
The only fast that was commanded under the Law of Moses was on the day of Atonement:
Leviticus 16:29-31 (NKJV) "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. 30 "For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 "It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.
Even though the word "fast" is not used in this passage, we see from other passages that "afflict your souls" is a reference to fasting:
Ezra 8:21 (NKJV) Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.
The word "humble" here is the same Hebrew word as "afflict" in Leviticus 16:29. It is the word 'anah. The Hebrew word has the idea of: "to humble". We see from Isaiah that through fasting we "afflict our soul" or humble ourselves:
Isaiah 58:5 (NKJV) Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?
So, we "afflict the soul" or humble our self before God by fasting. Fasting is an expression of humility before God!. Notice what David said:
Psalms 35:13 (NKJV) But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.
It was through fasting that David humbled himself.
Joel 2:12 (NKJV) "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
"Turning to God" is an act of humility - they were to do this with fasting. Fasting is also described as crying out to God in:
Jeremiah 14:12 (NKJV) "When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence."
So, fasting is turning to God, crying out to God, an act of humbling our self before God. These all express dependence and humility.
How many of you want to experience God's grace to the fullest? God has promised to give grace to the humble:
James 4:6 (NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
We all struggle with pride, but it seems to me that we can humble ourselves before the Lord with fasting.
Fasting helps us to focus in prayer. Fasting and prayer are almost always linked together in the Scriptures, or it would be more correct to say, "Prayer and fasting", (Matthew 17:21; Acts 13:3 and 14:23) which indicates that the latter is designed as an aid to the former.
Fasting, either total or partial, seems to have been connected with seasons of peculiarly sincere devotion in all ages. Notice how the people responded when Jonah preached to Nineveh:
Jonah 3:5-9 (NKJV) So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
This city wide fast was designed to express their deep humiliation before God and was an appendage unto their crying "mightily" to Him. It was not a duty performed in response to any express commandment from the Lord, but was entered into voluntarily and spontaneously.
In circumstances of grave danger, the kings and prophets of Israel called on the people to engage in fasting as well as prayer. When thousands in Israel fell in battle before the Benjamites, Judges records:
Judges 20:26 (NKJV) Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before the LORD andfasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
When the Moabites, Ammonites, and others combined against Jehoshaphat in battle, we are told that he:
2 Chronicles 20:3-4 (NKJV) And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
In a time of national calamity, Joel cried:
Joel 1:14 (NKJV) Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
In addition to these examples of public fasting, Scripture also mentions that of many individuals. When his child by the wife of Uriah was sick, we are told that:
2 Samuel 12:16 (NKJV) David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.
When Nehemiah was informed that the remnant of his people left of the captivity in the provinces were "in great affliction and reproach", and the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates burned with fire, he:
Nehemiah 1:4 (NKJV) So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
When Daniel desired the deliverance of the children of Israel from their captivity in Babylon he:
Daniel 9:3 (NKJV) Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Now just in case you're thinking that fasting in the Scriptures was confined to the Old Covenant, think again. When the church at Antioch sought God's special blessing upon the success of His servants in the Gospel, they:
Acts 13:3 (NKJV) Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
When Paul and Silas were about to establish local churches, they "prayed with fasting":
Acts 14:23 (NKJV) So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
This prayer and fasting was connected with the serious task of appointing Elders to the Church. Paul also talks to the Saints at Corinth about fasting:
1 Corinthians 7:5 (NKJV) Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
As we look at these passages, we see that this was done in every Church, not just the "Jewish" congregations. Fasting is a Christian act, not just a carry over from Jewish law.
So, why fast? It is a means of humbling ourselves before God. It helps us to focus our prayers. It is a way of saying, from time to time, that having more of the Giver surpasses having the gifts. In other words, we express to God, "Food is good, your many gifts are good, but you are better!" It helps restore our focus from ourselves and the good things God places in our lives, to the giver of those good things, ensuring that God remains preeminent above everything. This kind of God-centered fasting tenderizes our hearts, helping us to find our contentment in Him rather than the gifts He gives.
Let's consider for a moment what fasting doesn't do:
1. Fasting does not inspire or provoke God to love you. Again, it does not, in any way cause Him to love you in a greater way. God loved us before we ever knew Him.
1 John 4:19 (NKJV) We love Him because He first loved us.
2. Fasting doesn't make us holy. God has already made us holy and blameless through Christ's finished work on the Cross. We don't fast to get more of God but that we would experience, in a more profound way, the reality of God's presence in our lives.
3. We don't fast so that God would forgive us, but because He has already forgiven us!
Colossians 2:13 (NKJV) And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
4. Fasting is not a substitute for obedience. Some people fast as penance, as though their fasting will somehow balance out their disobedience. Sometimes, when a believer isn't walking closely with the Lord, when the inward reality of their faith has begun to fade, they will retreat to the outward forms of the faith such as fasting. I suppose this makes sense; there is nothing on the inside, so they attempt to adorn their outside with religious garb. It doesn't work. The bottom-line in all of this is that whenever we embrace a spiritual discipline in order to get God to love, forgive us, or make us holy. we have gotten ourselves into legalism.
When we embrace spiritual disciplines because of the revelation that He loves us as fallen and sinful people, and that He loves us in our weakness because of Jesus Christ, that gratitude awakens in us a passion to be wholly the Lord's in every area of our lives. And when we choose to express that gratitude and humility through fasting, God chooses to reward us.
