Fasting: Doing the Hard Stuff-Master Teacher- Matthew 6:16-18

 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

 Luke 14:27

What would you give for those you love? Would you give up your lifestyle and become a different type of person? Would you quit your job if it meant growing more in love with your spouse or family, even if it meant living in poverty? If you didn’t know where your next meal came from, or if you had to go without it for someone who had not eaten in days to have a meal, would you do it? The most important question of all is what does it mean to you to be a Christian? Are you a convenient Christian, and as long as it doesn’t cost you too much it’s all good, but if it ruffles your feathers you find yourself like Peter saying, “I don’t know the Man!”

Many of us don’t consider what we would give to love someone. We don’t really think of love as being costly, but as being a good feeling. Love is not an emotion. It does prompt emotions, some of them are very pleasurable. Sometimes love can hurt. Love always requires action. Love always requires sacrifice. It’s the attitude we take toward the act of sacrifice that determines the manner of love we are expressing. Of all the expressions of love, the denying of what we need so that we can give more of what we are is the hardest. Fasting is such a sacrifice, and so it is an ultimate expression of love. This is the reason the Master touched on it at the Sermon on the Mount, and why He gave it as an example before beginning His ministry.

“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.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 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. Matthew 6:16-18

We can see that the expectation is laid out that fasting is a part of the follower’s lifestyle. In the modern church, it seems to be a lost part of our observance of worship to be fasting, but at the time of Christ it was a part of religious rites observed as part of their custom. The most notable was the Day of Atonement as prescribed by the Law of Moses. It was safe to say that all those Jesus spoke to on the mount that day were familiar with fasting, but in today’s society not many truly know what it is to give up our food or something else we ingest and thrive on willingly.  For a person reading the Bible today it’s easy to skip right over these verses and lose the power of the message behind them because we don’t fast like they did back then. Maybe if we did, we’d get it.

Fasting is a means of giving up the physical to strengthen the spiritual. It’s the laying aside of those things that encumber us in the flesh in so we can truly seek our Creator and be in communion with Him, for whatever purpose we have need of Him. A fast usually is for one of three purposes, repentance as in the case of David’s fast, guidance as the early Church did before sending out Paul and Barnabus, and finally as a means of remembrance as commanded in Leviticus 16:29 for the Day of Atonement. So, why don’t we practice fasting as often as our ancestors in the faith did?

Part of the reason is that we don’t see the benefit in it. If fasting was of some health benefit to us, like it was part of our workout routine, we would probably be all about it. We don’t view fasting, as a means, to advancement. We feel we can achieve the spiritual just as easily with a full stomach and all our physical needs met. If we’re physically comfortable then we’re surely going to be able to connect with God, right? Well, let’s look at that from a Biblical stand point as well as reason it out.

Fasting is about denying the flesh so we can pursue the spiritual. It stands to reason that to ignore one is to give more attention to the other.

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Galatians 5:16-17

And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:28

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:8

It makes perfect sense that fasting would be something Christ would advocate since He did it prior to beginning His ministry. Hollywood would have us believe that He went into the desert, stumbled about, and came close to death during his 40 days of fasting. If you have ever fasted you know the power of denying your flesh. Yes, it is hard, for about the first few days of the fast, but then it’s not so hard. It can even get to a point where we don’t think much of food at all. If we place ourselves in place where food is unattainable it could even be a little easier because there would be no one around to tempt us into eating it. I’m not saying it was easier for Jesus than anyone else. He knew hunger. He also had a mission which meant more to Him than his flesh’s temporary desires. Satan threw his attempts at tempting the Lord Jesus, but they were fruitless because of who he was dealing with. Jesus demonstrated His deity in his rebuke of Satan:
 When tempted with the lust of the flesh: “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ Matt 4:4

When the Lord was tempted with the lust of the eyes:  Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Matt.4:7

And once again when Jesus was tempted with the pride of life: Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God and Him only you shall serve.'" Matthew 4:10

Since Jesus did fast, then it’s clear He wasn’t against fasting. He often went alone while others were eating to be with His Father and pray. We don’t read in the scriptures where Jesus was asking, “What’s for dinner?” But we do read where He was preparing the meal for the disciples after his resurrection on the shore. We know He ate the Passover meal with them. We know He had dinner with Simon the Pharisee, and with numerous others listed in the Bible. We know that He ate at Martha’s house, but not a meal Mary prepared for Him, no, but she did perfume his head. We know that Jesus spent a lot of time with people, and so it makes sense that if He was fasting he wouldn’t want anyone to be skipping out on the feast around Him. He knew where the food was in His spirit, and that’s what He passed on to us.

But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

Therefore, the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:32-34

Fasting is not just about skipping meals, or media fasting. It’s about drawing close to God. It’s about praying, seeking God out, going on a journey with Him through your spirit by denying the flesh. It’s not about giving something up as much as it is about letting someone in. When we fast let us press in and hold fast to our God. If the reason for the fast is for repentance, let’s crawl up on His lap and lay it all out in humility, not casting blame, but taking it to Him for healing so we can walk in forgiveness and lay it down. If we are going to Him for guidance, let us sit and meditate until we hear His voice over all the noise that drowns it out, and let us be willing to stay as long as it takes. If it’s about remembrance, let us hold fast to those things God would have us exercise in our lives and not forget to live them out before the world. Let us testify to them, not just in our times of fasting, but in our times of feasting as well. Fasting is a blessing. Doing without the worldly encumbrances can be very liberating. So, wash your face, put a smile on, and know God is all you will ever need.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33