Spiritual Discipline: Fasting

“The light of a Christian character will shine before men and win glory for God without the artificial aid of public advertisement. Ostentatious religion may have its reward here, but it receives none from God.”
— A. Plummer, An Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, (London: E. Stock, 1909), 90.

This post is part of my Join Me on The Mountainside series. In Matthew 6 Jesus has been highlighting the importance of genuine worship as opposed to performative religiosity. Jesus already talked about giving to those in need (almsgiving, covered in my post The Heart of Worship), and prayer (Principles for Powerful Prayers Part 1, and Part 2, and now He addresses fasting.

As with almsgiving and prayer, those who fast must not advertise their piety by visible signs of suffering and deprivation. Otherwise a person again gains accolades from people rather than from God.
— Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 121.

When you fast

16 “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. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 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.
— Matthew 6:16-18 NKJV

Notice that Jesus does not say if you fast, but when you fast. Jesus takes for granted that we will fast. Sadly, fasting has been so misunderstood and misused that it seems to be mostly neglected by modern Christians.

Almost 500 years ago Calvin wrote in his Institutes, “Let me say something on fasting: because many, for want of knowing its usefulness undervalue its necessity, and some reject it as altogether superfluous; while on the other hand, where the use of it is not well understood, it easily degenerates into superstition.” (John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion IV.12, 14, 15)

Cultural/Religious Context

14 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.
- Matthew 9:14-15 NKJV

From Matthew 9:14-15, Mark 2:18-20, Luke 5:34-35 we know that fasting was a common practice, so common that some were perplexed as to why Jesus’ disciples did not fast.

An ancient Jewish treatise on fasting from the 1st century a.d., Megillath Ta‘anith, mentions Jews who at that time regularly fasted on the second and fifth days of the week, that is, Monday and Thursday (see Luke 18:12). Although Jewish tradition attributes this custom to the story that Moses began his 40-day fast on Mt. Sinai (see Exodus 34:28) on a Thursday and terminated it on a Monday, it seems probable that the observance of these two days as fasts actually arose from the desire to keep them as far as possible from the Sabbath, and at the same time not to have them too close together. (for more see Strack and Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament, vol. 2, pp. 241-243. quoted in Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980), 584.)

Fasting in itself is not the problem, the problem lies in what it can become.

Too often fasting degenerated into a means of righteousness by works through which men hoped to appease an austere God and earn His favor, regardless of the state of their hearts.
— Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980), 584.

Centuries before Jesus was born prophets had declared what God was interested in, and it was not in their fasts and other religious rituals.

Fasting

There are two chapters from the Old Testament that I find especially helpful when studying the topic of fasting. One of the is Zecharaiah 7.

7 Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2 when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the Lord, 3 and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? 6 When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? 7 Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’

11 “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. 14 “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
— Zachariah 7 NKJV

Fasting is not compatible with rebellious disobedience. It is not that Israel was trying to do good but failed. They refused to listen to the prophets and rebelled against God, which also caused God to not listen when they called out.

Another chapter from the Old Testament that helps us understand what God values regarding fasting is 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.
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.
3 ‘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.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will 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,
10 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.
11 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.
12 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.

13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
—Isaiah 58 NKJV

Fasting is not a magical pill. Fasting is not something you can do isolated from your personal relationship with God. You can’t live your life in rebellion against God’s will and expect fasting and prayer to work when you have no desire to have Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that accompanies your love and devotion to God. True fasting springs from a sincere desire to draw close to God and not a performance or a desire to simply have God do your bidding.

Why fast?

In my study of fasting, I came across interesting and helpful insights.

Self-discipline

Fasting strengthens self-discipline, it lessens the hold of material things upon us, it shows God that we mean business, it lessens the power of habit, and it enables us to seek God without distraction.
—Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 102.

I would change the sentiment in this quote slightly and say that fasting shows us that we mean business. God knows our hearts, but we don’t, we can fool ourselves. But when we fast we show ourselves that we are serious about connecting with God, that we are serious about our spiritual journey, and that we truly desire to draw closer to God. When we act it strengthens our faith by revealing to ourselves that we are serious about our devotion to God.

There is a value to self-disicpline (1 Timothy 4:7; Romans 13:14; 1 Corinthians 9:23-24, 27; 2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 25:28; Galatians 5:22-23; Titus 1:8 etc.) and fasting is an opportunity to practice self-disicpline and remind us that we are not controlled by our apetites.

Humbling ourselves before God

Unless our fasting be that which marks such a heartfelt sense of sin and of seeking unto God as will brook no diversion from its purpose, moving us spontaneously and for the time being with a lack of appetite for all things else, then it is but a superstition, a piece of morbid formalism.
— Arthur Walkington Pink, An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2005), 175.

Another reason for fasting is a way of humbling ourselves before God. (Psalm 69:10; 1 Kings 21:27,29; Ezra 8:21) Fasting reminds us that we do not provide for ourselves God provides for us and we do not deserve His blessings. At times our sense of sin is so strong that we desire God more than we desire food. We fast because food became less important than seeking God for a period of time.

