How does Zechariah 7:5 connect with Jesus' teachings on fasting in the Gospels? Backdrop: The Question God Asked in Zechariah 7:5 • Zechariah 7:5: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?’” • After decades of ritual fasts commemorating Jerusalem’s fall, God challenges His people: Were you fasting for Me—or merely keeping a tradition? • The verse highlights God’s concern for motive. Outward practices that lack inward devotion do not please Him (see 1 Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 29:13). Jesus’ Core Teaching on Fasting • Matthew 6:16-18—“When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites… so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father…” – Motive: fast “to your Father,” not for human applause. – Reward: the Father “who sees in secret” will reward. • Matthew 9:14-15; Mark 2:18-20; Luke 5:33-35—Disciples will fast after the Bridegroom (Jesus) is taken away. – Timing: fasting flows from relationship with Jesus, not calendar custom. – Purpose: longing for His presence, dependence on Him. • Luke 18:9-14—Pharisee boasts, “I fast twice a week,” yet goes home unjustified. – Warning: religiosity without humility is rejected. Point-by-Point Connection Between Zechariah 7:5 and Jesus’ Words • Heart Over Habit – Zechariah: “Was it really for Me?” – Jesus: “Fast… to your Father.” – Both confront fasting done for show or self-righteousness. • Divine Audience, Not Human Applause – Zechariah exposes empty ritual before people. – Jesus instructs secrecy—no gloomy faces, no public display. • Relationship, Not Routine – Post-exile Jews clung to man-made fasts; God desired covenant-love. – Jesus ties fasting to nearness or absence of the Bridegroom—an expression of love, not mere obligation. • Social Justice Echo (Isaiah 58) – Zechariah 7:9-10 calls for justice, mercy, compassion following the fasting rebuke. – Jesus summarizes the Law as loving God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). True fasting fuels righteous action. Practical Takeaways Today • Examine motive: before beginning a fast, ask, “Am I seeking the Lord’s pleasure or human recognition?” (Galatians 1:10). • Keep it God-focused: schedule, length, and form matter less than communion with the Father. • Let fasting overflow into obedience: repent of sin, pursue justice, extend mercy (Micah 6:8). • Anticipate Christ’s return: like early disciples, we fast in longing for the Bridegroom until He comes again (Revelation 22:20). Summary Snapshot Zechariah 7:5 and Jesus’ Gospel teachings speak with one voice: fasting pleases God only when it flows from a sincere heart, oriented toward Him, expressed in humble secrecy, and accompanied by righteous living. |
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