The Truth About Fasting Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

16 “Now 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. 17 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 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. (Matthew 6:16–18 LSB)

Eating is a powerful communal part of the human life. We don’t eat just to survive; our eating is inextricably connected to fellowship and intimacy. Think about this God gave us taste buds for the enjoyment of a variety of foods. And it is human to enjoy food together. There is something special about sitting around a table eating together that draws people closer together. Men and women who are dating will connect over a nice dinner. We celebrate our anniversaries over a candlelit meal at a fancy restaurant. We celebrate birthdays and religious observances around a meal. Even Jesus instituted the remembrance of his atonement for our sins with a meal.

To go without eating is a major deal for most people, and when food is scarce, people will eat nearly anything to survive. A hiker was charged with eating an endangered species while tracking the woods of California. After hearing the man had eaten a condor, the judge quickly passed a harsh sentence of 10 years behind bars. The man pleaded with the judge to hear his side of the story because he felt circumstances justified his actions. The judge was interested to hear how anyone could rationalize killing a protected bird, so he allowed the man to speak. The hiker explained how he had been lost in the wilderness for three days and nights without any food or water. He then spotted the bird sitting on a rock. He threw a rock and killed the bird with the little strength he had left. After eating the condor, he walked another three days without food or water before being rescued.

He said, "Your honor, had I not eaten that bird, I wouldn’t be here today."

The judge was moved by the story and suspended the hiker’s sentence. As they left the courtroom, the judge asked the man what a condor tastes like. The man thought for a moment and said, "It’s kind of a cross b/w a bald eagle and a spotted owl." (Joseph Rogers, Sermon Central)

I remember moving across the country many years ago. Andrea and I stopped at the Alabama - Mississippi border beside the Mississippi River to rest after a long day’s drive. The only restaurant nearby was a Waffle House, and I went there to pick up a couple of hamburgers before we went to bed. They were the best hamburgers we had!

The connection of eating to God goes back to His very creation. He said to Adam in Gen 1:30, “and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that creeps on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food.”

And so we understand that food is a gift from God, and He gave us food as part of our pleasure in life. So it is not surprising, there is a connection between food and God. When God and two angels visited Abram, they dined together (Genesis 18:1-15).

When the resurrected Jesus met his disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he invited them to a breakfast of fish over the fire (John 21:12). One of the qualities of separating the sheep from the goats in Jesus’ parable is based on the one who provided food to the hungry (Matthew 25:35). We are told in Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” I believe entertaining here is providing a meal (not Netflix). Even in the Lord’s prayer that we just studied, Jesus tells us to pray, Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”

So it should be no surprise that fasting is something associated with the Christian faith and should be something we as believers practice. In fact, Jesus doesn’t say in our passage, “If you fast.” He says, “When you fast” However, Jesus also provides us with some careful instructions regarding fasting. And fasting is not for show, like tithing, prayer, and worship. It is not for piety or to prove how spiritual we are to others.

You should also know that fasting is something that is not unique to biblical practice. Many people fast for various reasons. Some of us do so when we have to get our blood drawn at the lab. Others do so to try to lose weight. People go without eating for days or weeks because of a mental condition.