Just to clarify, fasting does not endear us to God. God loves us and nothing we do can make Him love us any more than He already does (Romans 5:8; 8:35-39; Psalm 36:5-7; John 3:16) Fasting reminds us of our great need of God and places our relationship with Him above our desire for food for a period of time.

The object of the fast which God calls upon us to keep is not to afflict the body for the sin of the soul, but to aid us in perceiving the grievous character of sin, in humbling the heart before God and receiving His pardoning grace. His command to Israel was, “Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God.” Joel 2:13.
— Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing p87.

Sharpness of mind

There are times when the Christian needs keenness of thought and discriminating judgment; he may have important decisions to make, or may need to discern more clearly the will of God. Under such circumstances fasting can prove a great blessing. Such fasting may not necessarily mean complete abstinence from food, but a diet limited to the simple essentials for maintaining health and vigor. The Christian may, like Daniel, refrain from the use of “pleasant bread” (Dan 10:3). God is not honored and one’s Christian experience is not promoted by any practice that weakens the body or impairs the health. See Matt. 6:16.
— Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980), 584.

When we need to make a big decision and we need special guidance from God and fasting allows for greater clarity of thought. (Acts 13:2-3)

How long should you fast for?

Some examples of fasting from the Bible for different lengths of time.

David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.
— 2 Samuel 12:16 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!”
— Esther 4:16 NKJV

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 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.
Daniel 10:2-3 NKJV

These examples show us that fast can be for different lengths of time and of different nature. Queen Esther fasted from food or water, Daniel fasted from “pleasant food” for a month, and David fasted and refused to sleep on his bed. Based on these verses I believe that if a medical condition keeps you from fasting from food you can find a fast that works for you, where you give up something you enjoy, what you would consider “pleasant food” or as David refused to sleep on his bed, maybe you could give up social media, or secular entertainment for a period where you will more diligently seek God.

The important part is seeking God, and fasting for a purpose. Otherwise, you’re just going on a diet or doing a cleanse. Fasting is not punishing yourself but carving out a time to seek God more intentionally.

Do not be like the hypocrites

When you advertise what should remain a secret between your soul and God, employing counterfeit sadness or ostentatious grief, you reduce what should be held in great sanctity to a mockery and a farce. Genuine fasting originates from a deep sense of unworthiness before God. To make it into a podium from which to proclaim our sanctity and humility is turning light into darkness. The Pharisees deliberately made efforts to look emaciated and hungry to better advertize their fasting. They exhibited all the external appearances of humiliation while their hearts were lifted up with spiritual pride. The problem was not so much their behavior as the truth and sincerity of heart it lacked.

If we have to look miserable to be considered spiritual, then there is something wrong with our views of spirituality.
—Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 27.

When your spiritual journey becomes only a series of religious behaviors aimed at impressing those around you, you become a hypocrite. Your walk with God becomes a performance to be observed by others.

Hypocrisy robs us of the reality of Christian living.
When we care more about our reputation than our character,
when we care more about what others will think about our prayer than about an authentic conversation with God,
when we give money as a substitute for true heart devotion,
we become like the Pharisees of Jesus’ time,
who He compared to whitewashed tombs that looked good on the outside but were filthy on the inside (Matthew 23:27-28)

Hypocrisy robs us of spiritual rewards.
We exchange the eternal approval of God
for the shallow praise of those around us.
Our spiritual life becomes hollow and lifeless.
We pray but there are no answers,
we fast but experience no true transformation.
Not only do we miss God’s blessings here and now,
but we also lose God's reward when Jesus returns.

Hypocrisy robs us of true spiritual influence.
Fake Christians hurt the kingdom of God more than any atheist ever could.

Do you want to overcome hypocrisy? The first step is to be honest with God in your secret life. Never pray anything that you do not mean from the heart, lest your prayers become babbling empty words. Your motivation must be to please God alone, regardless of who is watching and what they might say or do. Develop your heart, strengthen your character in the secret place, when no one is watching.

When reputation becomes more important than character, we have become hypocrites.
— Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 27.

Takeaway

We should be more concerned about the state of our hearts than external performances. External behavior will flow from a contrite heart, so focus on the condition of your heart instead of the outward behavior. Focus on your heart, whether you’re helping the needy, praying, or fasting, do it sincerely seeking to honor God. Give your heart to Jesus and allow Him to transform everything about you from the inside out.

My challenge for you

Engage in the spiritual disciplines of helping those in need, spending time in prayer, and fasting, out of a sincere desire to open yourself to God. Surrender to God and allow Him to bring about the changes He wants you to experience in your life. Don’t worry about what others will think, do, or say. Follow God, with all your heart, with all that you are. Be an authentic Christian. You don’t have to have it all figured out, just don’t be fake. Don’t engage in religious behavior just because of the optics, but out of a sincere desire to be used by God for His honor and glory.

So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
— Joel 2:13 NKJV