inside, in the heart that counts. The outward can fool us. God looks on the heart. Now, to our text
found in Matt 6:16-18
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

FASTING
I think it’s safe to say, fasting is probably one of most neglected aspects of our practice of discipleship among today’s believers. I expect many of you have never heard a sermon on fasting. But Jesus clearly expected us to fast regularly. So here’s the first shocker, twice in our text Jesus says, "when you fast." It is the same format He’s used with the other two practices, “when you give” and “when you pray.” You can’t miss the implied expectation that of course we’ll fast even as we pray.

I remember in college for my last year, three of us guys rented an apartment together. We were serious about following Christ and deepening our spiritual practices. On a few occasions, we decided to try fasting as a spiritual discipline. However, as we’d think about the next day’s fast, there was a kind of fear that drove us to elaborate preparations for our anticipated missed meals. These often involved a trip to a nearby donut shop where could buy dozen misshaped douts for $1.00. We’d each eat a half dozen or more donuts to get fortified. I suspect we were missing something about the spirit of the fast! Though guilt the next day helped maintain our resolve to not eat.

The truth is, our culture has turned food into a form of idolatry. While most of our world is seriously in need of just enough food to maintain a minimal level of nutrition, we have so much of it and such an incredible variety that the sheer pleasure of eating has overridden need and nutrition. Often we don’t eat to fill up real hunger, but to satisfy a craving. Eating itself has become an obsession. So, talk of fasting not only sounds discordant to us, but may feel impossible. And there’s no question, fasting hits us right where our heart is!

Let’s consider what Jesus is telling us here about fasting and why it is important. As Jesus has with each of the other two practices, He tells us first what not to do and then what to do.

HOW NOT TO FAST
During Jesus' day, fasting was not required, except one time a year, on the Day of Atonement. However, the really pious fasted twice a week, on Monday and Thursday. These also “happened” to correspond to market days which meant towns were crowded, and if you wanted to be seen by the most people, this would be the best time. Do you remember the parable of the Pharisee and Publican in Luke 18? The Pharisee thanked God that he "fasted twice a week." The Pharisees of that day went to great lengths to make sure others knew they were fasting. They would walk through the streets with their hair disheveled, their clothes in disarray, trying to look hungry and

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holy. They would even whiten their faces with ashes to accentuate their paleness and suffering. (I guess they didn’t have Johnson’s baby powder).

Jesus said, fasting is not to impress others or to even to be noticed by others. It is designed to humble us, make us understand how small and frail and needy we really are. The Pharisees had turned it into just the opposite– they used it for self-adulation. Jesus warns us, as with giving and prayer, fasting must be secret or it loses value and actually works against us by cultivating our pride. In secrecy we'll receive benefit and reward. In other words, if it is done because it's expected or to fulfill some perceived regulation or because everyone's doing it, Jesus says you've received your reward– there is little spiritual benefit.

Also, it is important to note that fasting is not a part of earning things from God– a kind of work to do to curry favor. There is no quid pro quo like, “I fasted and prayed three days, therefore I’m sure God will give me what I ask.” Also, it is not Biblical to think of fasting as a way of making up for our failures or atoning for sins.

Why then is Jesus suggesting we fast?

WHY FAST?
First, fasting is often mentioned in Scripture as an aid to prayer and empowering our spiritual life. It was practiced by Jesus in His 40 days in wilderness preceding the launch of His public ministry, following His baptism. Mark points out that “the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness” (Mk. 1:12). For 40 days He fasted, and at the end of that time the devil came to him to tempt Him. I like what Mark Buchanan says about this– it rings true to my spirit.
I have always thought that the devil came to Jesus at his weakest moment, when he was gaunt, wild-eyed, ready to scavenge any moldy crust of bread, scrape any meat shreds off a lamb’s bone.... The devil’s first temptation was to offer Jesus food: “Turn these stones into bread.” I always saw that as attacking Jesus at His lowest, most vulnerable point, tempting Him with the very thing He craved most.

But I’m not so sure anymore. The more I personally learn from fasting, the more I see Jesus actually stood at His strongest when His belly was empty. The 40 days without food, far from weakening Him at the moment of encounter with the devil, actually strengthened Him for it. Jesus was in peak condition, a fighter who had been training hard for 40 days straight. And when He stepped into the ring, His opponent didn’t stand a chance. Jesus’ swift and unflinching rebuttal to the devil was a quote from Deut. 8:3: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” How does anyone get to know, inside out, that this indeed is so?

