Fasting is Expected (Fasting, 2 of 3)
Our misunderstanding of and difficulty with fasting should surprise us considering how clear God is about it in His Word. The fact is, fasting is mentioned almost twice more than baptism. Even though the Old Covenant law only commanded fasting once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16), fasting is described as an assumed spiritual activity; it is not a matter of if the Christian will fast, but when. In Matthew 6:16, Jesus gives instructions on what to do and what not to do when we fast, assuming we will do so. As unnatural and as uncultivated a discipline as fasting is for many, it is referred to in God’s Word as something quite natural for the Christian and common. Fasting is designed to feed our souls, and yet for many of us, the abundance of food, surplus of material goods and crowded agendas keep us from knowing our true need for God.
“Self-indulgence is the enemy of gratitude, and self-discipline usually its friend and generator. That is why gluttony is a deadly sin. The early desert fathers believed that a person’s appetites are linked: full stomachs and jaded palates take the edge from our hunger and thirst for righteousness. They spoil the appetite for God.” – Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, his disciples didn’t fast. This struck the disciples of the John the Baptist as odd (Matt. 9). Surely, they were not more disciplined and spiritual than those who walked with Jesus! So, they asked Him, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus replied, “Can the wedding guests mourn when the groom is with them? The days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Jesus was referring to the time that He would ascend and be away from us in heaven. His people, in response, fast as part of their longing for and anticipation of His return. In John Piper’s A Hunger for God, he writes, “Christian fasting as its root, is the hunger of homesickness for God.” Until He returns for us (His bride), He knows how these yearnings for Him will incline our hearts, with the result that we will fast. At times, it is the only way to adequately express our deep and insatiable craving for wisdom, peace, strength, etc.
No spiritual discipline should devolve into a hollow, legalistic routine. Fasting and prayer is certainly no exception. God offers to rewards us through our fasting and prayer (Matt. 6:1) so long as it is motivated by a sincere inner desire. The external details are not rigorously outlined in the Bible. Jesus neither specified the frequency of fasting nor does He tell us for how long we should fast. In the Bible, we find examples of fasts that lasted one day or part of a day (Judges 20:26, 1 Sam. 7:6, 2 Sam. 1:12, Neh. 9:1, Jer. 36:6), one night (Dan. 6:6:18-24), three days (Esther 4:16, Acts 9:9), one week (1 Sam. 31:13), two weeks (Acts 27:33-34), three weeks (Dan. 10:3-13), 40 days (Deut. 9:9, Matt. 4:2), and unspecified lengths of time (Acts 13:2). A fast may last for a dedicated amount of time regardless of the results or until we experience an answer to prayer. In any case, it is up to us and the leadership of the Holy Spirit who is busy praying God’s will for us (Rom. 8:26-27) as we demonstrate a hunger for righteousness and for the things of God.
Partially adapted from Donald S. Whitney’s ‘Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.’