The objective of this lesson: To use fasting, an accepted expression of righteous behavior in first century Israel, to continue to illustrate the importance of motives to God.
Fasting in the Bible [both Old and New Testaments] is a complex concept better understood by those who practiced fasting in their cultures than we now understand it. We practice fasting in specific circumstances that are centered in personal, physical, secular benefits, but rarely as a collective or individual religious act.
Jesus is NOT referring to an unrighteous practice. Just as Jesus helped the poor (consider Luke 14:12-14) and prayed (consider Mark 1:35; 6:45, 46), Jesus also fasted (consider Matthew 4:2; Mark 2:18-20). Fasting was a religious act that was to focus the righteous person on his godly commitment.
Typically, fasting involved a complete abstaining from food or water for a designated period. When Queen Esther prepared to approach the King on behalf of the Jewish people [who faced annihilation], she asked for support from the Jewish community in the form of a three day fast in which people neither ate nor drank (Esther 4:16). She committed herself to the same fast. Yet, Daniel committed himself to a selective fast (Daniel 10:3) for a period of personal prayer (Daniel 10:12) because of deep personal concerns about circumstances (Daniel 10:2). In this period, Daniel ate no tasty food [literally no "bread of desirability"] or meat, drank no wine, and used no ointments on himself. There were definite risks in this action for anyone appearing before the King (1:10). Many kings convinced themselves that their people were happy and prosperous by having only well fed, happy people in their courts.
There were different forms of fasting.
In ancient cultures, a bond existed between mourning and fasting. When King David's first child by Bathsheba died, David fasted in his petition to God to allow the child to survive (2 Samuel 12:15-23). Though not typical at that time, David ended his fast when the child died. David also fasted when Abner was buried (2 Samuel 3:35). [In a way, a connection between sorrow and not eating still exists. We quickly are concerned when a person experiencing the death of a loved one refuses to eat. In fact, the greater the tragedy the more likely we are to respond promptly with the finest foods to tempt the mourner to eat.]
The association of sorrow with not taking food is a bond that still exists today. However, we need to understand that there is a difference in a religiously motivated fast in which a person focuses himself/herself on a petition or commitment to God and a mere loss of appetite.
Fasting at times was a part of collective worship in the national worship of Old Testament Israel. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29, 31) ["humble your souls" referred to fasting] included fasting. Zechariah 8:19 refers to four national fasts.
In Israel, national and personal worship could include occasions of humble fasting as well as occasions of thankful joy and celebration.
There was the understanding that fasting increased the effectiveness of a prayer. This should not be approached as an attempt to manipulate God by the devout. [Certainly fasting could be used in this way by those who had motives other than dependence on God.] In devout people of God [such as Moses (Exodus 34:28); Elijah (1 Kings 19:8); Esther; Daniel; and the returning remnant of Jews (Ezra 8:31) in the Old Testament, and Anna (Luke 2:36,37); Jesus (Matthew 4:1, 2); the twelve (Luke 5:33-35); the gentile congregation at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3); and Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:23) in the New Testament] fasting was a way to declare humility, surrender, and sincerity before God. It committed the whole person's focus to a single concern. Fasting was not a demand, but a humble request.
Stress a common bond between fasting and prayer existed [each could be an act of focus]. Stress that fasting was not properly used if used as an attempt to manipulate God. Instead, it was an expression of humility toward God, or a focus on a godly task, or an expression of faith in God's purposes and work.
Some time after Judah's Babylonian captivity, a fasting practice evolved in Judah that crystallized into the practices of the New Testament Pharisees. Before and during the Babylonian captivity, God sent numerous prophets to the people of Judah in efforts to call them to repentance. Basically they turned a deaf ear. It was easier to explain events before captivity with "Everything will be okay" or during captivity with "God has deserted us and does not love us any more" than to accept responsibility for change and the consequences of repentance. [It is always easier to declare "God will not {cannot} do that!" than it is to redirect life!]
It is easy to take God for granted or to misunderstand His purposes in our personal lives. Judah was incorrect when they thought everything would be okay even though they lived wickedly. The people were also incorrect to think God had deserted them when they suffered the consequences of their choices and behavior. Repentance is the proper response to evil mistakes, not self-justification or continued self-indulgence.
However, the prophets' warnings came to pass. Jerusalem fell. The temple was destroyed. The people of Judah were exiled. Because they trusted a wrong concept of God, the exiles faced a faith crisis in a difficult situation. The crisis: "How could God let this happen to us?" [Notice it was God's fault, not theirs.]