Psalms 81:10 (NKJV) I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Fasting is our expression of an open mouth that says to God, "We want more of you!" I want to be utterly devoted to you, my Lord. No other gods, no other love.
Matthew 6:17 (NKJV) "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
This statement is not to be taken absolutely and literally, but relatively and figuratively. These words of Christ must be understood in the light of their setting, their scope being quite apparent from the context. In oriental countries, where the air is hot and dry, it is the common custom to anoint the head and face with oil and ointments. The idea here is that when you fast, don't draw attention to it. Don't walk around like you're about to pass out, hoping someone will ask you, "What's wrong?" So you can say, "Oh, I'm fasting. Aren't I spiritual?
Believer, do you understand that God rewards fasting?
Matthew 6:18 (NKJV) "so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
I love that. Our Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward us when we fast! But the passage says more than the fact that He will reward our fasting, it explains the kind of fasting He rewards. Indeed, God rewards those who keep their gaze focused upon Him as they fast, rather than on the praise of men. As He sees our heart affectionately turned toward Him, seeing that we are not out to impress others with our spiritual discipline, but in humility, expressing our needs and longings to Him, then we can be sure that He will reward us.
What is the reward? It could be a deepened realization of God's presence in our lives. Over and over again Scripture reminds us of God's promises to meet with or draw near to those who stop depending on themselves and seek God as their treasure.
Like prayer, when we fast, we are looking away from ourselves to Christ as our only true help, our only hope. Both fasting and prayer cry out, "Father, I am empty, but you are full; I am hungry, but you are the Bread of Life; I am thirsty, but you are the fountain of Life; I am broken, but you are the Healer." We fast because we know in our heart that nothing on earth can satisfy our deepest longings beside God, that no one else can minister to our sick friend like God, that no one else can heal our land like our God, that no one can free us from the bondage of sin like our God.
Let's look for a moment at some of the potential dangers of fasting. We have already mentioned legalism. So let me turn to what might be the most harmful and most common danger of fasting; that is, Spiritual Pride. Fasting is used in most cultures for religious, health, and even political reasons. For example, Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, where they fast from sunup to sundown. But if you ask them why they are fasting, they really don't know why. In fact, throughout the month, the big question is, "Are you fasting?" There is a great desire to look spiritual during this time. This kind of spiritual pride can creep up in Christian fasting as well. Jesus says:
Matthew 6:16 (NKJV) "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
If a group of believers at church decide to fast for a time, it is not difficult for us to fast also in order to look spiritual. Who has not felt how rewarding it is to be admired for our discipline or our zeal or our devotion? This is a great reward among men. Few things feel more gratifying to the heart of us fallen people than being made much of for our accomplishments - especially our religious accomplishments. The danger of this kind of hypocrisy is that it is so successful. People will see you and be impressed. The aim of receiving the praise of men will likely come about, but that is all you will get!
Now, if you are fasting and someone finds out, you haven't sinned. The value of your fast is not destroyed if someone notices that you have skipped lunch. Many years ago, when I was a youth pastor, I used to fast once a week. Each Thursday I would fast for 24 hours. During that time, I would work on memorizing Psalm 119. The church I was working for had just hired a new Music Pastor, and he moved in on a Thursday, I helped him move. Later we went to get something to eat. When I didn't get any food, he began to question me on why I wasn't eating. He finally said to me, "Are you fasting?" Should I have lied to him in order to keep my fast a secret? No, of course not! Being seen fasting, and fasting to be seen are not the same. Being seen fasting is a mere external event. Fasting TO BE SEEN is a self-exalting motive of the heart.
Certainly when Jesus fasted, His disciples who lived so closely with Him knew that He wasn't eating. The issue isn't whether you tell anyone or not but rather why you are telling them. The motive for giving, praying, and fasting is what matters, not whether the acts are public or private.
How Will You Fast?
If you agree with me that fasting is a spiritual discipline which humbles us before God, I would think that you would want to fast. What kind of a fast will you do? You must decide whether you will fast for a day, a meal, half a day, several days, a week, or more. I would recommend beginning with shorter fasts. Perhaps breakfast and lunch, or a 24-hour fast.
What type of fast will you undertake: Only water or will you include juice? A healthy person can easily handle going with only water for a season. As you consider fasting, take notice of all the reasons you are using to convince yourself you shouldn't. I am too busy, I need the energy from food to enable me to fulfill my responsibilities at work, I usually eat out with people at lunchtime - what will I tell them?
Consider how much time you will spend in prayer during your fast. Perhaps you can pray and worship through the times you would normally eat. Prayer must always be joined to your fasting. They always go together.
Consider how often you will fast. Because God is not so much interested in the outward form, but the inward change fasting produces, the effects of fasting are more significant if you embrace it as a practice in your walk with God. Perhaps once each month.
Well, that is it. We looked at the reasons for fasting, the dangers of fasting, and the rewards of fasting. Now it is your turn. Should you fast? I can't answer that for you. Though, my prayer is that you will embrace fasting as part of your walk with God. I really long to see us, as a body, grow in our hunger for God.
In the daily pace of modern society, it is easy to lose our focus on God. That's why, as Christians, it is critical that we fast from time to time to help bring us a truer sense of God's desire for our lives. Through fasting and prayer, our communication with the Lord moves to a dynamic and highly sensitive level.
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