Fasting Without Hypocrisy
Matthew 6:16-18
Tonight we will return to Matthew Chapter 6. In this particular Chapter, Jesus is confronting hypocritical religion. He picks out three illustrations; the giving of the Pharisees was hypocritical. That's in the first part of the chapter. The praying of the Pharisees was hypocritical. And finally, the fasting that they did was also hypocritical.
In verse 2, He says, "When you do your alms giving, do not sound a trumpet like the hypocrites." In verse 5, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites." And in verse 16, "When you fast be not as the hypocrites." So these are the three illustrations of hypocritical religion our Lord gives.
Now when He gets in to the subject of prayer, there is a wonderful introduction of this section on the Lord's prayer. But because we want to deal with it in such detail taking it statement by statement, we're going to deal with the three illustrations first and then back up and spend a rather lengthy time studying the Lord's prayer. So we'll be getting to that later.
Tonight, fasting.
Verses 16-18
Now, this obviously as the other two is a corrective to hypocritical fasting. The Pharisees and the scribes and the Jews were involved in many, many fasts as a very common part of their religious system. But it needed to be corrected.
Now, before we can understand the corrective, we must understand what fasting is all about. He simply assumes in saying when ye fast, the knowledge and the occasions of fasting. But fasting is a little understood factor of religious or spiritual experience.
So let's approach our study of this text by just dealing with
1. The Principle Of Fasting.
I think it important to understand what the Bible teaches about the principle of fasting, especially since so many are unfamiliar with it. Simply put, fasting is doing without food.
I'm very much aware of the fact that we all like food and I like it too. I am also very much aware of the fact that God in a wonderful way permits that.
God has provided such an infinite variety of tastes and such an infinite capacity in the part of the tongue to enjoy those tastes that He must have known what He was getting us into. God wanted us to have the fullness of enjoying all there is to enjoy in eating.
I think that's true in every kind of thing. I think God has made a world like this world because He wanted us to enjoy color. I mean, everything could have been brown. But there needs to be some variety.
Think about kissing the person you love. Isn't it wonderful that God invented that? He could have just had us exchange ear wax. There are a lot of alternatives to what God has very graciously given us.
So when it comes to food, I think God is very much aware of the fact that there is variety. And I think that's the way He intended it.
God has everything from fruits and vegetables to meats and nuts to make eating an enjoyable thing.
So God knew we had to eat and we would eat. And He gave us the wonder of taste so that life would be richer and more blessed.
Beyond that, it provides us a reason for fellowship and love and closeness.
Jesus in John 21 made breakfast and then said to His beloved disciples, "come and dine." In Revelation 3:20, He stands at the door knocking and wants us to open that He may come in and supp with us; have supper with us and us with Him.
So food provides nourishment and enjoyment and fellowship, and I even think that food provides a certain amount of worship. I don't know if you acknowledge it or not, but every meal that you eat is a gift from God. The Lord's prayer say "Give us this day our," what, "our daily bread."
God has created all this food and because it's good for nourishment and because it's good for enjoyment and because it's great for fellowship and because it's a source of worship, it is to be received with thanksgiving. We are to be grateful to God for such a wonderful provision.
And I just want to say that to you to let you know that it's okay to eat and it's okay to enjoy eating. You don't have to eat mush all your life and think you're being spiritual. God has created this for us to enjoy.
In fact, some of the rabbis of years gone by reacted against fasting and they said, "When you get to heaven and to the judgment seat, you will have to answer to God for every good thing that you didn't eat."
So understand that food is good and food is from God and food is fine. And that being as it may, there is still a place for fasting in our lives.
And simply put, fasting is doing without food.
There can be a partial fast or a specific fast, but those are the exceptions, rather than the rule. Generally speaking, it is a total abstinence from food. So that is the principle.
Secondly, not only the principle of fasting, but
2. The Period of Fasting.
People have discussed and debated how long a fast should be. In fact, the Bible never prescribes a set length of time for a fast. The time depends on the person, depends on the circumstance, depends on the situation, and the need.
