“Whenever 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 you, 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.”
Matthew 6:16-18 NASB1995
After Jesus admonishes us to give in secret and pray in secret (with a short deviation for His recommended daily prayer and another emphasis on forgiveness), He tells us to fast in secret and not be like the hypocrites who make a big show of their fasting to impress others. Our devotional habits are between us and God and are not for public display - what we give, where and how we pray (unless it is part of a planned group prayer or service), and when we fast.
Who fasts these days? I know some people who give up a favorite hobby (like chocolate or wine or TV) during Lent and some might even fast during a regular mealtime in those 40 days. But I honestly never heard much about fasting as a regular spiritual practice to humble yourself before God when I was in a mainstream denomination. Now that we are in a non-denominational church, fasting is quite often emphasized as a counterpoint to intercessory prayer. Our pastors recognize that fasting may be a health issue for some folks, so they recommend alternatives like giving up favorite habits (TV, video games). It is a practice that we have not done very often, so it may be worth exploring as a way to enhance your humility before God and gather His strength, but done in secret.
Here’s what David Guzik has gathered about this admonition on fasting in his Enduring Word commentaries:
a. When you fast: Jesus spoke to these fundamental practices of spiritual life in His kingdom: giving, praying, and now fasting. Clearly, Jesus assumed that His followers would fast.
i. The Old Testament commanded fasting on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31 and 23:32-37; Numbers 29:7). During the Exile, the Jewish people expanded the practice of fasting (Zechariah 7:3-5 and 8:19).
ii. “A fast is termed by the Greeks nhstiv, from nh not, and esyein to eat; hence fast means, a total abstinence from food for a certain time. Abstaining from flesh, and living on fish, vegetables, &c., is no fast, or may be rather considered a burlesque on fasting. Many pretend to take the true definition of a fast from Isa 58:3, and say that it means a fast from sin. This is a mistake; there is no such term in the Bible as fasting from sin; the very idea is ridiculous and absurd, as if sin were a part of our daily food.” (Clarke)
iii. Fasting is something good that was corrupted by the hypocrisy of the religious people of Jesus’ day. Our corrupt natures can corrupt something good into something bad. A modern example of a good thing gone bad is the manner of dressing nice on Sunday. There is nothing wrong with this in itself – it can even be good as an expression of reverence; yet if it is used to compete with others or to draw attention to one’s self, something good has become something bad.
iv. “Fasting took a leading place in devotion under the law, and it might profitably be more practiced even now under the Gospel. The Puritans called it ‘soul-fattening fasting,’ and so many have found it.” (Spurgeon)
My next Sermon on the Mount devotional will explore Matthew 6:19-21 on Treasures in Heaven.
Commentary from David Guzik and Enduring Word is used by written permission.