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fasting

Should Christians fast today?

November 15, 2022 by Krisan Marotta

Should Christians fast today? - Bible Study 101 | WednesdayintheWord.com

My study of fasting in Scripture taught me two things: 1) If you want to fast as a religious ritual, do it from a heart that is expressing a genuine faith and sincere desire to know and love God; and 2) Don’t use fasting as a test to either reject your fellow believers and/or impress other people.


Fasting commanded in the Old Testament

The Jews were commanded to fast once per year on the Day of Atonement.   The Day of Atonement is the only fast commanded anywhere in the Law.

26And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  27“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD.  28And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.  29For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. 30And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people.  31You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.  32It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”  – Leviticus 23:26-32

While the word “fasting” is not used in Leviticus 23, the phrase in Leviticus 23:27 “afflict yourself” (Strongs H6031a) or “humble yourself” is traditionally interpreted as fasting. 

Some scholars think this term “afflict yourself” is entirely subjective and does not refer to any outward action.  Rather, they argue, on this solemn day you shall humble your soul with an inner humility before God.  If they are right, then there are no commands in the Old Testament for a religious fast.

But I think the traditional understanding that to “afflict yourself” means denying yourself food makes more sense in the context. First, in this passage two practices land you in trouble: working and not afflicting yourself.  Working is clearly an outward observable action that another might notice.  The context suggests this other act is also an outward practice that others could also observe if you fail to perform it.

Second, when Isaiah rebukes the people for the hypocritical way they seek God, he uses “fast” and this phrase “deny yourself” in parallel (Isaiah 58:5). God speaks of a fast and then speaks of it as a day for a people to deny or humble themselves (our word).

Finally, the Jews historically understood this term to mean fasting.  We see an example of this in the New Testament.  Paul is about to sail for Rome very late in the season.   Luke describes that lateness as after “the Fast,” meaning the Day of Atonement (Act 27:9).  The day of Atonement was so associated with fasting that they could just refer to it as the Fast.

The Day of Atonement involved ceremonial dress, washings, sacrifices and fasting.  Performing these rituals was an expression of submission to God’s priorities and served as physical reminders for the people of Israel.   The rituals and fasting expressed humility to God, while the hunger pains were a physical reminder of our need for His mercy. 

Fasting observed in the Old Testament

While we have only one command for a religious fast, many stories in the Old Testament include fasting.  In these stories an individual or group decides to fast in response to a specific situation.

In the Old Testament we see fasting as part of:

  • individual repentance (2Samuel 12:13-23);
  • community repentance (1Samuel 7:3-6);
  • grief and mourning (2Samuel 1:12);
  • calling on God for deliverance (Esther 4:3; Esther 4:15-16); and
  • seeking guidance from God (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

Fasting acquires significance and meaning when practiced by a believing heart in conjunction with humility and repentance before God. Without such a heart, the practice is empty (Isaiah 58:1-9).

Summary

From the Old Testament, only one ritual of fasting was commanded on the Day of Atonement.  It was meant to create a physical reminder of their dependence on God and need for His mercy.

Fasting was also voluntarily practiced by individuals and communities in association with repentance, prayer, mourning and seeking God.  It was sometimes accompanied by other physical symbols like wearing sackcloth and ashes.  It was both a physical expression of humility before God, and a physical reminder of that humility.

But fasting has no power in and of itself.  When unrepentant people fasted before God, God was not pleased with their ritual nor was He obligated to answer them.

Putting this together with Matthew 6:1-18 and Matthew 9:14-17, we learn 2 points about fasting as a religious practice:

  1. If you’re going to practice a religious fast, do it from a genuine faith and a sincere desire to know God.
  2. Don’t use fasting as a test to reject your fellow believers and/or impress other people with your spiritual superiority.

Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.

31 Matthew 6:1-6; 6:16-18 Giving, Praying & Fasting

49 Matthew 9:14-17 Fasting, cloth & wine skins

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Verses that refer to fasting

fasting: Ezr 9:5; Neh 1:4; Neh 9:1; Est 4:3; Psa 35:13; Psa 69:10; Psa 109:24; Isa 58:4; Jer 36:6; Dan 6:18; Dan 9:3; Joe 2:12; Mat 4:2; Mat 6:16; Mat 6:18; Mar 2:18; Luk 2:37; Act 13:2; Act 13:3; Act 14:23.

fasted: Jdg 20:26; 1Sa 7:6; 1Sa 31:13; 2Sa 1:12; 2Sa 12:16; 2Sa 12:21; 2Sa 12:22; 1Ki 21:27; 1Ch 10:12; Ezr 8:23; Isa 58:3; Zec 7:5.

fast: 2Sa 12:23; 1Ki 21:9; 1Ki 21:12; 2Ch 20:3; Ezr 8:21; Est 4:16; Isa 58:3; Isa 58:4; Isa 58:5; Isa 58:6; Jer 14:12; Jer 36:9; Joe 1:14; Joe 2:15; Jon 3:5; Zec 8:19; Mat 6:16; Mat 6:17; Mat 9:14; Mat 9:15; Mar 2:18; Mar 2:19; Mar 2:20; Mar 10:7; Luk 5:33; Luk 5:34; Luk 5:35; Luk 18:12; Act 27:9.

