Fasting

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do,
for they try to look miserable and disheveled
so people will admire them for their fasting.
I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.”
Matthew 6:16

Just as Jesus dealt with giving and praying, He now deals with fasting—how not to do it, then, how to do it.

He tells us not to put on a gloomy face, not to neglect our appearance, and not to seek a super pious look. I believe He’s saying that no one should ever be able to tell just by looking that we have been fasting. Great game plan . . . but not always followed.

Have you ever been around people who really want to look spiritual? They are gloom personified, apparently living out one of the unwritten laws in the ancient code of pharisaical ethics. Down through the centuries of Christianity many have cultivated that “seriously religious” appearance. It is especially popular among super pious missionaries who talk about the burden of the mission field, or among pastors who are weighed down with the burden of the pastorate.

Burden? Whose burden? The ministry is His burden. Since that is true, what are we doing bearing His burden and trying to look so grim about it? We ought to be grim if we are attempting to carry what God is supposed to carry! But we are not made to carry out His role, so let’s stop trying. Playing a false role promotes pride, which is easily detected.

Fasting is good for one’s health. Fasting helps bring perspective and break bad habits. Fasting is good for self-control. It encourages a protracted focus on Christ and a wholesome self-discipline. It gives time to let the silt of our lives drop to the bottom. It brings us back to basics. Fasting simplifies our faith. But that is also why we are never to promote it, brag about it, or display it.