Practicing Righteousness Through Fasting
The Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted
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Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City! Please turn in your Bibles to Matt 6. We are continuing our journey through the Sermon on the Mount- Jesus’ greatest sermon. Matthew 6:1, in the ESV states, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them...” Jesus now addresses three common acts of piety in first century Judaism- Giving, Praying, and Fasting. Jesus devotes 3 sentences of His teaching to Giving, 11 sentences to Praying, and 3 sentences to Fasting…you can interpret that however you want…all three are important, but a little more emphasis was given on prayer.
Jesus point out the hypocrisy of the Jewish Religious leaders who said and did things to draw attention to themselves…what they taught, how they dressed, and the show they put on while giving, praying, and fasting. Jesus identified their motive was to, “...have glory from men.” If we fall into the same self-indulgent pride, there will be no heavenly reward…only the praise of fellow people. But, when we give, pray, and fast in secret…for God’s glory…with pure motives…Jesus promises, “...your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Now we come to Fasting. And this is the perfect week for this sermon, because this past Thursday was Thanksgiving and I’m sure some of you pigged out, and put on a few pounds. You’re feeling guilty about that 2nd helping of candied sweet potatoes, and that 3rd slice of cheesecake…you know who you are! And, let me remind you that I simply teach the Bible chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse…the Holy Spirit picked Fasting as the topic for this day, as He knew you would be literally be feeling the weight of Thanksgiving dinner, and your heart would be a just a little softer to the topic of fasting…which otherwise, if we are being honest, is a topic most of us would rather not discuss.
In all three of these acts of righteousness (giving, praying and fasting), Jesus says, “…when you…give; when you…pray…; when you…fast...” It is assumed that His disciples will do these things. But, if you are like me, you are more open handed about giving your time or money; you are very willing to pray; but you struggle with fasting. “God, you can have my money, you can have my prayers, BUT back off of my food!!” God help us!
Today’s message is entitled “Practicing Righteousness through Fasting.”
Let’s Pray!
Matt 6:16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”
Jesus now addresses the spiritual discipline of fasting. Fasting by def. means “not eating.” The OT Hebrew word for fasting means “to cover over (the mouth).” It is a spiritual discipline of depriving the flesh of food and as the hunger pangs strike, one leans more into the spirit…seeking to be nourished by prayer and to rely on God.
Let’s take a moment to look at a few topics surrounding Biblical fasting:
There is not a scriptural command for Christians to fast. It is a good spiritual discipline, but not a mandate. Only under the ceremonial law (which is not required for believers today), was fasting commanded in the OT…and on one day alone- the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29–31; 23:27–32; Num 29:7). Now those verses do not specifically state to fast…they only mention “you shall afflict your souls,” but this does seem to indicate fasting was in view. Isa 58 verses 3 and 5 specifically links fasting and afflicting the soul (which is our mind, conscience, intellect, emotions, and so forth). Isa 58:5 reads, “Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul?”
And, I don’t know about you, but if I go without a meal or two or three…even just a day without eating…my soul feels afflicted! There is inner turmoil. My stomach is growling…I feel weak…I may get a headache. It’s rather unpleasant.
Pharisees typically fasted twice a week, as Luke 18:12 records a prideful Pharisee boasting, “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’” The scholar Bruce noted “Twice a week in ordinary Pharisaic practice: Thursday and Monday (ascent and descent of Moses on Sinai).”
While Fasting is primarily associated with food, in scripture, fasting can also take other forms. The big idea is to take your eyes off the things of the world and focus completely on God for a period of time. For some, a fast from their cell phones and screens, in general, is likely a bigger fast then not eating. But, abstinence from food is highly effective for the purpose of “afflicting the soul.”
Now, if you have a medical reason why you can’t abstain from food, this does not mean you should not fast. Just search your soul to figure out what your fast should look like…ask what is that thing that distracts me from God more than anything else? That is a good thing to fast from.
We observe in scripture several reasons why Believers fast.
