As most of you are aware, we are studying through the Sermon on the Mount, or what I like to call the Manifesto of the Kingdom of Heaven. And we are here today looking at the subject of fasting, as part of the Lord Jesus’s message. I find it ironic that on the day when we have scheduled a brunch to follow the service, we would be dealing with the subject of fasting. I assure you that was not intentional, even though it may seem that I might be angling to have more French toast left over for myself. That’s purely coincidental, I promise.
Fasting has not been in vogue among Evangelicals for the most part for many years, perhaps due to a reaction against the wrong emphasis traditionally given to fasting by the Roman Catholic church. But the Lord obviously considers it a principle that needs correction as it was practiced in His day. And the fact that it was practiced by both the Old and New Testament saints should be obvious to anyone that has studied scripture in even a cursory way.
Jesus has been talking at this point in His sermon about public expressions of religion that are often done for personal advantage rather than solely for God. In vs.1 He says, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” Then as an illustration of this principle, Jesus gives three examples of ways in which people practice righteousness to be seen of men. The first illustration is that of giving, the second is prayer, and the third is fasting.
Now in His discourse Jesus was primarily concerned with the negative aspect of fasting, that is it’s ostentatiousness, the tendency to do it to be noticed by men. But because it is something that is not understood today nor practiced today very often, and surely not often as it should be, then perhaps it is best if we start by considering what the Bible says we are to do in regards to fasting, and then what the Lord says we are not to do.
So then what is expected of us in regards to fasting according to the Bible? Is it a valid spiritual discipline or not? First of all, we should recognize that fasting is commanded in the Old Testament. The children of Israel were commanded to fast on the Day of Atonement, which of course was one day a year. But in addition to that, we see many instances in which the Israelites fasted for additional periods. In the New Testament, we see that the Pharisees fasted twice a week. However, they were not ever told to do so.
As concerning the Lord’s teaching regarding fasting, He did not expressly teach it, but He certainly taught it indirectly. First of all, in the passage before us today He said, “When you fast…” It is understood that they would fast. Furthermore, in chapter 9 of Matthew, He was asked about fasting. They said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” 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.” And so there Jesus implies that though fasting was not being practiced by His disciples, it was something that would be done when He was no longer with them. And so by extension, it’s something that we should do today.
And one final example of fasting is that which was done by the Lord Himself when He was tempted in the wilderness. On that occasion, He was led by the Holy Spirit, and He fasted for 40 days. By the way, I have heard of a number of documented cases of someone who fasted for 40 days and they died as a result of it. Perhaps not simply died from the lack of food, but from other illnesses that arose due to their immune system being depleted, or something like that. But I would discourage anyone from thinking that is something that we should strive for. However, the fact that Jesus fasted, certainly indicates that we should follow His example. There is nothing He did which was superfluous, or which was not the Father’s will. So the fact that He fasted should be an indication that we are to fast as well.
Furthermore we see illustrations of the early church and the apostles practicing fasting. For instance, when the church at Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas they first spent a period of prayer and fasting. Paul remarks that he often fasted. And even in the more modern period of the church, we find that most of the great men of God such as the Wesley’s, George Whitfield, Calvin all fasted on regular occasions.
So since we have confirmed the historical and biblical precedents for fasting, then we must define it. What exactly is meant by fasting? What is accomplished by it? You will recall that last Sunday I spent some time talking about the fact that man is mind, body and spirit unified in some mystical way into one being. And so they each depend and interact with one another. I believe that you can affect the mind through the spirit, and the body through the mind. And so there can be some effect on the mind through the actions of the body and the spirit. I have often counseled people who were suffering from depression or anxiety that they should work on the body and the spirit in hopes of elevating the mind. You can exercise the body, but it is difficult to exercise the mind, especially when you are ill in your mind. But bodily exercise can have an effect on the mind. And certainly, through spiritual exercise we can control the mind. The Bible teaches that the body and mind are to be subject to the spirit. And also fasting, as it relates to the body can also have a bearing on the mind and the spirit.
Today, there is a great deal of interest in the subject of fasting from a strictly human perspective. I have practiced something called Intermittent Fasting, which is done for health reasons. But even secular fitness experts have noted that fasting causes an increase in mental health and a sense of well being. They claim it not only helps in lowering fat, but also lowering cortisol, which is a stress hormone, and that it gives clarity and focus to the mind as well as a sense of well being.
And as Intermittent Fasting has gained popularity, it has also raised awareness of more intensive fasting, such as 24 or 48 hour fasts. There are multiple physical benefits to fasting and people are becoming aware of them. So while all those things are good, and possibly even helpful on a mental or even a spiritual plane, that is not what the Bible indicates the purpose of fasting is for.
I believe the Bible shows us that fasting is always related to prayer. We never see fasting as a means in and of itself. I think the order in which Jesus addresses fasting and prayer shows that fasting is subservient to prayer. It follows His discourse on prayer. It’s not something which stands alone as a means of righteousness, or even as a means of spiritualness. As I just pointed out, there are a lot of benefits to fasting on a physical level that have nothing to do with the spiritual. So fasting as a Christian, for the purpose of drawing near to God, has to do with prayer and making my prayer life more effective.
