I have entitled our message this morning, “The Right Way to Fast.” Jesus both practiced fasting and taught about it; and yet, fasting is something that is often feared and misunderstood. In many Christian circles, you rarely even hear about fasting; and yet, the Scripture mentions it more times than something as important as baptism (seventy-seven times for fasting, to seventy-five times for baptism). Believers in a gluttonous, self-indulgent society may struggle to accept and practice fasting, but we need to learn about it and occasionally, if not often, practice this spiritual discipline.
A biblical definition of fasting is “a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.” Fasting is more than just the ultimate crash diet for the body. It is abstinence from food, to help us grow in our faith. Ben Patterson says, “Fasting is a matter of exchanging one form of hunger for another. By withholding physical food from our bodies, we elevate the likelihood of developing a spiritual appetite.” He continues to say that the meaning of all hunger is to point us to God; therefore, this means that we can use physical hunger to our spiritual advantage.(1) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
In our passage of Scripture this morning, we are going to look at what Jesus has to say about our physical appearance when fasting. When seeking a deeper spiritual experience with God, we are still in a physical body. Though our heart is seen by God, our physical appearance is seen by people; and the way we present ourselves physically; or rather, our outward expression; can speak volumes about the inner man. So, a good question to get us thinking is this: “Who are we trying to impress when we fast? Jesus or the people around us?” In our passage today, we are going to discover that God is more concerned about our heart-posture than our physical posture and appearance.
Jesus’ Admonition on Fasting (Matthew 6:16-18)
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.
I want to begin this exposition by pointing out how, in verse 16, Jesus said, “Moreover, when you fast.” He also said in verse 17, “But you, when you fast.” By these statements, and by providing instructions on what to do and what not to do, Jesus assumed that believers will fast. This expectation is even more obvious when we compare these words with what He said about benevolence and prayer just a few verses prior in the same chapter. In Matthew 6:2, for example, Jesus said: “When you do a charitable deed,” and in Matthew 6:5, “And when you pray.” No one doubts that we are supposed to give and devote ourselves to prayer, and we often use these verses to teach about these principles. So, it seems safe to say that Jesus still expects His followers to fast even today, just as He expects us to give and pray.
So, let us look at how the Jews fasted during the time of Jesus; and see if we can learn the problem that He was addressing. In that day and time, “fasting lasted from dawn until sunset. Outside that time, normal meals could be eaten. For the Jew, in the time of Jesus, there was only one [required] fast, the fast on the Day of Atonement. On that day, from morning to evening, all men had to ‘afflict their souls’ [according to Leviticus 16:31]. The Jewish scribal law lays it down: ‘On the Day of Atonement it is forbidden to eat, or to drink, or to bathe, or to anoint oneself, or to wear sandals . . . Although there was only the one [required], universal day of fasting, the Jews made great use of private fasting,”(2) such as fasting in mourning and grief over the loss of a loved one, fasting as an act of penitence, and fasting in preparation for revelation from God.(3)
Jesus said, “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites” (v. 16). Back in Matthew 6:1-8, He also admonished not to be like the hypocrites when giving alms and praying. We recently looked at Matthew 6:2 and also verse 5, and we learned that the word “hypocrite” is a Greek term that means “actor in a play.” It can also mean “to pretend,” “to conceal one’s true motives,” and “to wear a mask.”(4) So, to whom was Jesus referring? Well, in Matthew 23:13, Jesus said, “Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” The Scribes and Pharisees were the hypocrites! What they did wrong was they would put on “a sad countenance,” which A.T. Robertson says was “a gloomy look,”(5) and they would also “disfigure their faces” (v. 16), so that people would assume they were fasting. So, let us dig into this some more!
“The Pharisees fasted each Monday and Thursday,”(6) or twice a week. In Luke 18:11-12, we read that there was a “Pharisee [who] stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men . . . I fast twice a week; [and] I give tithes of all that I possess’.” These two days – Monday and Thursday – “were market days, and into the towns and villages, and especially into Jerusalem . . . the people from the country [went]. The result was that those who were [conspicuously] fasting would, on those days, have a bigger audience to see and admire their piety. There were many who took deliberate steps to see that others could not miss the fact that they were fasting. They walked through the streets with hair deliberately unkempt and disheveled, [and] with clothes deliberately soiled and disarrayed.”(7)
They would also “disfigure their faces” (v. 16). Robertson points out a play on words here in the original language. The Greek word for “they disfigure” is aphonizousi, and the word for “may appear” is phanosin.(8) A better way to translate this verse to retain this play on words would be like this: “They ‘disfigure’ their faces, that men may ‘figure them’ to be fasting.” It would be like us saying, “They ‘misrepresent’ their faces, that they may ‘present’ themselves as fasting.” According to commentator William Barclay, the phrase “disfigure their faces” (v. 16) meant that “they even went the length of deliberately whitening their faces to accentuate their paleness.”(9)
So, these hypocrites; these actors – the Scribes and Pharisees – would powder their faces and wear a costume of tattered clothing, as though they were getting all dressed up for a stage production. This sounds a lot like Japanese kabuki theater, where the actors will put on excessive amounts of white makeup. “The Japan Times reports that ‘kabuki’ comes from the verb ‘kabuku,’ meaning, ‘to slant or to sway,’ and is used to describe ‘people who were out of the ordinary and preferred to dress in extravagant attire’.” The phrase “kabuki theater” is sometimes used in political discourse to describe an event characterized more by showmanship than by content(10) – and this fits the Scribes and Pharisees all too well!