In the Book of Acts, believers fasting prior to important decisions.
As the Prophets and Teachers at Antioch sought the Lord’s will, the Holy Spirit chose Barnabas and Saul [Paul] to be sent out on their first of several missionary journeys. Acts 13:2-3 “As they [the Prophets and Teachers] ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”
Later, Paul and Barnabas, during their missionary travels, fasted and prayed while appointing elders in several cities. Acts 14:23 “So when they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
You may have noticed that fasting and prayer are commonly linked in scripture. Which makes sense as prayer is a purpose and an outcry while fasting.
I count at least 10x in the OT and NT where we see a combination of people “fasting and praying.”
Sometimes in mourning…like Nehemiah when he received news that Jerusalem was desolated and the survivors were distressed. Neh 1:4 records “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
Sometimes while desperately seeking God or petitioning God, such as David did for his sick child. 2 Sam 12:16 states David “...pleaded with God for the child [prayer], and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.”
In Luke 2:37 Anna the prophetess “served God with fastings and prayers night and day...” as a routine spiritual discipline.
We already mentioned prior to major decisions, like with Barnabas and Saul, people fasted and prayed.
Now, while the link between fasting and prayer is not clearly defined in scripture, we can observe:
In the OT, people fasted and prayed in times of distress and mourning, repentance, when interceding to God on behalf of a person or for the nation of Israel as a whole, when experiencing a deep spiritual need and dependence on God, and when feeling helpless in face of impending calamity.
In the NT, people fasted and prayed as a spiritual discipline, when making major decisions, and when seeking the Lord.
So, it’s good to fast and pray simultaneously, and for a variety of reasons. But, note- fasting with prayer was never intended to manipulate God to bend to our will...to force God’s hand to answer our prayers…NO this is not the purpose. Fasting is intended to change us, not God. Praying with fasting highlights the sincerity of the believer when seeking God…something the Religious leaders here in Matt 6 lacked, for they loved being praised by people for their supposed religious piety.
The Jewish religious leaders were likened to the hypocrites…the actors…the stage performers. Wearing one mask in one scene, and another mask in a subsequent scene. Their true self and their projected self were inconsistent. Thus, Jesus warns His disciples… “when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites.”
And, Jesus points out 2 hypocritical appearances of the religious leaders when it came to fasting:
A “sad countenance”: by def. “a gloomy look.”
And, they “disfigured their faces”: by def.- “destroyed their faces.” The idea is they “neglected their appearance...looking disheveled.”
Ex.- When Daniel discerned the times of the captivity… Dan 9:3 records, “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.”’
Sackcloth was an uncomfortable material (usually goat or camel hair) worn in times of mourning or grieving -or- in times repentance for sin. Imagine wearing a burlap sack…only worse.
Ashes…were just that…ash…the fine powder remnant of something that had been completely burned. Jews put ashes on their heads as symbolic of extreme grief, humiliation, or repentance.
There is a time when a person can be distraught, and their outside appearance reflects their inner brokenness....without hypocrisy…like Daniel. Their inner and outer brokenness is consistent. The extreme discomfort from the itchy sackcloth and the filth of ash reflected the inner emotional upheaval they were experiencing.
But, this was not so with the Religious leaders.
Jesus revealed their motive: “…that they may appear to men to be fasting.”
Their outside appearance (their gloomy faces and disheveled appearance) was not consistent with their inner state. They were not broken inside. They were hypocrites and just wanted the attention of onlookers.
Jesus warns: “Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”
There is no eternal reward from God when a person is seeking personal attention for spiritual acts.
Now in verses 17-18, Jesus shifts from what not to do, regarding fasting, to what to do.
Matt 6:17-18 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
To His disciples, Jesus states “when you fast...” Like giving and praying, it is assumed fasting is a spiritual discipline Jesus’ disciples are practicing.