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Further Study

NOTE: Many of these resources assume that some form of fasting is commanded, required and/or recommended.

PreceptsAustin: Fasting

Ligonier: Fasting Resources

What is the connection between prayer and fasting? | GotQuestions.org

Christian fasting – what does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.org

What are the different types of fasting? | GotQuestions.org

How to fast—what does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Jesus fast? | GotQuestions.org

A Hunger for God – Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer Dr John Piper’s entire book (PDF)

Why Do Christians Fast? | Desiring God

Desiring God: Fasting for beginners

What does the Bible say about fasting? | Bible.org

Why God’s People Should Fast 

A Biblical Perspective on Fasting

Fasting That Is Pleasing To The Lord: A NT Theology Of Fasting – Sigurd Grindheim

Did Jesus’ Disciples Fast? — George C. Gianoulis

Fast, Fasting – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Fast; Fasting – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Fasting – Article by Archibald Alexander

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Photo by Vijesh Datt on Unsplash

Filed Under: What is Tagged With: fasting

49 Matthew 9:14-17 Fasting, cloth & wine skins

August 3, 2022 by Krisan Marotta

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49 Matthew 9:14-17 Fasting, cloth & wine skins - Bible Study | WednesdayintheWord.com

In these stories, Jesus challenges the religious culture and practices of the Pharisees, not the Old Testament. His understanding is so fundamentally incompatible with the Pharisees that if he tried to reform their their views, he would only destroy them.

Review

In chapters 8-9, Matthew presents a series of miracles which establish the God-given authority of Jesus. Starting in 9:9, Matthew turned to another challenge to the authority of Jesus: his understanding of righteousness.

We saw the first disagreement in the last podcast.  Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of the 12 and that sparked a debate with the Pharisees over why Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners. In all three synoptic gospels ( Matthew, Mark & Luke), that story is followed by this story where the disciples of John question the religious behavior of Jesus.

Fasting commanded in the Old Testament

26And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  27“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD.  28And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.  29For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people.  30And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people.  31You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.  32It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”  – Leviticus 23:26-32

  • The Jews were commanded to fast once per year on the Day of Atonement.
  • Some argue that “afflict yourselves (Strongs H6031a; Lev 23:27) refers only to inward humility. If they are right, then there are no commanded fasts in the Old Testament.
  • However the context suggests this is an outward action (Lev 23:29-30); Isaiah 58:5 uses this phrase fast and this phrase in parallel; and historically, the Jews understood this to mean fasting. Note Luke describes the Day of Atonement as “the Fast” (Acts 27:9).
  • On the Day of Atonement, physical hunger was to strengthen the reminder of our need for God’s mercy.

Fasting observed in the Old Testament

While we have only 1 command for a religious fast, there are many stories in the OT that include fasting.  In these stories an individual or group decides to fast in response to a specific situation.

In the Old Testament we see fasting as part of:

  • individual repentance (2Samuel 12:13-23)
  • community repentance (1Samuel 73-6)
  • grief and mourning (2Samuel 1:12)
  • calling on God for deliverance (Esther 4:3; Esther 4:15-16)
  • seeking guidance from God (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

Fasting acquires significance and meaning when practiced by a believing heart in conjunction with humility and repentance before God. Without such a heart the practice is empty (Isaiah 58:1-9).

From the OT then, there was one ritual of fasting commanded on the Day of Atonement.  It was meant to create a physical reminder of their humility and dependence on God and need for His mercy.

Fasting was also voluntarily practiced by individuals and the community in associating with repentance, prayer, mourning and seeking God.  It was sometimes accompanied by other physical symbols like wearing sackcloth and ashes.  It was both a physical expression of humility before God, and a physical reminder of that humility.

But fasting has no power in and of itself.  When hard-hearted, unrepentant people fasted before God, God was not obligated to answer them nor was He pleased with their ritual.