One thing is almost certain: It’s a truth that’s hard, maybe impossible, to learn between fistfuls and mouthfuls of food.
The devil is attacking Jesus with his best assault to side-track God’s plans. Through fasting and prayer, Jesus was prepared for this big struggle. I’ve found it incredibly fortifying against an enemy assault.
In the book of Acts with the early church, at critical points with decisions or other crises faced, they often fasted and prayed. In Mk. 9:29, after disciples were unable to cast a demon out, Jesus comes and gets the job done. The disciples asked why they failed. Jesus tells them, "this kind comes out only by prayer and fasting." Now, the best, the earliest manuscripts don't have "and fasting." So, this could well have been an early addition by the church, emphasizing the importance they saw of fasting in battling the enemy. But, importantly, it reflects the experience of the early church and the strengthening, empowering role of fasting with prayer.

But, fasting is never an end in itself, but always must be connected with prayer and worship. It needs to be centered in God and a means of drawing near to God. Severed from those roots, it gets centered on us, or becomes a discipline for the sake of discipline. It is always meant to be an aid to prayer and worship– helping our God-focus. Why does fasting intensify prayer and help us focus upon God? Here we see a second reason for fasting.

Second, fasting humbles us and quickly shows us our human frailty and can help us in breaking the cravings of the flesh. David said he, "humbled himself with fasting" (Ps. 35). Eating and drinking are at the core of our physical beings. Perhaps that’s why Jesus chose the communion elements He did, physical ramifications of the spiritual. Richard Foster writes, "More than any other single discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us." The uncomfortable truth is, we often mask our true selves with food. We even use that term, “comfort food.” We can substitute cheap comfort from it instead of going to Jesus for the real comfort He gives. We eat when we’re depressed, when we’re stressed, when we’re angry, when we have a bad day, and when we celebrate a good day. A hamburger and fries can seem to soothe away a lot of hurt. But we also know it is only temporary and doesn’t really fix anything– in fact, it makes things worse in the long run.

Fasting has value in leading us to deep repentance of pride, selfishness, and lack of dependence upon God, as well as revealing our bondage to our physical appetites. With fasting, other cravings of the flesh are often also broken. There is a carry-over effect, enabling better discipline elsewhere. Dallas Willard writes:
"Fasting teaches temperance or self-control and therefore teaches moderation and restraint with regard to  all our fundamental drives.  Since food has the pervasive place it does in our lives, the effects of fasting will be diffused throughout our personality."
In other words, the denial of the flesh in fasting moves us toward the Spirit controlling the body, not the other way around. It gives us a way of breaking through that "crust of self that gathers round us" (to use a George MacDonald phrase). This helps us let go of our desires and relinquish all to the Lord– turning all ourselves to His ways and will. Each time through the day of the fast, as we think of our hunger (which is often), it is a call to turn our thoughts to Jesus who is “the Bread of Life” and to prayer with a deeper sense of dependence upon Him for all our needs.

Third, and this is really just another aspect of the first two reasons, it is a means of bringing our bodies under the discipline of the Spirit. We tend to compartmentalize things, putting the spiritual in one box and our physical selves in another– never the twain shall meet. But Scripture gives quite a different picture. Listen to the words of Paul in I Cor. 6 and 9
            The body is meant for the Lord and the Lord for the body.... Do you not know your bodies            are members of Christ himself? ...Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.                                                                                  (I Cor. 6:13; 15; 19-20)

I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.     (I Cor. 9:27)
Fasting acknowledges the body-spirit connection. The great teacher on prayer, Andrew Murray, expresses this,
            "Prayer is the one hand with which we grasp the invisible; fasting, the other, with which we let loose and cast away the visible."

Because of all this, fasting has a way of breaking us out of the spiritual doldrums, and getting us moving again. The physical nature of it is helpful– putting it beyond the realm of feelings. It is a  specific action we can take (by God’s grace) to stir things up spiritually.

HOW TO FAST
There are various ways and no right or wrong way. There can be a total fast of all food and water. Without water, of course, this needs to be fairly short. Most commonly Christians have used a food fast that includes water. (When I fast, I include coffee since it’s mostly water). Again, this isn’t legalistic, it is a tool for the Spirit to use. So, whatever works for you is good. Also, there are medical conditions that limit what can be done in terms of fasting.

There can also be partial food fasts as for Lent, giving up something meaningful, like dessert or meat or something else you crave. This can be a way of saying “no” to our flesh and increasing out focus upon God and His provision for us.

