Matthew 9:14-17 A Question About Fasting

Fasting is an almost universal phenomenon within both Eastern and Western cultures. Many people in the world fast for different reasons: to redirect the mind away from physical urges, to cause yourself discomfort in respect for the suffering of ancestors, to develop self-control, for medical/health purposes (lose weight), as a political act to get the government to listen.

When I became a Christian, I did not understand fasting at all. At first, I thought fasting was something practiced by the real fanatics of any religion because as we all know, Christians are not the only ones who fast in the world. In my mind, you had to be weird to fast. Then, I became legalistic in my approach to fasting. Fasting became this badge of honor for super-Christians. The “Green Berets” of Christianity are the ones who fast. The “Special Forces” of Christianity are the ones who fast. We would look down on other people for not fasting and take great pride that we were closer to the Lord because we fasted. This is how some Pharisees practiced fasting in Jesus’ day (Luke 18:12). Finally, in my personal journey concerning fasting, I thought that it was the only way to get something from God or get God to do something for me. If you were really serious about having God listen to you and grant you your wish, you had to fast - the more the merrier.

Fasting is expected of Christians (Mat.9:15b). And just like prayer, showing off doesn’t pay off and secrecy brings rewards (Mat.6:16-18). But while the bridegroom, Jesus, was around, the disciples could not fast. People celebrating a wedding were excused from fasting. Fasting is to hunger for God’s presence; it is an act of mourning. Jesus knew that a day would come when he had to leave the earth and all Christians would fast mourning his departure and yearning for his return. Fasting is a yearning for Christ’s return.

God’s presence in the OT was represented by bread in the temple and laid on a golden table! Why bread? Bread is the universal symbol of that which sustains life. But life is more than food (Mat.4:4).  Fasting puts things in perspective. Some people make food the most important thing in their lives. Instead of eating to live, they live to eat. While fasting, we voluntarily relinquish material food to focus on life! Jesus Christ is the bread of life! He is the sustenance of our life. We need him more than anything else.

The unshrunk cloth and the new wine of the new covenant in Jesus Christ could not fit the mold of the Pharisees legalistic wineskins and old garment. They practiced fasting in a very legalistic fashion and snuffed out of it its life giving quality. To follow Jesus is to break away from legalistic traditions that take life out of our relationship with God.

Acts 13:1-3 Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

The Church at Antioch had a great blessing to have prophets and teachers - at least five listed here! From that pool of workers, the Holy Spirit chose Saul and Barnabas for another work according to his calling. Throughout the New Testament, prophet and teacher are offices of great respect. Paul himself wrote later on that we should procure the best gifts, among them prophecy. Teaching and prophesying are highly regarded because through them the Word of God is explained for the conversion of souls and the edification of the church. A healthy church should institute ways to build up new prophets and teachers.

It is worth noting from the list of teachers and prophets that Antioch was a multi-ethnic church and not bound by partiality. Saul and Barnabas were Jews; Simeon and Lucius were black people from North Africa; and Manaen seemed to be well connected with the upper class in Rome. All of them worshiped together and worked together for the kingdom of God. The Church must be free from partiality and become an open community of Christ to make an impact in the world. Though there were many tendencies to separate Jew from Gentile and Greek from Roman due to socio-econo-political reasons, the Church fought against those tendencies to establish a Church that is united in its diversity.

Since the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit, it makes only sense that the Church is constantly seeking him in worship, fasting, and prayer. These are the basic disciplines of the deeper life in Christ. If I am to grow as a Christian, I must learn to worship, fast and pray. Notice that it is not a personal spiritual practice in this context. The Church at Antioch was devoted to these spiritual disciplines as a congregation. I must learn to worship, fast, and pray with my brothers and sisters as a concerted effort to seek his direction for the whole church. The Holy Spirit speaks to his church in an environment of worship, fasting, and prayer. How devoted am I to these disciplines? Moreover, how committed am I to practice them in unity with my brothers and sisters in the church?

The sendoff of Saul and Barnabas was the result of a church committed to seek the guidance of the Spirit in worship, fasting, and prayer. The fact that there is an imposition of hands for this sendoff tells us that the elders of the church were behind it. It also tells us that there is a process by which workers are recognized to be sent out to the field; there is a hierarchy; there is order. The expansion of God's kingdom depends on our willingness to send workers out into the field. I have to shift from the "us four and no more" paradigm to an open-fisted one, willing to send workers to the field under the guidance and direction of the Spirit.

Matthew 9:14-17 A Question About Fasting

The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked why his disciples didn't fast. They pointed out the fact that the Pharisees and they themselves were trained to fast and were practicing it - in fact they did it twice a week. If Jesus was all that he claimed to be, why aren't his disciples on the same page with them? Legalism, a form of bondage to the letter of the law and to the laws of men, is always making this kind of comparison - us and them. The question is not asked for enlightenment, but for judgment. It assumes we are right, and they are wrong and it demands an explanation.

Jesus answers the question with another: "Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?" The obvious answer to the question is a resounding NO! The wedding guests are literally those who are closest to the bridegroom and had a role in the wedding ceremony. In those days, family and friends engaged in a wedding feast were officially excused from religious duties including fasting. 

Of course, the analogy of Jesus with the bridegroom must be accepted for this statement to make any sense. The Scriptures teach us that Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride. Jesus prophesied his own death after which the disciples, including us today, would fast. Why? Because fasting is mourning for the presence of God and the full realization of his kingdom upon earth. But is not intended to enslave me into specific patterns of fasting. And I am not to judge others who practice fasting or any other spiritual discipline differently from me.

To make the argument that legalism and the kingdom don't mix more compelling, Jesus appeals to local customs. You don't patch an old garment with a new (unshrunk) piece of fabric and you don't put new wine into old wineskins. The patch will shrink and pull a tear and the old wineskins will burst. In the same way, I can't impose old legalistic notions upon the new life of the kingdom - they are incompatible. Legalistic paradigms simply can't explain the abundant life we have been given.

Father, help me break the chains of legalism in my life. Don't allow my practice of the spiritual disciplines to puff me up with pride and a judgmental attitude. May I live the spirit of the law with joy and not the letter of the law in judgment to myself and others.

Matthew 6:16-18 Fasting

When I became a Christian, fasting was a big mystery to me. I did not understand the connection between going hungry and my relationship with God. At times, I thought that fasting was only for fanatics. Possibly, fasting was to get God to do something for me. All in all, my view of fasting was not grounded in Scripture and it was optional at best.

Fasting is expected of Christians! It is a spiritual discipline that is becoming rare these days. What is the connection with my spiritual life? Fasting is to hunger for God's presence. Food sustains life and many have made their life all about food. But God challenges us to set aside what sustains our physical life to devote ourselves to the Life-Giver, our bread of life. 

Fasting is an act of mourning. It is our way of crying out for God's presence; to yearn for him. It is to desire that God's kingdom be established upon earth and wipe out all injustice and suffering. Fasting is to seek God's presence. It is to say to God: "I need you more than food!" Fasting is a discipline that teaches our mortal bodies to delay gratification and be self-controlled.

I want more of you, Lord. Help me make the spiritual discipline of fasting an integral part of my Christian life. May I learn to set aside physical food more often to feast in your presence. May I seek your presence with devotion yearning for you.