Christians and Fasting

Previously, Jesus has been addressing misunderstandings of the law and of practice. In this section, he addresses three practices (giving, praying, and fasting). In each of them there is a contrast between the practices of the religious leaders of the day and how followers of Jesus ought to practice them. The religious leaders had an outward focus. Their spiritual disciplines were a show. They needed others to see them for how righteous they were. Ironically, doing the right things for the wrong reasons is not the righteousness of God, but self-righteousness. It is pride in oneself, which leads to glorifying self, not God.

In this final section on spiritual disciplines, Jesus tackles the issue of fasting.

Matthew 6:16–18 NASB95

“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. “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.

In all of these disciplines, there is a common thread. There is an expectation that you participate, and there is an expectation that you do so for an audience of one: your heavenly Father. In giving, praying, and fasting, all are to be done without seeking the praise of others. We should be content with seeking the joy of our Father in heaven. But fasting, of all three of these disciplines, is perhaps the most contended of practices. Everyone knows we ought to give to the poor. Everyone knows we ought to pray. But not everyone believes we ought to fast.

There is no command in the New Testament for Christians to fast. Yet, there is an expectation or assumption that we will. Just like giving and praying, Jesus said when you fast, not if you fast. We have to understand that periods of fasting were more normative in first century Israel than it is in our own. Today, fasting is more popular as a dieting tool than for spiritual purposes. But if we are to participate in fasting, then we need to have a proper understanding of it.

A fast is the intentional abstinence from something for the purpose of pursuing closeness with God.

Fasting in the Bible is almost always abstinence from food for a period of time. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days after his baptism. Moses fasted for forty days prior to receiving the commandments from God. Elijah fasted while escaping Jezebel. Daniel fasted as he waited for an answer to prayer. In every one of these instances, the person fasting abstained from food, from food and water, or just some food. However, food is not the only thing a Christian can fast from. Exodus 19:15 and 1 Corinthians 7:5 both make references to married couples abstaining from sexual intimacy for a time. In 1 Corinthians, Paul states that the purpose of abstinence is to focus on prayer. Since there is no explicit command to fast, and there is at least one example of a fast that does not call from abstaining from food, it is reasonable to conclude that fasting under the new covenant is a matter of liberty.

We are not under obligation to fast at specific times, but there is an expectation that we will. When we fast, how often we fast, what we fast from, and the duration of the fast are all between us and the Lord.

Fasting is a private matter between you and God.

Just like the disciplines of giving to the poor and prayer before it, fasting is a private matter, not a public one. If you are fasting properly, nobody should know about it, but perhaps those closest to you. If you are fasting and I see you out at the post office or the bank, or grocery store, I should not be able to tell. The hypocrites Jesus is talking about were the opposite. Everyone knew they were fasting. It was yet another way they attempted to show everyone else how spiritual they were. The irony is if you have to tell people how spiritual or religious you are, it actually shows how shallow your relationship with God actually is.

When you are going to fast, it is best not to tell another person if you can help it. Fasting is not for everyone else around you. It is for you and God. Don’t make it public. The only time you should let people know you are fasting is when the practice might affect them. For example, if you prepare the meals at home, and you decide to fast, and you choose to abstain from meat, but everyone in the house expects meat on the plate at dinner time, they will be shocked when their reality does not meet expectations. If you are going to change the menu, either do so for yourself and let the other people in your house know, or let them know in advance and let them decide whether they want to join you. Do not force anybody to participate in a fast while you are.

Fasting requires a plan.

When you fast, it is best if you create a plan for the fast. Set the parameters. Decide what you will fast from, for how long, and what you will do in place of it. What happens when you cut something out of your life for a season is your body begins craving what it is missing. It creates a hunger that you will need to suppress. That is part of the point. The hunger or desire you feel for that thing is to remind you that your hunger or desire for closeness with God should be greater. You need a plan to turn to him in the absence of the thing that you used to turn to that you now gave up. So many people focus on what has been given up instead of what they are turning toward. If you only focus on the abstinence and not the pursuit of God, you fail to grasp the purpose of the fast.

What do you want to achieve during this fast? Do you want to read the Bible? Create a plan to do so. Do you want to spend time in prayer? Create a plan to do so. However, do not stop at simply stating a goal as simple as that. Come up with something specific. If you want to read the Bible more, what do you want to read? Is there a book of the Bible you have never read? Is there one you are less familiar with that you want to read again? Make a plan. Determine the length of the fast, then decide how much you would need to read each day. If it is prayer, perhaps take the outline from last week and spend time concentrating on one of those components each day. Maybe on Monday you focus on adoration of God, Tuesday is asking for forgiveness of sins, Wednesday is asking for daily needs. Make a plan and execute it.

If you are going to fast:

Spend this week with God to determine whether you should.

Define the scope (What and how long).

Plan how you will pray, read scripture, or meditate.

The purpose of a fast is to draw near to God as you experience the withdrawal of the thing you are letting go of. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. If you seek him you will find him.