How long should one fast? Even one meal can be a fast. Historically, Christians have most generally practiced a 24 hr. fast, usually skipping breakfast and lunch. The Didache, a very early second century church document, taught a 24 hour fast on Wednesday and Friday. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodists, wanted to revive this practice and personally fasted twice a week. He urged all Methodists to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. He refused to ordain anyone to the Methodist ministry who did not fast on those two days.

When should we fast? Well, certainly fasting is useful in times of crisis, special need, when we need guidance, and our prayers need this intensification. Also, as I mentioned in the beginning, when we feel stuck in our spiritual lives, this is a way to stir things up. Fasting can also be important as a regular discipline (like practiced weekly or monthly). However, remember this is not a legalism. It is for you to help yourself. Anything that works well for you is okay if the end result is humbling ourselves before God, breaking through that toughened crust of self so you can hear God again and get moving spiritually.

CONCLUSION
Here is a great gift to us taught by Scripture and countless Christians through history. It is a means of humbling ourselves before God, breaking up the hardened ground, so we can receive the rains of His life-giving Spirit.

I’ll close with a story of a personal blessing. I had received a serious hurt to my spirit from another person. I was fearful of what that person could do to me. I was trying to let go, and to forgive. I was willing to forgive, as far as I could discern. But the hurt kept returning, especially in the night or wee hours of the morning. I was angry at myself for letting it get to me so. But, I was stuck. I set aside a day of fasting, not for this, but just to draw closer to God in prayer. I wasn’t even thinking about this hurt when I had decided to fast. So, I wasn’t even consciously praying about this matter– just worshiping the Lord. But, midway through the day, suddenly the burden of that hurt was gone to never return, all to my total surprise. I was amazed at the sudden release and lightness of my spirit.

Don’t be afraid to try fasting to draw closer to God. It needs in some way to be incorporated into our spiritual lives, even as prayer and giving are. If you haven’t tried it, I challenge you to experiment with it. But I want you to do it with a sense of freedom. Sometimes I’ll decide to fast for 24 hours, and it just seems too much, too oppressive, and I quit it. That’s okay. Or perhaps a situation arises where it would be awkward not to eat– like someone invites me for lunch and I feel it really is an opportune time (and mostly with food for me it is opportune). I don’t believe the Lord wants me to sit there drinking a glass of water while they eat, piously telling them I’m fasting.  Talk about a downer for the person wanting to enjoy a juicy hamburger! I need not feel guilty in breaking a fast like that. It is all grace, and fasting is not a required duty. Don’t turn it into a legalistic burden. Yet at other times, the Lord gives grace to enable me to fast. Remember, fasting is a tool to help you, not a means to gain favor with God. At the same time, don’t neglect it. It is a wonderful resource to humble us before God and break us out of the spiritual doldrums.

 

                                                                      +     +     +

                                              JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT
                                                XII. “Renewal Through Fasting”
                              For Further Study and Reflection on Sermon for 1-21-07
                                                              Mtt. 6:1 and 16-18

1.      What kind of experiences have you had with fasting? Was it helpful?

 

2.      If you’ve never tried fasting for spiritual reasons, is it something you might want to try? Why or why not?

 

3.      Some of the Bible characters that we are told fasted, besides Jesus, are Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, and Paul. And, throughout history, Christians have practiced fasting. Why (in general) do today’s Christians rarely practice it or even think about it?

 

4.      At the end of Jesus’ 40 day fast, when Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread, Jesus quoted Deut. 8:3–
One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Why is that such an appropriate Scripture for fasting? What are the deeper implications?

 

5.      In at least two other places in Scripture God was not impressed with fasting. Read Jer. 14:10-12 and Is. 58:3-4. Why?

 

6.      Now read all of Isaiah 58, the Bible’s longest teaching on fasting. Mark Buchanan writes on this saying:
“The fast God chooses teaches us to have His heart for the hungry, the oppressed, the naked, the homeless. It’s to motivate us to do good works, God-works– what Isaiah calls repairing broken walls. When we taste a little brokenness ourselves, we have a greater sense of urgency to repair for others what is broken. Fasting is meant to scour our gut.”
Comment on this idea.

 

7.      Joel 2:12-13 connects fasting with repentance.
'Even now,' declares the LORD,
'return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.'
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

Biblically, fasting is not self-punishment, penance, or atoning for sin. Do you think it can have a role in repentance? Do we need to feel more sorrow over our sins?

 

8.      List a few possible benefits from fasting.

 

List a few possible negatives that can come from fasting: