FASTING

“And whenever you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, putting on a gloomy look, for they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to men as fasting; truly I tell you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you do not appear to men as fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will recompense you.”

This is another Matthean section without parallels. It fits in with the kind of teaching given earlier in the chapter where the demand is for complete sincerity in praying and giving. So is it with fasting. This is no concern of anyone except the fasting person and God. Anyone who fasts should take care to keep it that way; he should make no display of his fasting. Jesus and his disciples apparently fasted rarely, if at all (9:14–15, though cf. 4:2).

16. The one fast prescribed in the law was the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29–31; “afflict yourselves” is generally understood to include fasting). But other fasts came to be observed (Zech. 8:19; cf. Neh. 9:1; Ps. 35:13, etc.; private fasting was also practiced, Neh. 1:4; Dan. 9:3; for New Testament times cf. Luke 18:12). Whenever indicates that people will fast, but leaves the times open. No particular significance is attached to fasting here, as though the fast were for a specific object; it is simply a normal religious, disciplinary activity, one of three pious practices held in special esteem among the Jews (with almsgiving and prayer). But Jesus says that whenever it takes place certain precautions should be observed, for fasting readily gives an opening for those who like to make a show of their piety (for hypocrites see on v. 2). Fasters could put on a gloomy look to go with their physical discomfort, or they might disfigure⁵⁶ their faces. It is not quite certain what form the disfigurement took, but evidently some act of disfigurement was recognized as a common accompaniment of fasting so that these people not only fasted but appeared to fast; they made it plain to those who saw them that they were engaged in a serious and onerous religious duty. They were more interested in appearing to fast than in the actual fasting itself. Such people, Jesus says, have their reward (i.e., they have received in full all the reward they are going to get; see on verses 1–2). They aimed at making an impression rather than at religious excellence. They succeeded in their aim and should not expect any further recompense than the applause they had attained.

17. But you puts the follower of Jesus in contrast; that way is not for the disciple. Jesus implies that those who follow him will fast from time to time, but he says nothing about frequency, occasion, or method. He is concerned only with the motive behind the fasting and indeed primarily with the requirement that fasting be done secretly, as a matter between the religious person and God. So the faster is told anoint your head; this points to a normal social custom of the day, but evidently those who fasted sometimes omitted the practice. So with washing the face. It is pleasant to be clean, and evidently it was felt by some who fasted that they should forego this pleasure. And, of course, an untended face is very obvious.

18. The purpose of this (so that) is that those fasting should not make a display of their disciplinary activity, The hypocrites fasted in order to make an impression on others (“a sacred means is being corrupted by an unholy purpose,” Gutzwiller); Jesus prescribes the exact opposite: his followers are not to appear to fast. Fasting is a matter between them and the Father. The thought of being “in secret” is repeated from verses 4 and 6, though with a slightly different vocabulary. With fasting, as with almsgiving and prayer, it is important that the activity be done in secret. As with those activities the Father will recompense the person who fasts rightly (in the end justice will be done), but the emphasis is not on the recompense; it is on keeping one’s religious activities religious and not making them a means of self-glorification.¹