Passage

14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”  15And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.  16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.  17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”  – Matthew 9:14-17

  • By New Testament times, both the Pharisees and the disciples of John made fasting a regular religious observance. This kind of fasting is a “tradition of the elders” and Jesus is questioned as to why he ignores it.
  • The evidence we have suggests the Pharisees fasted twice per week (Luke 18:12; Didache chapter 8).
  • Jesus disapproves of the way the Pharisees fast because: 1) they think God approves of them because they go through the ritual; 2) they use fasting as a litmus test to judge themselves righteous and condemn others; 3) their real motivation is the approval of their peers (Matthew 6:16-18).
  • 31 Matthew 6:1-6; 6:16-18 Giving, Praying & Fasting
  • The disciples of John approach the disciples of Jesus with the criticism that his disciples do not fast like they do and they want an explanation. 
  • In these stories, Jesus moves the discussion entirely away from fasting as a ritual or duty and into a discussion of its motivation.
  • Story 1: Sometimes joy is a natural response to the situation and sometimes mourning is a natural response.  When the groom is present at the feast, it’s a time for joy. 
  • Story 2: If I put a new and un-shrunk piece of cloth over the hole in an old garment, it will end up making a worse tear.  Because when you wash it the first time, the new cloth will shrink and pull the tear apart.
  • Story 3: Old wine skins are brittle and can no longer stretch during the fermentation of new wine. They will break.
  • The old cloth and old wine skins are not analogous to the Old Testament. (There was no command for weekly fasting.)
  • The issue is why doesn’t Jesus just adapt himself to our current religious practices? If they need some reforming, he can tweak them a bit.  If Jesus came today, his behavior might be analogous to never taking communion or avoiding Sunday Services.
  • Jesus point: My understanding not compatible with the existing religious climate.  I can’t live within and reform it.  What I am doing is so fundamentally different, that I would end up destroying it anyway.  I need to replace it with something new.

Putting this together with Matthew 6, Jesus is making 2 points about religious practices:

  1. If you’re going to practice some religious rituals, do it out of a heart that is expressing a genuine faith and sincere desire to know and love God.
  2. Don’t use them as a test to reject your fellow believers and/or impress other people.

Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.

Next: 50 Matthew 9:18-26 The bleeding woman

Previous: 48 Matthew 9:9-13 Eating with sinners

Series: Gospel of Matthew 8-13 Behold the King, Part 2

Photo by Nighthawk Shoots on Unsplash

Podcast season 20, episode 8

Filed Under: Matthew Tagged With: fasting, Matthew

31 Matthew 6:1-6; 6:16-18 Giving, Praying & Fasting

November 3, 2021 by Krisan Marotta

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:34 — 52.1MB) | Embed

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31 Matthew 6:1-6; 6:16-18 Giving, Praying & Fasting - Bible Study | WednesdayintheWord.com

Being religious is no guarantee that you are genuinely following God.  Whatever you define as obedience to God (being in full-time ministry, church attendance, praying, fasting, giving to the poor, adopting social justice causes), Jesus says: stop and ask yourself who are you doing it for? 

Review

The entire Sermon on the Mount has been about one topic: Who will be accepted by God and receive a place in His kingdom?

  1. Matthew 5:1-16: Jesus tells us those with saving faith are blessed who will receive a place in the kingdom (the Beatitudes).
  2. Matthew 5:17-48: Jesus says your righteousness must be different than the kind the Pharisees have to enter the kingdom of heaven (the Antitheses).
  3. Matthew 6:1-7:11: Jesus warns his listeners to avoid the self-deception of the Pharisees.
  4. Matthew 7:12-29: Jesus concludes there are 2 paths. One path leads to life and the other to destruction. You must be the type of person described in the Sermon to be on the right path.

Matthew 6:1-18 includes the Lord’s prayer.  This podcast will skip the Lord’s prayer and focus on the statements that bracket the Lord’s prayer, because they follow the same pattern.

  • Matthew 6:1-4: Giving to the needy
  • Matthew 6:4-6: Praying (with an extended discussion, including the Lord’s Prayer)
  • Matthew 6:17-18: Fasting

Righteous and Reward

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1

  • Matthew 6:1 is the theme of the third major section of the Sermon on the Mount
  • The thesis: there is a reward for righteousness. But if you practice your righteous in a certain way, you will not receive that reward. 
  • How does this fit with other New Testament writings? For example: Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-24.
  • No one earns their justification.  Salvation is a gift of God based on the blood of Jesus Christ. 
  • Jesus is addressing a different question in this sermon than Paul was addressing in his letters.
  • By reward, Jesus means the goal or desired outcome.

