Matthew 6:16-18 (Fasting)

WHAT IS (THE PURPOSE OF) FASTING?

Fast: abstaining from food for some spiritual end.

What are those spiritual ends?

In the Old Testament we find fasting connected with a mourning for sin and repentance of it.

Isaiah 58:1-7 is an illustration of this: The Israelites complain to God that their fasting had not achieved their desired results. God responds by saying, the only fasting that is of any value is that which involves repentance of sin resulting in a transformed and charitable life.

Repentance of Sin (Joel 2:12)

Joel 2:12 KJV 1900

12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, And with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

Charity (Isaiah 58:3-6)

Isaiah 58:3–6 KJV 1900

3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, And exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, And to smite with the fist of wickedness: Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, To make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, And to let the oppressed go free, And that ye break every yoke?

Moving in to the New Testament, our passage introduces fasting in a new way, and the rest of the New Testament illustrates it.

Fasting was a expressing a desire to set aside the normal distractions of this life in order to seek God’s clear direction for their lives. It was a discipline by which they waited upon God while asking Him to reveal His will to them.

Sadness (Matthew 9:14-15)

Matthew 9:14–15 KJV 1900

14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

Prayer (Matthew 17:21)

Matthew 17:21 KJV 1900

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Seeking the Lord’s will (Acts 13:23;14:23)

Acts 13:23 KJV 1900

23 Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

Acts 14:23 KJV 1900

23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

But what does our passage have to say concerning fasting?

CONTRAST BETWEEN DISCIPLES AND HYPOCRITES

Matthew 6:16–18 KJV 1900

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Does anyone remember the first two spiritual disciplines that Jesus teaches at the beginning of chapter 6? (giving / prayer)

These seem fairly obvious as important disciplines for us today. But Jesus follows up his teaching on those by instructing his followers on the discipline of fasting.

These verses indicate that fasting is assumed to be a normal part of one’s spiritual life. — John MacArthur

Think with me (and be honest), have you ever thought about fasting? Have you ever heard a message on fasting? If most of us were honest and answered out loud, I bet we’d say we haven’t thought about it a whole lot. But here’s where I think we’ll be helped tonight.

Fasting has the unique ability to bring us closer and further into relationship with God.

Let’s take a couple of moments and look at our passage, then we’ll come around and give some application.

Jesus again is contrasting hypocrites and true disciples of Christ. Let me pause for a moment and say this: It is very easy for those who have grown up in church to become hypocrites. Why do you think that is?

Fasting is considered a spiritual discipline. What are spiritual disciplines? intentional practices, such as prayer, meditation, fasting, and study, that help shape character, foster spiritual growth, and deepen one's connection to God. (prayer, Bible reading, attending church, giving, serving, etc.)

Here me: Spiritual disciplines can be an external diagnostic for righteousness. But spiritual disciplines can also be the cover for legalism and hypocrisy. What does that mean? You cannot be righteous without engaging with Scripture. But you can be hypocritical by engaging with Scripture. It’s all about motive which we’ll see in a second.

APPEARANCE

*flopping illustration / maybe have a video.

This is the idea that Jesus has in mind here. The hypocrite is excessive in his anguish to be noticed by others. (which we’ll address in a moment).

Jesus encourages disciples to appear as if everything is normal on the outside. Wash your face, anoint your head, don’t rip your clothes.

AUDIENCE

Spiritual disciplines are between you and God for the benefit of others. Hypocrites practice spiritual disciplines in public for the benefit of themselves.

Again we find the exact same descriptors and instructions from Jesus in these verses.

The hypocrite fasts to be seen of men. The disciple fasts to be seen by the Father.

Teenager, a subtle trap of the teen years is to be seen by others, to establish your identity, to fit in or be popular, to look or act a certain way to be noticed by a boy or girl. For some, this leads them to commit sins against God and others. For others, it means you fall into the trap of hypocrisy.

Hear me, Jesus’ teaching in the sermon on the mount is not to mold us into ideal humans, or allow us to fit in, or even make us into Christians, but rather, the whole point of this sermon is to become like Christ. If your prayer is not helping you become more like Christ, you’re probably praying with the wrong motive. If your giving is not helping you become more like Christ, you’re probably giving with the wrong motive. If your fasting is not helping you become more like Christ, you’re probably fasting with the wrong motive.

This is ultimately the reward of spiritual disciplines — becoming close to the Father and becoming like the Son.

The reward of spiritual disciplines is becoming close with the Father and becoming like the Son.

REWARD

Again, here’s the contrast. For the hypocrite, if you fast in order to gain popularity, to be seen of men, to fit in, or to be noticed by another, you will have that reward. But that reward pales in comparison to what Jesus is promising here.

The reward for true disciples of Christ is the Father’s presence and the revelation of His will.

This is one of the struggles of life — balancing rewards. What’s more important to you? to be seen of others or to be close with God?

APPLICATION

I want to leave us with some application and challenges as we close.

Fasting does not only mean giving up food or drink. Fasting can be giving up anything for a time that distracts us from our relationship with God. It’s giving up something in order to free us up to spend more undistracted time with God.

Here’s the challenge: What’s one thing you can give up for the next week in order to spend more time with God through prayer and Bible reading? I’m going to do this to. I want you to think about this because we’ll hold each other accountable when we go to our small groups.

Here’s the second challenge: What are you going to replace that thing (whatever you’re fasting from) with? Could be you read a whole book of the Bible this week, or you pray more during the day, or you read a good Christian book.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Heart Check: Jesus warns against fasting (or any spiritual discipline) to “be seen by men.” What are some ways teens today might fall into that same trap—trying to look spiritual rather than be spiritual?

Fasting in Practice: If fasting is about removing distractions to seek God, what are some things (besides food) that might be worth “fasting” from in your life right now? How could removing those things help you grow closer to God?

True Reward: The lesson said, “The reward of spiritual disciplines is becoming close with the Father and becoming like the Son.” How can that perspective change the way you approach things like prayer, Bible reading, and giving?

PRAYER PROMPTS

Repentance and Renewal: “God, show me if there’s any sin or distraction in my life that keeps me from truly seeking You. Help me turn from it and desire You more.”

Pure Motives: “Lord, help me do what I do—pray, serve, give, fast—with the right heart. Let my focus be on You, not on being noticed by others.”

Closeness with God: “Father, as I set things aside this week, help me use that time to know You better, hear from You more clearly, and become more like Jesus.”