In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus said, “Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Jesus used an interesting choice of words. The Scribes and Pharisees would put on white makeup when they fasted, and Jesus later called them “whitewashed tombs” that look good on the outside; but inside are a complete mess - kabuki theater!
Jesus said of those who deliberately show off their fasting, “They have their reward” (v. 16). He made this same statement back in verse 2, when He spoke of those who make a public spectacle of their charitable giving. Let me remind us about what Jesus meant. This phrase can literally be translated, “They can sign the receipt of their reward.”(11) Jesus wanted the Scribes and Pharisees to know how God felt about their behavior. When God considered their pursuit of recognition, He was telling them, “Here is your proof of payment! Now, sign it and move on! If you fast to demonstrate your piety, you 'will' get the admiration of men. But that is all you will ever get! That is your payment in full; and you will forfeit the rewards that only God can give.”
In verses 17-18, Jesus said that if we want to make sure people do not know that we are fasting, we should “anoint our head” (as with oil) and “wash our face.” “Anointing was a symbol of joy, forbidden on the Day of Atonement.”(12) In fact, both anointing and washing one’s face “were forbidden in the Jewish canon on days of fasting and humiliation; and the hypocrites [took advantage] of this ordinance, that they might appear to fast.”(13) The Law forbade anointing and washing; and yet, Jesus proposed that one anoint his head and wash his face when he fasted. We have seen this before, where Jesus seemed to contradict the Law (cf. Matthew 5:21-22). But I must emphasize that Jesus never took away from the Law or contradicted it (cf. Matthew 5:17-18). As the Word made flesh, He used His authority to add, expand, interpret, and provide commentary.
“The practice of anointing with perfumed oil was common among the Hebrews . . . It was the custom of the Jews . . . to anoint themselves with oil, as a means of refreshing or invigorating their bodies.”(14) In fact, numerous “cultures around the Mediterranean Sea practiced anointing with oil. It was part of grooming, similar to using gel to make hair stay in place . . . Omitting oil from grooming could indicate poverty, grief, or a religious reason for self-deprivation.”(15) When Jesus said to go ahead and use oil and to wash one’s face, He was saying, “Make sure you look pleasant and presentable, just as you do on ordinary days. Do this on purpose, to conceal your devotion.”(16) Warren Wiersbe says, “If we have to look miserable to be considered spiritual, then there is something wrong with our views on spirituality.”(17)
Now, Jesus ended by saying that the only one who should know about our fasting is our heavenly Father (v. 17); “and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (v. 18). The New International Version ends by simply saying, “And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”(18) Suffice it to say, that we are not supposed to be seeking any kind of public and “open” accolades, as our reward is from our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1).
Time of Reflection
So, what we have learned from this passage is that Jesus expects His followers to fast from time to time. However, when we do fast, we must have the right motivation; which is to draw closer to God, rather than receiving the praise and admiration of people. This means we need to be mindful of our outward appearance; not in vanity, but in consideration of humility before God. Instead of appearing to others like we are suffering from malnutrition, we should present ourselves as we would on any other day, being well-dressed and well-groomed. In this way, only our heavenly Father will know that we are fasting, which is as it should be. When we come before the Lord in this manner, then He will reward us spiritually.
In Matthew 9:15, Jesus said, “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.” In John 3:29, John the Baptist declared, “The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.” So, who are the bridegroom and His friends? The bridegroom is Jesus Christ. You cannot participate in a fast, or know Him in a deeper spiritual way, unless you are one of His friends. A friend is someone who has confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord.
In John 15:13-15, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Jesus laid down His life on the cross for those who choose to call Him Savior and Lord; for those who will thereby become His friends. He died on the cross, in order that we might have a relationship with the heavenly Father, obey His commands, and receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. So, I must close by asking, "Are you a friend of the bridegroom? Do you know Jesus as Savior and Lord?" If not, I invite you to come.
NOTES
(1) Ben Patterson, “Hungry for God,” Illustration Exchange: https://illustrationexchange.com/illustrations?category=82 (Accessed October 2, 2023).
(2) William Barclay, “The Gospel of Matthew,” The Daily Study Bible, vol 1 (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1958), p. 235.
(3) Ibid., pp. 235-236.
(4) A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1930), p. 50.
(5) Ibid., p. 55.
(6) Warren Wiersbe, “The Complete New Testament in One Volume,” The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2007), p. 23.
(7) Barclay, p. 237.
(8) Robertson, p. 55.
(9) Barclay, p. 237.
(10) “Kabuki Theater,” Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/kabuki-theater/ (Accessed September 19, 2023).
(11) Robertson, p. 51.
(12) Frank Stagg, “Matthew,” The Broadman Bible Commentary, vol. 8 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1969), p. 117.
(13) Adam Clark, “Matthew to Acts,” Clark’s Commentary, vol. 5 (New York: Abingdon Press), p. 89.
(14) “Anoint,” Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Power BibleCD (Bronson, MI: Online Publishing, Inc., 2007).
(15) Rick Wheeler, “What Does the Bible Say About Anointing Yourself with Oil?” Quora: https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-Bible-say-about-anointing-yourself-with-olive-oil (Accessed September 22, 2023).
(16) Matthew Henry, “New Testament,” The NIV Matthew Henry Commentary in One Volume (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1992), p. 29.
(17) Wiersbe, p. 23.
(18) Robertson, p. 56. He states, “The Textus Receptus adds . . . ‘openly,’ but it is not genuine.” Textus Receptus, Latin for “received text,” refers to the succession of printed editions of the Greek New Testament from Erasmus’ Novum Instrumentum Omne (1516) to the Elzevir Edition (1633).
