How Jesus presumed the practice of fasting but warned against making it a farce
by Rev. Joe Donahue–
In the authentic Injeel that we still possess today there are many full-length sermons by Jesus. Only the One Bible contains them. One of them is called the "Sermon on the Mount" that spans three whole chapters in the gospel of Matthew (5, 6 and 7), and all versions contain it. In this sermon Jesus covered multiple themes and topics that all seem to address the nature of true righteousness. One of them was fasting, on which Jesus said something that comes across as utterly presumptuous (he did that more than once). What did he say? He said simply – “When you fast....”
This was not a commandment that was in some sense binding on his followers. It was simply a statement of fact, but one that implied that what He assumed would actually become a reality. We will fast! Jesus himself modeled the ultimate fast for 40 days in the Judean wilderness. But unlike Islam, Jesus never prescribed a particular month for fasting, or any specific pattern at all.
So, we might ask, How should we fast? And what were Jesus's guidelines?
Given the reality that many people have never fasted, the very thought of doing so may be somewhat intimidating. Perhaps a few thoughts may prove helpful.
#1 Structure prayer and fasting into your lifestyle. If you are waiting for the urge to strike, it’s probably not going to happen. It is a choice. You have to make it happen. Incorporate it into your lifestyle, whether monthly, quarterly, or with whatever frequency you may feel led.
#2 Be realistic. Sometimes we abandon an undertaking because we bit off more than we can chew, because our expectations were too high. Start small – baby steps!
Don’t start off saying “What would Jesus do?” (or “What did Jesus do?”) and, recalling that he fasted 40 days and nights, attempt to imitate Him. It’s not going to happen, and you will be tempted to never try again. A good goal is to shoot for a one-day fast. Or you might undertake an abbreviated fast, skipping one or two meals during the day, or a partial fast, like Prophet Daniel, who ate vegetables but abstained from meat and wine.
#3 Fast with others. Join with others, perhaps entering into a prayer covenant with a friend. You might text each other at predetermined times throughout the day to see how they are doing or to share Scripture passages. This provides encouraging support as well as an element of accountability.
#4 Have a positive focus. The danger is to focus on what is not happening: “I am not eating!” Apart from your regular activities (most people do not have the luxury of not working), set aside time during the day (before going to work, during your lunch break, before retiring for the evening) to read from the Word of God, especially the Psalms of David, or one of the Gospels. If you fast on a day when you are not working, plan what you’ll do instead of eating. As Dave Mathis wrote:
“Fasting isn’t merely an act of self-deprivation, but a spiritual discipline for seeking more of God’s fullness. Which means we should have a plan for what positive pursuit to undertake in the time it normally takes to eat. Before diving headlong into a fast, craft a simple plan. Connect it to your purpose for the fast. Each fast should have a specific spiritual purpose. Identify what that is and design a focus to replace the time you would have spent eating. Without a purpose and plan...it’s just going hungry.”
Remember that eating or not eating should be an act of worship:
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
So don’t just not eat. Worship! And be sure your worship is "in spirit and in truth".
#5 Don’t make fasting a farce. Religious ritual and acts of piety should reflect a righteous life. The danger is to engage in religious activities on certain occasions but neglecting spiritual obligations the rest of the time. The prophet Isaiah strongly condemned the Jews of his day for thinking that their faithfulness in fasting cancelled out their unfaithfulness in other areas of their lives.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
Tawrat, Prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 58
#6 Guard your heart. There is a danger that acts of piety – acts that are done as service to God – will morph into acts that are self-serving. For some not eating food = feeding their ego! It was this temptation that Jesus addressed when He said, “When you fast...beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them,” he cautioned, “otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” He concluded:
“When 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 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.”
May we not dishonor Jesus, making Him seem presumptuous in speaking of our fasting (by not doing so), and may our acts of piety be done to honor him, and not to make us look good before our peers.
*If you would like to participate in a Bible study about this subject and similar ones, email us at comparingfaith@gmail.com or text 313.485.7153.