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.

Psalm 16 Fullness of Joy

Many times, I have sought happiness and joy in all the wrong places. Family, work, human love are only some of them. As much satisfaction and joy family, work, and relationships can bring to one's life they are all temporary, short lived. The birth of a child awakens one to the mystery of life, but it also is a slap in the face to the reality of sickness, suffering, and the frailty of life. The work of one's hands brings great satisfaction after a job well done, but it does not last. Soon enough, one accomplishment calls for another and there is no end to the sequel to relive the joy. Human love is also so imperfect and frail, plagued with betrayal, mistrust, and many disappointments.

Where can I find fullness of joy? A joy that remains even when my circumstances change. A joy that has no end to its supply. A joy that does not depend on my work or lack of it. According to Psalm 16, that joy is found in God alone. David declares: "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." To have this everlasting joy in my life, I must declare God the Lord of my life. In reality, he is the Lord of my life whether I accept it or not. But God is looking for my surrender to his sovereign rule. Choosing to live as a rebel in God's kingdom is a sure formula for disaster and lack of joy.

Secondly, I must have confidence that God, as the sovereign ruler of my life, is my benefactor, my refuge. He has my best interest in mind. Therefore, I have confidence in him. This confidence brings also contentment in life. David says: "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places." Using the imagery of the division of the land and plot allotment, he confesses contentment with the portion God has assigned to his life. If I want true joy, I must learn to be content with my portion in life. Some will be rich. Some will be poor. Whatever my lot, I will be content in God.

Thirdly, David says: "I have set the Lord always before me." If one wants to experience true joy, joy everlasting, one must intentionally, and purposefully seek God's counsel and reflect upon that counsel even as one lies in bed at night. God promises to make known "the path of life" that leads to that joy.

Father, help me live my life in submission to your rule. Fill me with thoughts of confidence and contentment in you for the life you have given. Show me the path of life that I may walk in your presence with everlasting joy. Amen.

Matthew 14:1-12 The Death of John the Baptist

In Herod the tetrarch or Herod Antipas we have an example of a life dominated by fear. His father, Herod the Great, was a very able but cruel and ruthless leader killing some of his wives and sons to keep his power. It was this Herod who massacred the children of Bethlehem when he felt threatened by Jesus' birth. A father who is capable of killing his sons is not a comforting figure in the life of a child, but a disturbing one. I speculate that Herod Antipas feared his father. 

At his father's death, his kingdom was split in four (that's where the title "tetrarch - a quarter" comes from). Herod Antipas was made king over Gallilee (Jesus' hometown) and Perea. His brothers were made kings of other territories in Palestine. Antipas divorced his own wife to marry his brother Phillip's wife. Understanding the background of the family, I infer there was a great competition among them as kings and that Herod Antipas feared his brothers.

Due to his marriage with his brother's wife, John the Baptist called him to repentance since it was unlawful for him to be with his brother's wife. Tired of hearing John's accusation against him, Herod imprisons John. But he does not kill him because he fears the reaction of the people. Herod was not well liked among the Jews (he was of Edomite descent and had built a city where there was a cemetary - unclean) and he did not want to hurt his popularity any more. In a flashback, Matthew explains how John was killed and why. Herod's sorrow is not for John, but for the difficult situation that his promise got him into.

Herod's theology surfaces when he hears about Jesus and his miracles. He deduces that Jesus is John the Baptist resurrected and that is why he is able to perform miracles. His pagan background comes to light where it is believed that the dead can come back among the living.  Herod fears the spirit world and Jesus as a possible threat to his life and kingdom.

Herod chose to ignore John's warnings and call to repentance. When Jesus was before him, he only desired to see some sign done by him. Jesus only served him to patch up his relationship with Pilate. When Caligula became Caesar, Herod was accused by his own nephew of conspiring against the emperor. Herod was thrown into exile with his wife and died of an unknown death. He lived with many fears and his worst nightmare became true. Herod is an example of the unrighteous life and the consequences of such a living.

Father, guide my life day by day to make righteous decisions. May Jesus' righteousness fill my life and enable me to follow in his footsteps. May I fear you above anything else on earth so that I may enjoy life everlasting. Amen.

Matthew 8:23-27 Jesus Calms a Storm

Life is like catching a boat into the sea. Some get in and set a course to a desired destination. Others get in but simply float aimlessly around carried by the waves of the sea. No matter what kind of boat we've boarded, we are all in "the same boat" when it comes to the storms of life. Some of those storms will bring waves that will swamp our vessels and threaten our lives.

What kinds of storms are we talking about? It can be anything that "rocks your boat." Storms come in different shapes and forms. It can be the loss of a loved one; the loss of a job; the loss of health. It can be an abusive parent; a runaway teenager; a sick rapist. It can be an oppressive boss; an oppressive neighborhood; an oppressive government. 

How can I survive the storms of life? Some think that the boat is the most important thing. The bigger, the better. The more advanced in technology, the merrier. But we must not forget the Titanic. Others think that personal training and skills are going to get you out of trouble. But we must not forget the many capable people who have lost their lives trying to fight a storm. It is not the boat or my personal skills.

What is the most important thing to survive a storm? If anything makes a boat special is who is in the boat. If I am to survive the storms of life, I must follow Jesus into the boat of his choosing. I can't expect him to follow me into a boat of my choosing; it is the other way around. Once there, I must trust him with my whole life. At times, my faith fails and it seems like God is asleep and does not care for me. The truth is that Jesus is in the boat and has not left me.

Jesus is not a mere man. He is God in the flesh. He came from the heavens to the earth with powers to command them at will. He calls me to follow him. He calls me to trust him. Is Jesus in my boat? I don't want to "miss the boat." Lord, enable me to follow you and trust you in the midst of the storms of my life.