Occasions for Fasting

When is it appropriate to fast?’ ‘What types of situations should induce a fast?’ ‘What is a good Biblical reason for going without food?’ The Bible has answers to those questions. We find seven occasions when the people of God fasted. God’s people fasted in these situations:
Mourning someone’s death: We see fasting and mourning connected in 1 Samuel 31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:12; 2 Samuel 1:12; and 2 Samuel 3:35. In these situations fasting showed the sorrow that the people felt over the loss of someone God used in their lives. In fact, the custom of fasting in mourning was considered normal behavior among the Israelites. That’s why the servants of David were so astonished when David got up and ate following the death of his son: “David’s servants said to him, ‘Why are you doing this? When the baby was still alive, you refused to eat and you cried. Now that the baby is dead, you get up and eat food?!'” (2 Samuel 12:21).
When someone experiences the loss of a close friend or relative, they usually don’t feel like eating. This is a normal, natural reaction in the initial stages of grief. It is a perfectly good reason to fast.
Mourning sin, i.e. in repentance and confession: Examples of this are found in Deuteronomy 9:18; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 21:27; Ezra 10:6; Jonah 3:5; and Acts 9:3-9. When people wished to demonstrate that they were serious about repenting from their sin, they fasted. Our willingness to sacrifice shows the depth of our commitment and in this case fasting is a pictorial way of saying to the Lord, “I care more about getting right with You, God, than I do about even my own life.” So a good occasion for fasting is when we are truly grieving over our sins.
A situation of impending danger; for protection: There are occasions when death or danger threaten us. We see from the Scripture that it is certainly appropriate to employ fasting as a means of receiving God’s protection during these times. When Ezra was carrying a large consignment of gold and silver to the temple in Jerusalem along a route infested with bandits, he records: “I proclaimed a fast…that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for ourselves, our children, and all our goods” (Ezra 8:21,23,31). Other examples of fasting for protection are found in Jeremiah 36:9 and Esther 4:3.
Direction: Fasting helps us find God’s will. If we expect God to reveal his direction for our lives, we must put Him first. Often this means putting aside the fulfillment of our physical appetites, so that we can focus our attention on Him.
We find an example of fasting for direction in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. Three nations were coming against Judah to destroy them. King Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, proclaimed a fast for the whole nation and they asked the Lord what they should do. God heard their prayer and their fast and gave the people prophetic direction through one of the choir members! God told them what to do.
Acts 13:2 is another example of direction being given by God during a fast. Here we find the leaders of the church of Antioch worshipping and fasting. The Holy Spirit used this occasion to tell the church leaders to choose Paul and Barnabas from among their group and send them out to spread the gospel among the Gentiles. So fasting is one of the ways we seek God’s guidance and direction in our lives.
Sickness: There are two examples in Scripture of fasting on behalf of those who are sick: 2 Samuel 12:15-23; Psalm 35:13. Both of these examples come from the life of David. In Psalm 35:13 David says, “Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness and showed my sorrow by going without food.” David saw fasting as a way to ask God for physical healing in the lives of other people.
The ordination of missionaries or church leaders: Fasting appears to have been a regular part of the ordination of church leaders and missionaries. We have already looked at Acts 13, the calling of Paul and Barnabas for missionary service. Verse 3 tells us that after they received this direction from the Lord, then they ordained them for missionary service by prayer, fasting and laying their hands upon them.
We find the same thing later on in the book of Acts — Paul and Barnabas fasted at the selection of the first elders for the new churches they planted (Acts 14:23). It would appear that fasting in these cases is a way of seriously seeking God’s blessing, anointing, and power upon the leaders of the church.
Special revelation: The final occasion for fasting is for special revelation. Exceptional insights from God were sometimes given to the prophets and others during periods of fasting. Daniel sought God with fasting to ask God to fulfill His promise to restore Jerusalem (see Daniel 9:9,18 and compare with Jeremiah 29:10-13). He received through the angel Gabriel a wonderful unfolding of God’s plan for Israel. If we have sought God in vain for the fulfillment of some promise, it could be that He is waiting for us to humble ourselves by fasting and seek Him as Daniel did.

Other examples of prophetic revelation during times of fasting are found in Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9,18; and Daniel 10:1-3. God decided to speak to these men while they were in the midst of a fast. For those seeking prophetic guidance or revelation today, God may also use the occasion of fasting to speak to them in a very unique way.

What Will Be Your Response?

As we look at the Bible it becomes evident that fasting was practiced more often than Christians usually practice it today. In fact, among most American Christians fasting is entirely neglected. I want to challenge you today to begin the practice of fasting. If you accept the challenge of God’s Word to fast, I would like to provide some guidelines for you as you begin to make this a more regular part of your Christian life. The Lord will reward your efforts at fasting. Here are some individual guidelines for fasting:

