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Ramadan Mubarak, Day 18: Esther and Jesus

Why fasting was essential to Esther of Persia but less so for Jesus

by Rev. Joe Donahue

In the Groom’s Absence

Injeel, Matthew 9:14-17
 
In a recent conversation with a Lebanese friend the subject of fasting came up. “We Muslims fast during the entire month of Ramadan, and in Lebanon the Christians fast. But here in the U.S. I never hear of Christians fasting.”  To my embarrassment I had to concede that he was correct. American Evangelical Christianity has largely abandoned the practice, and, I might add, pretty much anything that calls for personal sacrifice. ‘No’ is a word that has largely disappeared from our vocabulary. And to justify this neglect, some even suggest that it was a practice that was rendered obsolete with the coming of Jesus and the New Covenant. But this flies right in the face of the clear teaching of Jesus Himself. Perhaps the most important statement on the subject came when He was confronted by the disciples of John the Baptist. The account reads as follows:
 
“Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.’”
 
The image is of a festive occasion–a wedding, and the question is one of propriety. Such an occasion calls for joyful celebration, not grief and mourning. To conduct oneself somberly at a time like that would be inappropriate. Further, Jesus portrayed Himself as the groom in his parable, and the festivities were to continue as long as He was present with His friends. But, he went on to say, the time would come when He would no longer be present with them (removed violently from them!), and then His friends would assume a posture that reflected a more somber frame of mind. While His intent was not to elaborate on the significance of fasting, His reference to mourning reflects the overall Biblical teaching that it is an expression of humility and contrition. What He does say, and in no uncertain terms, is that His followers will fast!
I have a great deal of respect for my Muslim friends in the discipline and self-denial they seem to display as they undertake a month of daytime fasting [despite the tendency to over-indulge after sundown]. And, I am grateful for the questions they have raised about my faith as a Christian. I would hope that my Christian friends, who have much more to gain, would come to see the value of humbling themselves before God through fasting [but without pretense and over-indulgence].

 

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Fasting as Humble Submission to God

In 1973 a group of ‘Humanists’ published a manifesto – Humanist Manifesto II. Consider some of the sentiments that were expressed in this document, which was essentially a Declaration of Independence from God! 

“We have virtually conquered the planet, explored the moon, overcome the natural limits of travel and communication; we stand at the dawn of a new age. ...Using technology wisely, we can control our environment, conquer poverty, markedly reduce disease, extend our life-span, significantly modify our behavior, alter the course of human evolution and cultural development, unlock vast new powers, and provide humankind with un-paralleled opportunity for achieving an abundant and meaningful life. ...We believe that traditional dogmatic or authoritarian religions do a disservice to the human species...distract humans from present concerns, from self-actualization, and from rectifying social injustices. ...No deity will save us; we must save ourselves. 

This manifesto echoes the spirit of the ages, the spirit of defiance against God that has been the rallying cry of unbelief from the dawn of human history. I cite it because it stands in stark contrast with the spirit of a woman named Esther, a courageous woman whose actions prevented virtual annihilation of her people. She was one of the Jews living in Persia in the days of King Xerxes (486-465 BC), and the Tawrat contains a whole book named after her to honor her faithfulness to Yahweh. In fact, she was one of the king's favorite wives! Being informed of a plot to exterminate the Jews, she was challenged to go before the king to intercede on behalf of her people.

While not indifferent to their plight, Esther was tempted to think that she was immune and would be untouched by what was to come. After expressing hesitancy and calling attention to the risks to her own life, she was reminded by her uncle Mordecai that she too could not escape a similar fate.

“If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.

But there was also an appeal to more noble motives:

“Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

 Esther responded as follows:

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.

We should understand that “if I perish I perish” was not passive submission to some blind, impersonal fate, but a quiet resignation reflecting her faith in God. But in all of this we see that our posture should be, not a defiant spirit of “We can make it on our own”–as expressed by secular humanists, but “We are at the mercy of a gracious and compassionate God.” It is in the act of fasting that that spirit is given expression. But the ultimate expression of it is found in Jesus of Nazareth, who “humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death on a cross,” and for what purpose? That we, who are under a sentence of death, might share in the life of God Himself, through faith in Him.

  • 1 June 2018
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