Biblically speaking, there are 4 kinds basic kinds of fasts we can observe (some scholars cite more):
1st: Regular Fast- this is the most common type of fast, where a person abstains from food, but not from water, for a period of time. This is likely the type of fast Jesus has in mind here in Matt 6. This was the type of fast Jesus did when He fasted 40 days in the wilderness, though typically people do not fast this long as most people face starvation at 40 days or less. If you are considering an extended fast, please research what happens medically and danger signs and symptoms of starvation. The average person can go about three weeks without food, but everyone’s body is different, so be careful. Of course consult a Doctor if you have a medical condition like Diabetes…perhaps a food fast should be substituted for another kind of fast, like a screen fast.
2nd: Partial Fast- In Daniel 10, what we call ‘The Daniel Fast.’ Dan 10:2-3 records, “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” This kind of anointing was associated with hygiene, and I think most people today miss this detail in their Daniel fasts today. They should call this the Stinky Fast.
3rd: Absolute Fast- No food or drink…the human body can only survive 3-4 days without water, so this is the most extreme fast.
Esther called for this kind of fast: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Est 4:16
Whether intended as a fast or not, in Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:9 records, “And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”
Miraculously, Moses while on the mountaintop with God, when he received the Ten Commandments, absolute fasted for 40 days. Deut 9:9 records, “I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water.”
Elijah also seems to have absolute fasted for 40 days in the wilderness in 1 Ki 19.
4th: Sexual Fast- Not a fast that we often think about, nor one often discussed, but both in the OT and NT this fast is mentioned.
In the wilderness, as part of their preparation to encounter the Lord as Mt. Sinai, Moses instructed the nation, “And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.” Ex 19:15.
And, in 1 Cor 7:5, Paul instructs married couples, “Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer...”
So, like all fasts, the idea is to dedicate a period of time to being centered and focused on the Lord alone, removing any fleshly distraction. Whatever kind of fast you decide, it is good to set a time frame for the fast, and to have a purpose for the fast, as we saw in several of these biblical examples. And, don’t advertise you are fasting…just as Jesus warned His disciples about the motives of the hypocrites. If you do advertise you are fasting, don’t expect an eternal reward.
I can’t say conclusively, but I imagine that between giving, praying and fasting…fasting is the least practiced spiritual discipline of these three, then giving, and praying takes the lead.
I also, sadly, imagine the average Christian gives, prays, and fasts sporadically at best. So, if you are regularly giving, praying, and fasting…good on you…so long as you do these things in the prescribed manner that Jesus describes…not before men, but before your Father.
Look at verse 17...”when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting...”
As opposed to the show the religious leaders put on with their sad countenance and disfiguring their faces (perhaps even wearing sackcloth and ashes)…the disciples were to do the opposite.
Anointing one’s head and washing one’s face, for us is comparable to taking a shower and putting on deodorant. Perhaps shaving…or putting on your make-up, so as to not look unkempt. This was not anointing like a king was anointed in a role or authority in the OT; or anointing as symbolic of joy; or the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This was simply hygienic.
Ruth was instructed, “Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor...” Ruth 3:3 She was to clean herself up and look nice for Boaz.
David fasted and interceded in prayer for his sick child, but after the child died, 2 Sam 12:20 records, “So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.”
Wow. What a great model for us when our prayers are not answered.
I like what D.A. Carson says about Jesus’ advice to His disciples here in Matt 6:17-18 ...
“What he [Jesus] condemns is ostentation [a showy display] in fasting. Moreover he forbids any sign at all that a fast has been undertaken, because the human heart is so mixed in its motives that the desire to seek God will be diluted by the desire for human praise, thus vitiating [ˈviSHēˌāt/ spoiling] the fast.” -D.A. Carson
Our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. How often do we honestly desire to seek God, but in the process some motive of the flesh corrupts our spiritual practice? God help us!
And, just as Jesus mentioned with giving and praying, the only one we should concern ourselves with in our spiritual disciplines is “...your Father who is in the secret place”… Our father in heaven.