Most commonly, a fast was from sunrise to sunset. You didn't eat from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun. That is a fast.
Then you get up in the morning and eat, and you break fast. The morning meal, breakfast, was to end or break the fast.
Now the Old Testament references seven day fasts, such as 1 Samuel 31. Daniel Chapter 10 talks about a three week fast. In Luke 18:12 where the Pharisee fasted twice a week. So the times and the length of times are varied depending on the situation in each given element.
So we have the principle and the period, thirdly, and I think this is important,
3. The Priority of Fasting
Notice in our text in verse 16, Jesus says, "When you fast." Then in verse 17, "When you fast."
Now it appears to me from these two things that Jesus assumed this would happen. He doesn't say stop fasting. He doesn't say fast. He just says when you fast, just like when you pray or when you give. It is assumed as a part of the life a person who represents the kingdom or who is a part of it.
We know from Scripture of a lot of people of fasted. Let me just give you a few; Moses, Samson, Samuel, Hannah, Saul, Jonathan, David, Elijah, Jehoshaphat, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, John the Baptist, Anna, the prophets and teachers at Antioch, the apostle Paul, and most significantly, our own Lord Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.
Now that's a list of some pretty important folks; a substantial list of spiritual people who fasted. More recently, The Wesleys and the Whitfields and the Calvins and the Luthers have fasted. And right on down to today the people of God fast. And I believe our Lord assumed this.
Now the only fast God commanded was on the Day of Atonement. So the fast was associated with brokenness and confession of sin. But even though that was the only commanded fast, we find a lot of other examples of fasts outside of that.
And even though the public fast on the Day of Atonement has now ended, I think the Lord knew that the times of fasting in individual lives were not over. And even after His death and resurrection and ascension, people would fast.
And I think He points that out in Matthew 9, verses 14 and 15.
The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus. And they said "why do we," the disciples of John the Baptist, "who are righteous people, and the Pharisees, who were unrighteous people, fast often? But your disciples fast not." I mean, we fast all the time. But your disciples don't fast.
I love this answer. "Jesus said unto them, can the sons of the bride chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?" Did you get that? Jesus said this is not the time to fast, because we it is not a time of mourning.
We gain a valuable insight into fasting in that comment. Jesus indicates that fasting is always a corollary to some deep spiritual anxiety. And Jesus is saying we're not fasting because there's no reason to fast.
And by the way, fasting is never the goal. It is a means to the goal. There is always a reason to fast and an objective for the fast. It is a corollary to something else not an end in itself.
Notice what Jesus says about that in Matthew 9:
"the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them and then shall they fast."
Now what “the days when the bridegroom is taken away”?
We are living in those days. One of these days He’s coming back for us, but until that time says our Lord, there will be fasting.
Why? Because there will be spiritual struggle and there will be anxiety and in my absence it will not be as it is in my presence.
And so I believe in Matthew 9 Jesus is simply saying there's going to be times of fasting. And throughout the history of the church there have those times when fasting would be the right response.
So what’s the point? There is a priority in fasting. It has a priority place in this age. It belongs to this era. It didn't belong to the disciples when Jesus was present. It doesn’t belong to the millennium when He returns. It belongs to this time and this place and to us in this hour.
Then this fourth point:
4. The Provocation for Fasting.
We've seen the principle, the period, the priority, and now the provocation. If fasting has a place, then what is it that causes us to fast? Well, I’ve already alluded to it. If it is a corollary and if it is a response then what is it that brings that response?
It is for those times of deep struggle where the tug on the heart is so powerful that as you are pulled into the presence of God, all thought of the world passes. You should fast with such intensity not only in things regarding yourself, but those regarding others and even your enemies.
