Topical Bible: Fasting: Not to be Made a Subject of Display

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Fasting, a spiritual discipline observed throughout biblical history, is intended as a private act of devotion and humility before God. The practice of fasting is often associated with prayer, repentance, and seeking divine guidance. However, Scripture emphasizes that fasting should not be performed for public recognition or display.

Biblical Instruction on Fasting

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides clear guidance on the proper attitude and approach to fasting. In Matthew 6:16-18 , He instructs His followers: "When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

This passage underscores the importance of sincerity and humility in fasting. Jesus contrasts the behavior of the "hypocrites," who seek human admiration, with the genuine devotion that seeks only the approval of God. The act of anointing the head and washing the face symbolizes maintaining a normal appearance, thereby keeping the fast a private matter between the individual and God.

Old Testament Examples

The Old Testament also provides examples of fasting that emphasize humility and sincerity. In Isaiah 58:3-7 , God, through the prophet Isaiah, rebukes the Israelites for their superficial fasting practices: "Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed? Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please and oppress all your workers. You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot fast as you do today and have your voice be heard on high. Is this the fast I have chosen: a day for a man to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD?"

Here, God calls for a fast that is not merely an outward ritual but one that reflects true repentance and a heart aligned with His will. The passage highlights that fasting should lead to righteous actions, such as justice, mercy, and care for the needy.

The Heart of Fasting

The essence of fasting lies in its focus on God rather than on human recognition. It is a means of drawing closer to the Lord, expressing dependence on Him, and seeking His guidance and intervention. The Bible consistently warns against using fasting as a means of self-promotion or spiritual pride.

In Luke 18:9-14 , Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, illustrating the danger of self-righteousness. The Pharisee boasts of his fasting, saying, "I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire." In contrast, the tax collector humbly prays for mercy. Jesus concludes, "I tell you, this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Conclusion

Fasting, when practiced with the right heart and motives, is a powerful spiritual discipline. It is a personal act of worship and devotion, meant to deepen one's relationship with God. The Bible teaches that fasting should be done in secret, with a focus on God rather than on gaining the approval or admiration of others.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 6:16-18
Moreover when you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to fast. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On Lent, iv.
... to the dogmatizing of those whose very fasting is turned ... things of which they contend
the devil, not God, is ... For the good Creator made all things good and the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leo/writings of leo the great/sermon xlii on lent iv.htm

To those who had not Attended the Assembly.
... thou hast got thy enemy in a prison, made fast by ... remembering that to wipe away sins
does not entail much ... of their own sins by means of fasting and lamentations ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/to those who had not.htm

The Return of the Exiles
... seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth ... complaining, and the
unfavorable comparisons made, had a ... They did not bring Him the sacrifice of a ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 45 the return of.htm

Of the Discipline of the Church, and Its Principal Use in Censures ...
... exquisite delicacies they seek the praise of fasting: no dainties ... caused sweet and
costly potions to be made for them ... among all the rich: they do not fast for ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 12 of the discipline.htm

Events of Early Christian Life
... feelings at the time of this incident made me think ... One fall, not long after I was
saved, the grasshoppers ... of the State proclaimed a day of fasting and prayer ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter vi events of early.htm

"Thou Shalt Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother. "
... taught in this Commandment, since in it all our life is made subject to other ... this
it is easy to understand that the commands of fasting do not include the ...
/.../luther/a treatise on good works/thou shalt honor thy father.htm

Commendation of those who had Laid Aside the Practice of Swearing. ...
... elsewhere, and such a one, though he may be fasting, is an ... it cannot pass it." [1428]
But the marvellous thing is not this only, that He hath made a great ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ix commendation of those.htm

Matt. xiii. 24-30.
... Since even Christ for this end wrought those miracles, that having made Himself
thereby credible, and drawn ... By practice I mean, not thy fasting, nor yet ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xlvi matt xiii 24-30.htm

Recapitulation and Application of the Foregoing Arguments.
... of all, and whatever remarks may yet be made in the ... locality entreating [the boon]
with much fasting and prayer ... who are cured very frequently do not possess the ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxxi recapitulation and application of.htm

Rom. Iii. 18-Sep
... man do miracles, have celibacy to show, and fasting, and lying ... or his parents, or
anything else, but made him so ... him" (Genesis 4:7, LXX.); he did not even then ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily vii rom iii 18-sep.htm