1. Reach a personal conviction on the subject through careful Bible study. — Get into the Word on your own. See what the Bible really says about fasting. Check the things that have been said here, read the Scripture references listed in this article and the ones listed below, and go deeper.
2. A physician’s note: Make sure you are medically able to fast before attempting it. Some brothers and sisters that I know can only do a one-day partial fast. They drink different types of juice, but take no food or other liquid. God knows and understands their medical condition and does not expect them to harm their “temple” (1 Corinthians 6:19) in order to be spiritual. There are no rigid standards about fasting in the Bible that say you must do this or that.
3. Begin with short fasts and gradually move to larger periods of time if you desire. If you’ve never fasted before, you need to start slow. Don’t start with a three day fast!
4. Be prepared for some dizziness, headache, or nausea in the early going. Most of our bodies have never gone without food for longer than a few hours.
5. Break a prolonged fast gradually with meals that are light and easy to digest. Trying to gorge yourself following a fast will only make you sick and will leave you with an unpleasant memory of fasting.
6. Enter with a positive faith that God will reward those who fast with the right motives. – Jesus gave this promise: “When you fast, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:18).
7. Sometime during your fast, mix your fast with prayer, time in Scripture reading, singing, or devotional reading. Remember: fasting is not an end in itself. Seek the Lord, not the experience of fasting.
8. Keep checking your motives concerning your fasts. Hypocrisy and spiritual pride can easily creep in. There is a reward for fasting, but only fasting done with the right motives (Matthew 23:28).

In the opening words of this section, Jesus assumes that fasting is a part of religious exercise. However, His teaching shows that fasting is not to be a ritual, done by the calendar, but is a voluntary time of meditation, of drawing near to God. Fasting as an exercise is to deprive one’s self of the normal and pleasant performances of life for the sake of personal enrichment. The more obvious form of fasting is in dieting, and may have health benefits as well. But the purpose is to transcend distraction or sensual gratification for the sake of enhancing meditation. Sexual abstinence on the part of a married couple for a time may be a form of fasting. Or for youth to forego certain pleasures in sports or recreation for a period for the sake of a spiritual retreat may be another form of fasting.

Whatever the form may be, Jesus’ emphasis is to avoid a ritual practice for merit in the eyes of others. Instead, we are to fast for the sake of spiritual enrichment. But even in the exercise, we should beware of using fasting as a sign of superior piety. Neither should we assume that fasting, any more than prayer, is a way of impressing God or of somehow entreating or coercing God to answer a request. Fasting for “power with God” is not to somehow “pressure” Him to act; rather it is to be more objective in discerning the will of God and to be able to rightly claim His presence and His answer.

In verse 17 Jesus uses the emphatic “you” to say that in contrast to the way in which hypocrites fast to impress people, you, when you fast, do so in the proper manner. The next phrases ask that we go about our daily normal toiletry; put on our perfume or aftershave lotion and go about life in our normal spirit. Fasting has its own values for the person fasting and they are not found in impressing people. In addition to the value of meditative reverence in fasting, Barclay lists five values in fasting that show the abiding benefits of this practice: (1) the value of self-discipline, (2) the release from slavery to habit, (3) the preservation of the ability to do without things, (4) the positive value for health, and (5) the enhancement of our appreciation of things.²

The only fast that God actually required of the Jewish people was on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27). The Pharisees fasted each Monday and Thursday (Luke 18:12) and did so in such a way that people knew they were fasting. Their purpose, of course, was to win the praise of men. As a result, the Pharisees lost God’s blessing.

It is not wrong to fast, if we do it in the right way and with the right motive. Jesus fasted (Matt. 4:3); so did the members of the early church (Acts 13:2). Fasting helps to discipline the appetites of the body (Luke 21:34) and keep our spiritual priorities straight. But fasting must never become an opportunity for temptation (1 Cor. 7:5). Simply to deprive ourselves of a natural benefit (such as food or sleep) is not of itself fasting. We must devote ourselves to God and worship Him. Unless there is the devotion of the heart (see Zech. 7) there is no lasting spiritual benefit.

As with giving and praying, true fasting must be done in secret; it is between the believer and God. To “make unsightly” our faces (by looking glum and asking for pity and praise) would be to destroy the very purpose of the fast. Our Lord here laid down a basic principle of spiritual living: Nothing that is truly spiritual will violate that which God has given us in nature. God usually does not tear down one good thing in order to build up another. If we have to look miserable to be considered spiritual, then there is something wrong with our views of spirituality.