“...and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
In the here and now, the believer is often blessed with direction and connection to God as they fast and pray.
In the future, those blessed saints who practice these spiritual disciplines with an upright heart, are promised to be rewarded openly by the Father. Certainly looking forward to Bema Seat rewards in heaven.
And, despite this promise, how often do we practice righteousness through fasting? Not at all? Not enough? I suspect most Christians fall into one of those two camps, and as such I want to spend a little more time looking at this topic of fasting in one of the most extensive chapters in the Bible on this topic of fasting- Turn in your Bibles to Isa 58.
Isaiah 58
Some 700 years before Christ, Isaiah prophesied to the nation of Judah largely about repentance from sin, and expectation of deliverance. The Book of Isaiah is filled with numerous Messianic prophecies. The state of the nation: At times Judah experienced revival, and other times Judah acted in rebellion. And, in Isaiah 58, there is an interesting dialogue between God and the people that references fasting.
Isaiah 58, starting in verse 1: “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.”
In verse one, God instructs His messenger, likely Isaiah, to loudly declare to the people of Judah that they are guilty of transgression and sins.
Verse 2 “Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.”
Not so different from the hypocritical religious leaders, the Jews seemed to delight in seeking God, knowing His way, and obeying His law, but it was not authentic…it was religious show…empty ritualism.
This kind of heart attitude is consistent with what we have been studying in Matt 6…the idea of practicing righteousness. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Matt 6:1
This is exactly what the Jews were guilty of here in Isaiah.
In verse 3, the Jews ask God, “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’”
In protest to God, the Jews ask why God is taking no notice to their fast…their affliction of soul? Despite following God’s law, they find themselves in difficult circumstances, and God seems indifferent to their religious piety. They think God is unfair!
God responds, “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.”
God exposes the motives of the Jews’ fast and reveals why they are following Him... It was all external. They had religion, but lacked relationship. They went through the outside motions, but their internal motives were wrong.
On the day of their fasting, God reveals:
They sought self-gratification
They exploited their employees. Perhaps they sat idle because of fasting and forced their staff to work all the harder.
They were involved in arguments and fights, maybe as a result of being irritable due to fasting -or- perhaps God is revealing they fasted to get God’s favor so they could win arguments, debates, and conflicts with other people.
And, they drew attention to themselves…everyone heard their voice. They sought personal glory.
God forbids this kind of hypocritical fast. “You will not fast as you do this day...” This is not what a fast is to look like.
In verse 5, God continues, “Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?”
God asked 3 rhetorical questions all which require a negative response.
A fast is not just about outside posture. God rebukes them for false fast…for their bowing down and wearing sackcloth and ashes. It was a hollow. It was empty. Just a show.
And, just like the religious hypocrites in Matt 6, the Jews in Isaiah’s day were pulling out all the stops to be seen by man.
Now, in verses 6-7, God reveals what a true fast should look like, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?”
A fast that is only about outside display (as we read in verse 5); or with the wrong heart attitude (as we read in verses 3 & 4) is not the fast God has chosen.
What’s interesting is in verses 6-7, God describes numerous situations of social justice...that are not directly related to a fast, but are heart issues that must be right for a fast to be right. God addresses these issues to remind the people of the importance of being just and loving their neighbors…to remind them to be open-handed, helping those in need. Loving your neighbor supercedes fasting.
Because, if a fast is intended to draw you closer to God, to love God; how can you even do this if you are not loving other people? It’s hypocritical. God is calling the people to be consistent. Love God and love others. These examples, here in Isa 58:6-7, are all great example of practicing righteousness...just like we looked at in Matt 6. If you are right with God and right with other people, and then you fast, that’s a fast approved by God.
Similar to what Jesus said in concept in Matt 5:23 “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Be right on the horizontal before exercising spiritual practices of righteousness.
In verses 8-9a, God reveals the result of a person who fasts and practices righteousness. “Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”
What great promises of blessing! When you practice righteousness, God promises blessings.
