Growing up in Pakistan, I often heard from my Muslim friends that Christian fasting is incomplete and improper because Christians drink or eat during their fast. In Islam, Muslims are compelled to fast for thirty days during Ramadan and refrain from eating and drinking, from sunrise to sunset, while also performing several prayers. No matter how hot or cold it is, they maintain this regular rhythm of life. Amid the rigorous nature of their fast, there is an element of public display.
I was often distressed hearing their allegations, wondering why they saw Christian fasting as an unserious matter. In Christianity, fasting is neither compulsory nor limited to a specific month. Instead, it is a voluntary spiritual discipline, practiced in secret to draw closer to God or to pray for a particular purpose, which can happen at any time throughout the year.
But when I came to the Unites States, I realized that their allegations held some truth. Here, we are more familiar with prayer and almsgiving, while fasting often stands as a foreign idea. In addition, fasting is often consigned to Catholic or Orthodox traditions or is seen as the religious duty of Jews or early Christians. Among Protestant Christians, fasting even during Lent is minimal.
Even when Christians choose to fast, it is often highly selective, for example, abstinence from certain items like chocolates and sweets, dairy, meat, processed food, caffeine, alcohol, and skipping meals. Fasting even comes to mean abstinence from social media, television, gossip, video games, music, self-indulgence, or workaholism. While all of these can be good disciplines, fasting in the Bible has a more consistent meaning. Throughout the Bible, we see fasting as the letting go of food for the humility of our soul and the quietness of our heart.
“Throughout the Bible, we see fasting as the letting go of food for the humility of our soul and the quietness of our heart.”
How seriously should Christians today take fasting? And if we should still take it seriously, why? And if so, how should we do it?
Matthew 6 is the main place in the New Testament where fasting is taught and encouraged. This passage comes within the Sermon of Mount, where the larger context is concerned with giving, praying, fasting, hoarding, and anxiety. In this passage, Jesus provides us with a core how and why when it comes to fasting. Here’s the passage:
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV)
How Should We Fast According to Jesus?
When Jesus talks about fasting, he underlines two ways of fasting. The first one he condemns is the way of hypocrites, who seem to be fasting to seek people’s approval. He clarifies that such behavior is merely showing off and will gain only earthly rewards from people. The second way, which he offers, is to humbly and sincerely spend intimate and intentional time with God. Jesus invites us to feast on God’s presence in humility and joy.
Among the pious practices of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting from Matthew 6:1-18, fasting is the most unpopular among Christians today. Yet it was an important part of Jewish religious practice in Jesus’ days, involving public repentance (Joel 1:14; 2:15). Pious Jews voluntarily fasted during times of religious devotion with prayer. Pharisees typically fasted on Monday and Thursday, refraining from food but not from drink.[1]
While Jesus does not oblige us to fast according to these preset forms, He does expect us to choose to fast and to do so in secret.
In showing us how to fast, Jesus first shows us what not to do by pointing out how people use fasting to show off their religiosity or self-righteousness. They put on a gloomy look to disfigure their faces. They make it obvious that they are fasting, and the result is people pointing and saying, “What a righteous person!”
“In showing us how to fast, Jesus first shows us what not to do by pointing out how people use fasting to show off their religiosity or self-righteousness.”
There is irony in the play of words between aphanizo (they destroy/disfigure/disappear) and phainomai (they are seen by everyone), for they are disfiguring their appearance in order to draw attention to their appearance. Thus, they are more interested in appearing to fast than the actual fasting itself.[2] Jesus called them “hypocrites,” which typically described an actor/stage player or, more generally, a person who pretends to be something he/she is not. In the New Testament, the word takes on the meaning of being a moral and religious counterfeit.