Remember that hypocrisy robs us of reality in Christian living. We substitute reputation for character, mere words for true prayer, money for the devotion of the heart. No wonder Jesus compared the Pharisees to tombs that were whitewashed on the outside, but filthy on the inside! (Matt. 23:27–28)

But hypocrisy not only robs us of character, it also robs us of spiritual rewards. Instead of the eternal approval of God, we receive the shallow praise of men. We pray, but there are no answers. We fast, but the inner man shows no improvement. The spiritual life becomes hollow and lifeless. We miss the blessing of God here and now, and also lose the reward of God when Christ returns.

Hypocrisy also robs us of spiritual influence. The Pharisees were a negative influence; whatever they touched was defiled and destroyed. The people who admired them and obeyed the Pharisees’ words thought they themselves were being helped, when in reality, they were being hurt.

The first step toward overcoming hypocrisy is to be honest with God in our secret life. We must never pray anything that we do not mean from the heart; otherwise, our prayers are simply empty words. Our motive must be to please God alone, no matter what men may say or do. We must cultivate the heart in the secret place. It has well been said, “The most important part of a Christian’s life is the part that only God sees.” When reputation becomes more important than character, we have become hypocrites.³

16. When ye fast is a reference both to fasting prescribed under the Mosaic law in connection with the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29) and the voluntary fast of that day. The Pharisees added two fast days, on Monday and Thursday of each week, as a case of public display and piety. The true purpose of fasting was intended, however, for deep contrition and spiritual communion. Fasting was especially emphasized as an effective means of dealing with temptation (cf. Isa 58:6). The Pharisees regarded the practice of fasting as meritorious (cf. Taanith, 8:3) and appeared in the synagogues negligently attired. Their sad disfigurement of face and the wearing of mourning garb gave them an opportunity to exhibit their superior ascetic sanctity before the people. The phrase disfigure their faces (Gr aphanizō) literally denotes covering their faces and is a figurative expression for mournful gestures and neglected appearance of those wanting to call attention to the fact they are enduring. This was often done with dust and ashes (cf. Isa 61:3) and is similar to the modern Roman Catholic concept of Ash Wednesday. In the original, there is a play upon two cognate words meaning, “they make their faces unappearable,” that they may “appear unto men.”

17–18. This passage is not to be taken as a command against fasting but rather against the misuse of the spiritual exercise of fasting. Kent (p. 21) observes: “Fasting that requires spectators is mere acting.” Though Jesus Himself instituted no fast for His disciples, voluntary fasting does appear in the early churches (cf. Acts 13:2). The injunction to anoint thine head relates to the ancient custom of anointing one’s head when going to a feast. In other words, Jesus was saying that when we fast we are to do so secretly unto the Lord, while outwardly maintaining the appearance of joy and triumph which is the end result of true fasting.

Just as we have observed the interesting parallels within this sermon, so again we discover the contrast between outward acts of worship and inward attitudes of devotion. Outward worship stresses giving; inward worship stresses possessing. Outward worship manifests praying; inward worship manifests worrying. Outward worship is characterized by fasting; inward worship is characterized by judging.

The obvious contrasts are that a proper attitude toward giving will arise from the proper inward attitude toward one’s possessions. Praying will resolve all worrying. Fasting, in judging one’s self, is to be preferred over judging others.⁴

6:16–18 Various kinds of fasts were commonly practiced in OT times, though the law required only one fast a year, on the Day of Atonement (though fasting is probably implied by the command to “afflict yourselves”; Lev. 16:29–34; 23:26–32). In addition to abstaining from food, people were to humble themselves by praying, mourning, and wearing sackcloth. As with giving (Matt. 6:2–4) and praying (vv. 5–15), fasting is to be a matter of the heart between the Christian and God. when you fast. Jesus assumes that his disciples will fast. Disfigure indicates leaving one’s face unwashed and sprinkled with ashes, with the intention of publicizing the physical hardships of fasting. their reward. See note on vv. 2–4. Anointing and washing (v. 17) signify preparations to enjoy life (cf. Eccles. 9:7–8).⁵

