Matthew 6:16-18 16And when you fast, do not look sad like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unrecognizable so that they make their fasting evident to people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may not be evident to people but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Pharisees fasted twice a week and let everyone around them know about it. Being obvious about their fasting by looking gloomy was an easy way to make themselves look religious in front of others. Their reward is the same as those who give alms and pray in front of people. They get the temporary awes and ohs of the people around them. The critical question is about audience.
Jesus told his disciples how to fast: do it in such a way that it looks like you are not. He gives the same principle in these verses as the ones above: do your spiritual acts for God only. When you fast, do it in secret. Your audience should be God alone, not people. Prayer and fasting should be directed to God and not others.
Should Christians fast? Jesus did not say “if you fast” but “when you fast.” He expected his followers to fast as part of their worship practices. There are many examples of fasting in the Bible. Jesus fasted as he prepared for his public ministry, and his disciples fasted after Jesus ascended to heaven in preparation for their ministry. The church in the middle ages developed an elaborate calendar for fasting. Fasting is not widely practiced among Christians today. We do the opposite and over indulge and get fat!
What is fasting? The basic concept is to go without food for a period of time. Some people are not able to do this for physical reasons, but most of us could. There are other ways to fast by giving up something that is important to us. Prayer and fasting often go together in the Bible. We live in an age saturated with self-pleasure. Fasting is not part of our agenda. We like our food, and many people get too much of it for our own good. Fasting does not mean starving, but it means saying no to anything that can control us. It may involve a complete fast of food or a particular food, entertainment, or hobby, in order that we might spend time with God in prayer. Fasting has a way of showing us what controls us, and it draws us back to the presence of God, which truly sustains us. Fasting is one way to overcome greed
Fasting is a also a way to live the crucified life of self-denial and self-discipline. It is about allowing my physical life to come under the authority of God’s kingdom. By fasting, we discipline the flesh and do not let it master us. If life is all well and our stomachs full, it is hard to pray and seek God with earnestness. Fasting is like the preparation soldiers do in training. We prepare ourselves for victory in the battle with sin and flesh. The critical part about fasting is the condition of the heart.
When we have died out to our old way of life, fleshly living has no control over us. We become more aware of Jesus. We take on a new nature, not our own righteousness but Christ within, living and reigning and freeing from sin. The only way to live this type of life is to put off our old, corrupted, and deceived persons, and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new self created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24). Because of his great love, God invites us to trade in our flawed ideas on how to live and accept the gift of his kindness and forgiveness.
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