If we fast purely for the sake of fasting, as some sort of ceremonial thing we do at certain times of the year, then I believe we are violating the biblical teaching in regards to fasting. If fasting is an end to itself, then it is of no effect spiritually. Anything we do as a matter of rote, as a matter of obligation to a certain schedule, is in violation of the spiritual principle. And what I mean by that is to fast with the goal of getting a certain direct or immediate result is to view fasting in a mechanical way, a quid pro quo with the Lord in which since you did this, you can expect that in return. We don’t fast to get the results we want. It’s not a means of getting God’s blessings.
This kind of attitude in Christianity is pervasive to all sorts of things, not just in fasting. I read an interview from the modern false prophet Joseph Prince on Fox News the other day, and he was promoting a new book in which he says if you take communion you can expect God to heal you. And he relates a story of his son who was injured, and they began daily communion with him in the hospital, and he recovered twice as fast as the doctors had said he would. And so he has this book outlining how you can administer communion to yourself every day and see tremendous blessings and healing. Nothing in the Bible even remotely implies that, but that doesn’t seem to faze him. It’s just another way for him to make millions off of a book making false claims. But the point is that he is teaching a quid pro quo style of religion, where if you do something in a mechanical way, then God will be obligated to respond as you want.
And in a like manner, fasting is not a means of gaining God’s blessings, or healing or anything like that. So while there are definitely some physical benefits to fasting, we must not mistake that for the spiritual benefit that we should be practicing it for. The goal of fasting is to make us more spiritually attuned to the Lord’s leading.
Our desire to enter into fasting should be because we are led by God to do so, when I am intent on drawing near to God, when I feel there is a need to be solely consumed by my devotion to God and my desire to be led by God. It is a means to put aside the pleasures of the flesh that I might devote all my energies to the pursuit of God in the spiritual realm.
The other thing that I think is taught about fasting when you consider the past examples in scripture, is that of an attitude of repentance. I think that fasting, and the things that went along with it such as sackcloth and ashes, were used to demonstrate repentance and humbleness before God. Sackcloth and ashes were used to make the person uncomfortable, as a sign of mourning. And in the Bible we often see the attitude of true repentance being accompanied with fasting.
For instance, in the story of Jonah and Ninevah, the prophet Jonah eventually preached to Ninevah the message God gave him to preach, and the king responded according to Jonah 3:7-10 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands. Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.”
And so God responded to their prayer, which was a prayer of repentance. To repent is to turn, and the king said, “let everyone turn from his evil way.” That’s repentance. And fasting can be a visible demonstration of the heart of repentance.
Listen, often the problem with our prayer life is that we have an impure heart. We can have impure motives. James said in James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.” And the problem with fasting as Jesus described it is simply that. You don’t have a pure heart. You’re not really fasting as a corollary to intense prayer and spiritual struggle. Your heart isn’t right. And that is exactly the problem of the scribes and the Pharisees. Their hearts were not right.
David said in Psalm 66:18 “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear me.” James “said the effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.” So there is obviously a correlation between prayer and righteousness. And while fasting is not a means of righteousness, it is a means of showing repentance. And repentance is necessary to be right with God and that we might have effective prayers.
Another reason for fasting I believe can be found in the example of Jesus. He fasted for 40 days. And yet Jesus did not need to repent. He was without sin. So why did He fast? I used to think that it was a part of His trial, that He fasted to make Himself weak so that He would be tested more severely. But that’s not it at all. I believe the Lord Jesus fasted not to become weaker, but to become stronger. Fasting may weaken you physically, but it makes you stronger spiritually. Jesus said when He was tempted in the wilderness while fasting, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” There is a food that is spiritual that supersedes that which is physical. And I think that is the reason that we should fast, to receive spiritual sustenance which has a far greater value than food.
So even in our weakness from fasting, we gain spiritual strength. Paul said concerning weakness in 2Cor. 12:9-10 “And [the Lord] has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
So fasting is a means of drawing near to God, it can be a demonstration of a repentant heart, and it can be a source of spiritual strength. But what it is not to be is a demonstration externally for others to see so that they notice how spiritual you are. Jesus says in vs16, “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
Now I hate to have to say this, but that’s one of the characteristics of the way a lot of churches practice Lent, which is supposed to be 40 days of fasting. They mark the forehead of the person fasting with charcoal in the shape of a cross, and then you are supposed to leave that on there and not wash it off. The whole point then seems to be they want to be noticed by men. And Jesus says that is the only reward they will receive, the temporary adulation of man.
But rather, Jesus says fasting as God would have us to fast, is something that takes place on the inside. It’s an attitude of the heart. It’s an attitude of repentance, of leaning not on your strength but on the Lord’s. And to that heart which God sees, God will reward accordingly. Jesus says in vs17 "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.”
Listen, the most important thing in our lives should be that we are right with God and concerned about pleasing Him. Our greatest desire should be to be in complete fellowship with Him. Then we can be certain that we are praying according to His will and that whatever we ask of Him we can be certain of receiving. We can be confident that we can do whatever He calls us to do by the strength which He supplies. And our reward is to be in fellowship with Him both now and forever. To be one with Him. And through prayer and fasting we can have fellowship with God in a way that supersedes the physical, and enables us to grow spiritually, so that we may be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
We see that this whole idea of fasting is really an illustration of the beatitudes which says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” And “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” That is the goal of our fasting, to be right with God, to be pure in heart, and to draw close to God that we may have unobstructed fellowship with Him.
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