fasts and fasting. Fasting, which was rigorously practised in Judaism and by the disciples of St *John the Baptist, was apparently recommended by Christ both by example and teaching (Lk. 4:2, Mt. 6:16–18 and Mk. 2:20). It was observed by the Apostles (Acts 13:2, 14:23, 2 Cor. 11:27), and in the early Church regular weekly fast days soon developed, *Wednesday and *Friday being mentioned in the *Didache. In the W. *Saturday was later substituted for Wednesday (c. 400), but again abolished in more recent times. The fast of *Lent (q.v.), which was from the beginning connected with the feast of *Easter, lasted originally only two days, but it had been extended to 40, at least in many places, by the 4th cent. (*Athanasius, Festal Epp.). The E. Church added three further periods of fasting, *Advent (from 15 Nov.), from the Monday after *Pentecost to Sts *Peter and *Paul, and the fortnight before the *Assumption. The W. only developed the *Vigil fasts before the great feasts and the fasts of the *Ember Days.

In early times fasting meant entire abstention from food for the whole or part of the fast day and, in the latter case, a restricted diet. In the E. Church it is still observed with considerable strictness: during the whole of Lent, for example, the ancient rules continue to be followed by many, no meat being eaten, nor animal products (eggs, milk, butter, cheese), and fish only on certain days. In principle, during Lent only one meal is taken, in the middle of the afternoon (after *Vespers), but this discipline is generally confined to monastic circles. In modern RC practice fasting generally means one chief meal at midday and a small ‘collation’ in the morning and in the evening; in the past, it also included *abstinence from flesh meat, though Days of Abstinence have been distinguished from Fast Days since 1781. The quantity and quality of food to be taken on Fast Days is now simply to conform with approved local custom. The only two universally obligatory Fast Days in the RC Church are *Ash Wednesday and *Good Friday (CIC (1983), can. 1251). The obligation to fast binds those who have attained their majority until they are 60 (can. 1252). In the C of E the BCP contains a ‘Table of the Vigils, Fasts and Days of Abstinence’ to be observed in the year, but no specific directions are given as to their mode of observance. They were generally kept in the 16th and 17th cents., and as late as the primacy of G. *Sheldon (1663–77) dispensations were taken out for setting aside the Lenten fasts. Their observance was revived in the 19th cent. under the influence of the *Oxford Movement, and the 1969 Canons (B 6. 3), referring to the Days of Fasting etc., listed in the BCP, notes that ‘the forty days of Lent, particularly Ash Wednesday and the Monday to Saturday before Easter, ought specially to be observed’.

As a penitential practice, fasting is designed to strengthen the spiritual life by weakening the attractions of sensible pleasures. The early Church continued the Jewish custom of linking fasting and prayer, and in the lives of the saints the two almost always go together. More or less rigorous fasts are practised in all the more austere religious orders, e.g. by the *Carthusians, *Cistercians, and *Carmelites. See also abstinence and eucharistic fast.⁶

Fasting

Fasting for the Upwardly Mobile

You may think of fasting as something done only by people who have taken vows of poverty, or perhaps by the highly devout. But Zechariah discussed fasting for people who were prospering materially (Zech. 7:5). Largely because their community was in the middle of a building boom, they were moving up the ladder economically. In today’s terms they might be called upwardly mobile.

It is interesting that Zechariah challenged these people with fasting in the context of community development and social justice (Zech. 7:6–10). This leads to at least three reasons why fasting can be a valuable practice for people who are recovering economically and moving up in the world:

1. Fasting can help us remember what it was like to be hungry and to do without.

2. Fasting can help us remember the spiritual resources of God that sustained us when we didn’t have much, and it can also enable us to focus on the Lord.

3. Fasting can help us remember and identify with those around us who are poor and hungry.

Scripture suggests a number of other purposes for fasting and offers numerous models of people who practiced it.

1 Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (pp. 150–151). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

2 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

3 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 27). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

4 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (pp. 1897–1898). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

5 Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1832). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

6 Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (Eds.). (2005). In The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed. rev., p. 603). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.