Religious hypocrites pretend to be close to God, but in reality they are far away from Him. Their motive is to impress people rather than achieve communion with God. And Jesus clarifies that they’ve succeeded—as people have looked at and applauded for them. This is the reward, and they now should not expect any further.[3]
The second way of fasting, which Jesus commends, is for His followers to fast in secret. They are to anoint their heads and wash their faces. This was the routine grooming, which was sometimes omitted as part of the self-affliction during fasting. Jesus wanted His followers to maintain this routine to appear joyful and content so that everything outwardly looked normal. Because fasting is between us and God, He wanted His followers to not even appear as fasting. This way, God alone would notice and reward this devotion. Sadly, we humans are sometimes caught up in showcasing our self-righteousness by focusing on visible things or works. But God sees the heart. He evaluates us by searching our inner attitudes and deeds done in secret.[4]
“Jesus wanted His followers to maintain this routine to appear joyful and content so that everything outwardly looked normal.”
Why Should We Fast According to Jesus?
The reason Jesus gives us for fasting in secret is so simple we often miss it: “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Here, we see the how and why of fasting joined together, for if we fast for God, we will be rewarded by Him. In fact, we will be rewarded with Him. We fast from what we typically depend on in order to feast with Him and on His presence.
Let’s ask ourselves why the Christian practice of fasting is so often ignored as a spiritual discipline while practices like yoga which are grounded in non-Christian religions are embraced. Is it because of some sort of unfamiliarity, or the difficulty of giving up food, or health concerns? Is fasting simply unnecessary for our growth? What is the goal of fasting? Is there any compelling purpose for fasting?
We don’t take fasting seriously because we don’t see it for what it is: a feast we desperately need. Fasting helps us to starve our flesh to feed our spirit in God’s presence. Throughout the Bible, whenever God’s people fasted and prayed, He supernaturally met their needs. Fasting creates a space and time for our spirits to seek God’s face, who nurtures, nourishes, and quiets us and fosters faithfulness, obedience, and dependency in us.
Jesus invites us to fast for our Father in secret who sees and values our inner faithfulness directed toward Him and rewards us in His goodness.
We make a habit of fasting to humble our bodies and so that our spirit enters into deep intimacy with God. We take a break from the world to feast on God’s presence in humility and joy.
“We make a habit of fasting to humble our bodies and so that our spirit enters into deep intimacy with God.”
From Fasting to Feasting
Let’s imagine together. Let’s say you are invited hungry and thirsty to God’s dinner table. But there is no food present. Your body is afflicted with hunger pangs, and you feel drowsy. But the moment God comes in, sits at the table, and starts talking, you are so awestruck by His presence and glory that you forget your physical condition. Now your spirit is superseding your body to relish the marvels of His presence. It is listening carefully and feasting on His words—feasting as if it is getting nurtured and nourished well. You know God can make bread out of anything—even rocks—but now you are no longer worried about your body because you are fixated on the nourishment of your spirit with the eternal food of His words.
You begin to realize that, while your whole life you sought and ran after unnecessary things for satisfaction, in reality, your spirit panted in agony and desperation for God’s presence—like a deer pants for streams of water. As you sit with, talk with, listen to, and enjoy Him, soon you realize it is already the end of the evening. But your spirit is now in great shape—full of passion, praise, joy, humility, love, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is so well-fed that it is blessing your body as well. You start feeling different, for you are different now. The old is gone; a new you is forming.
“While your whole life you sought and ran after unnecessary things for satisfaction, in reality, your spirit panted in agony and desperation for God’s presence.”
Jesus anticipated that fasting would be a regular part of the life of the church (Matthew 9:15). We see this happen in early Christianity. For example, the believers prayed and fasted to be sent for missions (Acts 13-14) and to choose church leaders (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23). Thankfully, by desiring from us a fast of our own choice, Jesus releases us from all sorts of hypocrisy and encourages us to choose to be with the Lord.
[1] Craig L. Blomberg, Matthew: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, Volume 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Holman Reference, 1992), 121. Also see Luke 18:12.
[2] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1992), 150.
[3] Morris, 150.
[4] Blomberg, 122.