In biblical terms, the question “am I righteous?” (or am I δικαιοσ?) can have at least 3 different meanings. The same Greek word is used for all 3 meanings.

  1. Am I forgiven or condemned (justified)?
  2. Am I morally perfect or morally corrupt (holy)?
  3. Am I open to God or rebellious to Him (saved)?

Paul typical refers to the first question (justification). Here in this sermon, Jesus is referring to the third question (saved). Which people who claim to follow God will receive salvation as the outcome for their seeking?

So far the Sermon on the Mount has been about one point which we can summarize in a number of ways: “What does genuine saving faith look like?”  Or “Who will inherit eternal life?”  Or “What characterizes the children of God?”

In this 3rd section, Jesus examines the same question from another angle:  Beware of seeking God in a way that is a show for other people. Then he gives 3 examples using traditional Jewish religious practices.

Giving to the Poor

1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.  2Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  – Matthew 6:1-4

  • The hypocrites Jesus has in mind are the Pharisees.
  • While giving to the poor does not have to be a religious act, in this context Jesus is talking about giving to the poor as an act of obedience to God.
  • Helping the poor is part of obedience to the Law.  For example: Deuteronomy 15:7-8; Psalm 112:1-10.
  • There is no solid evidence that sounding a trumpet was an actual historical practice. Many scholars think Jesus is speaking metaphorically (like our expression “Don’t blow your own horn”).
  • The hypocrites give to the poor in a way that ensures everyone else knows they are giving.
  • They seek the reward of the approval of their peers and they have that reward. They do what they do to be seen and approved by others and they get the approval of others
  • In contrast, the faithful are looking forward to a blessing from God: life in the kingdom of God.
  • In contrast, the faithful have so little interest in having an audience to their giving, that metaphorically their left hand doesn’t even know what their right hand is doing. They are not even showing off for themselves.

Prayer

5“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. …” – Matthew 6:5-6

  • Prayer by its nature is a conversation with God.
  • Yet the hypocrites use prayer to demonstrate to other people how pious they are.
  • The hypocrites use public prayer to gain the approval of their fellow Jews and they have that reward in full.
  • By contrast, when the faithful pray, they go into the most private room of their house and shut the door.
  • Jesus challenges his listeners to consider: when you pray, who is your audience?  Are you really talking to God?  Or are you talking to your peers?  Here’s one way to tell: go to the most private room in your house and shut the door.  Do you still want to pray?  Or has prayer lost its appeal to you?  If prayer no longer appeals to you, then your primary motivation was being seen by others.

16“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,  18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” – Matthew 6:16-18

  • Do not fast like the hypocrites do in order to be seen by other people.  They have their reward in full. 
  • Rather, fast in such a way that no one knows it but you and God and you will have your reward from God.
  • The Jews were commanded to fast once per year on the Day of Atonement.
  • In the Old Testament, rather than being a habitual practice, fasting was typically a response to a specific situation. An individual or the community would realize they had broken the covenant in some way, and as part of their repentance they would fast.
  • Fasting is the choice to restrict one’s diet for the purpose of paying attention to God.
  • By New Testament times, the Pharisees adopted a practice of fasting twice per week (Luke 18:12; Matthew 9:14: Mark 2:18).

Jesus is NOT giving commands on how to give, prayer or fast.  Instead, he’s explaining the true spirit in which these 3 traditional religious practices should be done.

Does Jesus contradict himself?

Some critics have charged Jesus with contradicting himself in this sermon.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them,” – Matthew 6:1

  • The topic in Matthew 5 is persecution. The context was the kind of hostility believers face for following Jesus in a world that rejects Jesus.
  • In Matthew 5, Jesus urges us not to abandon our faith to escape the hostility of the world. We are not to hide our light, as he says, in order to avoid being persecuted because we follow Jesus.
  • The topic in Matthew 6 is the motivation for performing various religious practices. Are you trying to be obedient to God?  Or are you trying to win the approval of your peers? 
  • In Matthew 6, Jesus warns against displaying your religion before other people in order to gain their approval.
  • The genuine believer is called upon to resist both those temptations.  Our goal should not be to avoid the disapproval of other people.  We are called to follow God whether others approve or not.
  • Likewise, our goal should not be to gain the approval of other people.  The only approval we should care about is God’s. 
  • His reward is the only reward worth pursuing.

Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.

Next: 32 Matthew 6:7-10 The Lord’s Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come

Previous: 30 Matthew 5:43-48 Love your enemies

Series: Gospel of Matthew: Behold, the King!

Resources: Matthew Resources

Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

Filed Under: Matthew Tagged With: fasting, giving, Matthew, praying

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