Our concept of God, of His purposes, and of His objective is a significant factor in influencing our choices. It is always easier at a moment of stress to blame God for the consequences we produced through our poor or evil choices than it is to repent [redirect our lives in attitude and behavior]. For some reason, in this society individuals find greater comfort in laying blame on others [another] than finding a solution through personal redirection. We would rather hold someone else responsible for our mistakes than to redirect our lives.
As a result of the intense sorrow and pain produced by the Babylonian exile, fasting became a way of humbly declaring, "We have learned our lesson. God, You do not have to punish us again to get our attention. Our fasting declares submission to You, God!" Unfortunately, what often begins as a good practice produced by a good attitude becomes a ritualistic practice that means little to those practicing the ritual. To such people, the value is in the act, not in the attitude that motivated the person to do the act.
The humble declaration, "God, we are aware of our mistakes. You do not have to use severe punishment to gain our attention," is a good motivation. To make fasting a required religious practice that had either (1) no meaning or (2) a self-seeking ambition was an evil, meaningless practice. It is much too easy for a godly act [even in the early segments of the restoration movement or today's church] to begin with good motives and, in time, become a meaningless practice that must be followed in that time's concept of righteousness. It is easy for meaningful acts to become meaningless rituals.
By Jesus' adult life time, the practice of fasting twice a week was ingrained in those who heeded the Pharisees' call to return to Judaism's old ways. The strict Pharisee [and those under his influence] fasted every Monday and Thursday.
The practice separated the act from the attitude as it became on expression of righteousness.
One can call attention to himself as he extends benevolence or as he prays. Yet, how does one call attention to himself as he fasts? He did [or refused to do] things to his physical appearance to make himself look gaunt. For example, do not wash. Do not use oils. Powder your face with flour. Wear a miserable expression.
Jesus stressed the objective of godly practices with ungodly motives a third time using fasting as an illustration. To understand the force of Jesus' examples, it would be similar to using weekly communion, a cappella worship music, and the invitation song as illustrations of bad religious practices in the churches of Christ. The objective of all three of Jesus' illustrations was to show religious people committed to attracting attention to themselves. The bad consequence in all three illustrations was the same: "You have received your reward in full by gaining people's attention. You received what you wanted. Expect nothing from God."
Jesus said, "When you fast, do not call attention to yourself. Do not act or be one who is unconcerned about God. If you neglect your physical appearance to call people's attention to yourself, their attention is your full reward. Nothing is coming to you from God."
With God, more than performing the act is significant. "Why the act is performed" [motive] is as important to God as the act itself.
"Therefore, wash and anoint yourself with oil. Do nothing to attract human attention to your fasting. Your Father [God] sees what you are doing, no matter how private the fast. The God Who sees in secret will respond to your fast."
Do what you do to demonstrate your feeling for God, not to gain the attention of people.
There is a huge distinction between doing things to attract human attention and doing things to honor God. Again, to God motives matter! The contrast that followed: those who placed their treasures in heaven.
The righteousness that exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20) was the righteousness dedicated to honoring God rather than honoring self. Understanding that huge distinction is critical to be a righteous person in God's eyes.
For Thought and Discussion
Esther and Daniel illustrate two forms of fasting. Esther illustrates a total abstinence from food and water for a designated period. Daniel illustrates a partial abstinence from specific foods and liquids for a period of time. Each illustrates a commitment/focus on a concern that was taken to God.
The bond was between mourning and fasting. The understanding was that fasting increased the effectiveness of prayer.
Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Esther, and the remnant of Jews returning from Babylonian captivity are Old Testament examples. Anna, Jesus, the twelve, the gentile church at Antioch, and Paul and Barnabas are New Testament examples.
The captivity created a religious crisis for them: "How could God let this happen to us?" They were separated from their place of prayer (consider 1 Kings 8:22-54) and national worship (consider Deuteronomy 12:1-14). In those circumstances fasting became the means of expressing repentance and total dependence on God.
It was customary for the devout to fast twice a week [Monday and Thursday] to declare humility before and to show dependence on God.
In fasting, they made their faces look gaunt by expression, by not washing, by not anointing themselves with oil, and by using flour to make themselves look pale.
He urged them to wash, anoint themselves, and forego any expressions that would call attention for their fasting.
There is a huge distinction between honoring God and calling attention to yourself.
The contrast is with those who placed their treasures in heaven.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 5