Fasting is consecration to God which sets me apart to God so alone that there's no need for food. And here’s the key: fasting is always linked with prayer. Prayer is not always necessarily linked with fasting. You can pray without fasting, but you cannot fast without praying. There is no scripturally example of fasting unrelated to prayer.
Why? Because fasting is not an end in itself, but is a corollary to a spiritual struggle that draws us into the presence of God so that we can communicate directly with Him. The man who prays with fasting, you see, is giving heaven notice that he's really in earnest. That he will not give up. That he won't let go until God blesses. Prayer is always linked with fasting, and let me add one other thought on this.
Fasting is the response of a pure heart.
What does that mean? If your heart isn't right, your fasting is a sham. Remember that’s really what Jesus is addressing. Don’t be like the hypocrites, putting on a show.
That leads us to our last point:
5. The Problem with Fasting.
The problem with fasting is simply that. If you are a hypocrite, you don't have a pure heart. You're not really fasting as a corollary to intense prayer and spiritual struggle.
That was exactly the problem of the scribes and the Pharisees. Their hearts were not right. Their fast was a mockery.
There was no legitimate prayer concern. It all begins with your heart.
If your heart is pure as it ought to be, then it will issue in true prayer, in great agonizing prayer and the corollary will be fasting.
But the problem is fasting is so easily falsified for the sake of spiritual demonstration.
Beware of anything in your life that you do to make an impression on somebody. That's a borderline problem. Don't fast for an impression.
Look at verse 16 of Matthew 6.
Boy they wanted themselves to look really bad when they were fasting so everybody would know they were in the spiritual mood. And they would cover their faces with ash to make it look pale and gaunt and distressed.
He says don't do that. They disfigure their faces. It means to obliterate or to cause to disappear. They just completely covered themselves so it would be obvious they were fasting. They were putting on their demonstration and the real issue is they do it in order that they may appear unto men to fast.
And in response to that, Jesus says, “Fast when your heart calls for a fast. And your heart should call for a fast if you're really consecrated to God and when you do, you're moving into God's sphere of blessing. But remember don't make a public display out of it and don't do it to impress others because if you do, then you've crossed the line. You've done it for men.”
I've had people down through the years, in spite of what Scripture says, say I'm fasting. Well, you have your reward. You just got it. I know you're fasting. You're paid in full. God owes you nothing.
That's not the kind of fasting God's after. Don't do it for the sake of men. Don't decorate your face with ashes for the sake of men so people can see how spiritual you are.
In fact, I think if you are fasting, and you are put in the situation of having to eat or explain you are fasting, you should eat so you don’t have to mention the fast.
I just believe the Lord understands that. In fact, I'm sure He does. Let it be a secret thing.
Look at the emphasis Jesus puts on this:
Verse 17, "When thou fastest, anoint thine head." Now the anointing here is really interesting. The anointing is an oil that they used to keep their skin from getting too chapped in the heat in the hot part of the world they lived in. And it had an aroma to it which would make them a little more fragrant because deodorant was not in existence in those days.
This was a part of a normal day’s routine. This is getting ready in the morning kind of stuff. This was a way they prepared themselves and were dressed.
This is something God expects and anticipates. Jesus is saying don’t give any hint at your fast. He's saying get your Brylcreem and Dippity-Do out and comb your hair, wash your face, put on a little makeup, and look like you always look.
Just be normal. You see the Lord is after an inward thing and God, it says in verse 18, "who sees in secret," because He lives in that secret world that no man knows will see the reality of that fast. And He's the only one who needs to know because He's the only one who gives a real reward.
And that leads to the last thing:
6. The Promise for Fasting
Verse 18
God says fast, but fast out of a true, pure, obedient heart.
And with that, we're right back to where we started. You're right back to the Beatitudes again. If your character is right and your life is right, some times in your prayers there will be such intensity for one thing or another that fasting will be a very natural corollary to prayer. And in those times have great intensity, God will honor and bless not because you fasted but because your heart was so pure your fast was a chosen fast. God blesses that kind of heart.
Let's pray.