Light (a picture of blessing); healing (likely spiritual restoration), righteousness (being right on the vertical and horizontal); rear guard (protection); and the LORD will answer (answered prayers). Great promises!
In verses 9b-12, still under the context of “Is this not a fast I have chosen...” God lays down several other conditional clauses of social justice or loving your neighbor, and promised blessings as a result. “If you take away the yoke from your midst [don’t oppress others], The pointing of the finger [don’t cast blame], and speaking wickedness [don’t slander or gossip], [so, 3 things to stop doing].
Verse 10 “...If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul [God now highlights 2 things to start doing: show mercy to the poor and downtrodden…not just with food, but “extend your soul to the hungry”…they needed to minister to the hunger and the afflicted.],
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness [you will be blessed and a blessing; you will be “a light in the world” as Jesus said in The Sermon on the Mount], And your darkness shall be as the noonday [How much darkness is in the sky at high noon? Typically none. You will be full of light, not darkness].
Verse 11 Promises: “The LORD will guide you continually [I’ll take some of that…God’s guidance in my life.], And satisfy your soul in drought [you will feel satisfaction...to have your soul refreshed in a dry season is extremely uplifting];, And strengthen your bones [physical strength]; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail [fertility; full of life].
David Guzik stated, “Those who serve God with sincere hearts and actions enjoy a health and life of the soul that is impossible for the superficial follower of God to know.”
Verse 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” [a promise of physical restoration; and a vision of what we can accomplish for God’s kingdom].
Great promises for having your heart right before God, loving others, and with that heart attitude practicing righteousness through fasting.
God concludes this segment focusing on the Sabbath. This may seem out of place, given the context of fasting, but there was a link between fasting and the Sabbath. Lev 16 discusses The Day of Atonement, and in verse 29 states on the Day of Atonement the Jews, “shall afflict your souls [fast] , and do no work at all [Sabbath]...” Further, Lev 16:31 states “It [the Day of Atonement] is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls [fast].”
So in Isa 58:13-14 it reads “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, [NIV reads “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath”] From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD [honoring the Sabbath required faithfulness and trust in God to provide materially as the Jew sacrificed a work day to honor God]; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth [great honor and triumph], And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. [prosperity and satisfaction]. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” [I love that…it’s like a big, fat period at the end of the sentence. Nothing more to be said here. God spoke it and it is certain.]
In light of the topic of fasting and the superseding importance of justice and mercy to other people, now God intertwines the importance of Sabbath keeping which is consistent with the heart attitude one must possess while practicing any form of righteousness (giving, praying, fasting, honoring the sabbath, etc.)...we must love God and love others.
British scholar, Derek Kidner stated, “If fasting is to be an opportunity to show love to our neighbour, the sabbath should express first of all our love of God...”
In light of everything we have been discussing the past several weeks in the Sermon on the Mount, I hope you see the synchronicity between what God is saying here in Isaiah 58 and what Jesus said in Matt 6. God wants authenticity and consistency in your life.
In this sermon, Jesus has been chipping away at what the disciples both heard and observed from the religious leaders…hypocrisy, both in word and deed. And, He was chipping away at the heart attitudes of the disciples, and He is chipping away at our heart attitudes today.
Worship Team Come
As we practice righteousness through giving, prayer, and fasting…what is our heart attitude? Are we concerned about the praise from other people? As we practice giving, fasting, and praying…what does our relationship look like with our family, our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues?
If you, or I, are practicing spiritual disciplines like giving, praying and fasting, but our relationships with other people are all messed up, well then we are just as guilty as the Jews in Isa 58. We are just as guilty as the religious leaders in Matt 6. No spiritual life…just a display of external formalities and religious show.
God desires authenticity. So, as you go out this week and you are practicing righteousness, do it right. Love God, love others…be right on the vertical and on the horizontal, and practice your spiritual disciplines with only one audience in mind…God. It’s all about Him, so give Him the glory this week!
Let’s Pray!