Invocavit

From ancient times the people of God have observed the season of Lent as a time for repentance accompanied by bodily fasting. It is fitting that repentance and fasting would go hand in hand, since the fall into sin involved a failure to fast from the forbidden fruit. Denying the wants of the physical body is a good spiritual exercise that Christians have observed almost since the beginning of time. And yet, every year I hear some well-meaning folks suggesting a new approach to Lent: “This year, instead of fasting—instead of giving something up—how about adding something good? Spend an extra 30 minutes reading your Bible. Put an extra $20 in the offering plate. Spend an afternoon each week volunteering at the local food bank.”

These are not wicked suggestions, but they strike me as a bit arrogant. Are we so much wiser than the countless generations of Christians who came before us? Do we really think that we know better than they how to promote spiritual discipline? We Americans are especially accustomed to our lives of instant gratification and the indulgence of every desire. Perhaps we of all Christians stand to benefit most from the ancient discipline of fasting, as the concept of going without is so utterly foreign to our comfortable, middle-class lives.

And so I urge you, don’t get cute and think that you have a better way of observing Lent that our fathers in the faith. Instead, follow their example by giving something up during these forty days—something that you will miss, something meaningful that requires discipline. As a Christian, there are many things your sinful heart may desire—some are harmless, but others are deadly and destructive to the soul. Lent is an opportunity to say to your soul, “Get used to not getting everything you want.” Lent is practicing the habit of being and living as a Christian. And if you practice saying no to something that is not deadly should you give in, you will be better prepared to say no when your soul hangs in the balance.

Someone might ask, “How can fasting from food be spiritual?” A fair question, but don’t forget that we are both spiritual and physical beings. You might say we are hybrids, and the devil knows this. He knows that the best time to ensnare us in spiritual deception is when the body is weak, when we are tired, thirsty, or hungry. He knows that the stomach is often the quickest path to the heart.

With this in mind, consider the two great temptations of man, both of which we heard read today. Twice in the history of the world, one man, each acting as a representative for all humankind, was tempted by the devil—Adam in Paradise, and Jesus in the wilderness. Each man was perfect, without sin. Each man was fully human, capable of feeling hunger, pain, exhaustion, that is, subject to the needs and desires of the body. And in each case, what was Satan’s weapon of choice? Food. Of course, that’s not the devil’s end-game. He doesn’t actually care about food, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. The devil’s ultimate play is, “Fall down and worship me!”, but he never leads with that. He doesn’t say, “Hi, I’m the devil, and I’m here to destroy your faith, rob you of every good gift of God, and sent you to hell for all eternity.” Instead, the tempter says, “Hey, want some fruit? How about some bread? And while you’re eating it, let me tell you all the ways God has failed to provide for you. Did you know that He doesn’t want you to have the knowledge of evil? There are things God doesn’t want you to experience, like war and cancer and death. God is holding back from you. What kind of a Father would let his child go hungry? If you are a son of God…”

The bread is not really the issue. Behind that seemingly innocent temptation is the suggestion that God cannot be trusted. The fact that you are hungry seems to be proof that God doesn’t provide. It’s hard to ignore the rumblings of an empty stomach. And Satan has been using this to his advantage for thousands of years. That is why, as Christians, it’s beneficial, even necessary, for us to practice going without. This is parallel to what the Bible calls “mortifying the desires of the flesh.” The sinful nature along with all evil desires needs to be drowned and die every day. And your trust in God needs to grow and be strengthened. Fasting helps to put to death the sinful nature even as it strengthens your faith in the care and providence of your heavenly Father.

As you do this, you are telling your soul, “Yes, I may feel hungry today. Yes, I may not feel like I have everything I need. Yes, my emotions do not feel content. But I am not a slave to my feelings. God’s promise to care for me still stands.” The world tells us that we are no more than animals with no choice but to satisfy every base, animalistic craving. It tells you, “If it feels good, do it,” and, “Avoid suffering at any cost.” But the Word of God teaches us that the sufferings of this life are helping to conform us to the image of Christ.

The devil promises everything now, with eternal sorrow thereafter. God promises eternal blessing, accompanied by suffering now. When you engage in fasting, you are training your mind, your body, your soul to look beyond this world that is passing away, to the one that is to come. This is an exercise of faith in the promises of Jesus, who says, “In this life you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).

And this is perhaps the greatest benefit to fasting. Because we are physical creatures, every one of our senses is continually pulling our attention away from the spiritual things that matter, and directing our focus solely to the trappings of this life: comfort, security, health, pleasure, entertainment, etc. Fasting reminds us that there is a greater reality than the things we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. These things are not what life is truly about. The words of Jesus during his fast in the wilderness help direct our own fasting: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). Fasting directs our gaze away from the things that are perishing to the things that are eternal. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus says, “but my words will never pass away” (Mt 24:35).

If you have not done so before, I encourage you to mark the days of Lent with fasting, following the faithful example of the saints of old, of Moses, and Elijah, and even the Lord Jesus. Not a total fast, mind you, but enough of a fast to cause some discomfort. It is good for the soul. Fasting will not make you righteous in the eyes of God. It won’t open the doors of heaven for you. Jesus has already done that with his perfect life and obedient death on the cross. But fasting will help to strengthen your faith in His victory over sin, death, and the devil. And it will teach your heart to yearn ever more strongly for the true bread of life. Satan would have you trying to eat stones, but our Lord Jesus feeds you with the bread of His own broken body. And whoever eats this bread, Jesus says, will live forever. Amen.