Topical Encyclopedia Fasting, a spiritual discipline involving abstention from food and sometimes drink, is practiced throughout the Bible as a means of seeking God, expressing repentance, or preparing for spiritual endeavors. However, the practice of fasting by the Pharisees, a prominent Jewish sect during the Second Temple period, is often depicted in the New Testament as being tainted by hypocrisy and self-righteousness.The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the Law and their additional oral traditions. They practiced fasting regularly, often twice a week, as part of their religious observance. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a parable that highlights the Pharisees' approach to fasting: "The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, 'God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire'" (Luke 18:11-12). This passage illustrates the Pharisees' tendency to use fasting as a means of self-exaltation rather than genuine humility before God. Jesus frequently criticized the Pharisees for their outward displays of piety that lacked true spiritual substance. In the Sermon on the Mount, He admonishes His followers to avoid the hypocritical practices of the Pharisees: "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" (Matthew 6:16). Here, Jesus emphasizes the importance of sincerity and the internal posture of the heart over external appearances. The Pharisees' fasting is further critiqued in the context of their interactions with Jesus and His disciples. In the Gospel of Matthew, the disciples of John the Baptist question Jesus about why His disciples do not fast as the Pharisees do. Jesus responds, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast" (Matthew 9:15). This response underscores the newness of Jesus' ministry and the inadequacy of the Pharisees' fasting to comprehend the presence of the Messiah. The Pharisees' approach to fasting is emblematic of a broader issue Jesus addresses throughout His ministry: the danger of religious formalism devoid of genuine faith and repentance. The prophet Isaiah, centuries earlier, had spoken against similar practices, declaring, "Is this the fast I have chosen, a day for a man to deny himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is this what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?" (Isaiah 58:5). This prophetic critique resonates with Jesus' teachings, highlighting the need for a heart aligned with God's will rather than mere ritual observance. In summary, the fasting of the Pharisees, as depicted in the New Testament, serves as a cautionary example of how religious practices can become corrupted by pride and self-righteousness. Jesus' teachings call for a return to authentic worship, characterized by humility, sincerity, and a genuine relationship with God. Torrey's Topical Textbook Mark 2:18And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not? Torrey's Topical Textbook Luke 18:12 Library The Christian Sabbath --Peter's Confession of Faith. Levi-Matthew The Pharisee and Publican Knox -- the First Temptation of Christ Matt. Ix. 9 Chapter xxiv. The Jews Make all Ready for the War; and Simon, the Son of Gioras ... History and Doctrines of Heresies. The Kingdom of God: Its Values How to Read the Bible Resources What is the meaning of the parables of fasting at the wedding feast, the old cloth, and the wineskins? | GotQuestions.orgWhy don't Christians fast the same as Muslims? | GotQuestions.org How to fast'what does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.org Fasting: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Fasting by Paul, at the Time of his Conversion Fasting for the Chastening of the Soul Fasting for the Humbling of the Soul Fasting in Babylon, With Prayer for Divine Deliverance and Guidance Fasting in Prayer for Himself and his Adversaries Fasting in Times of Bereavement of Abner's Death Fasting in Times of Bereavement of David, at the Time of Saul's Death Fasting in Times of Bereavement of the People of Jabesh-Gilead, for Saul and his Sons Fasting of Ahab, when Elijah Prophesied the Destruction of Himself and his House Fasting of Darius, when he Put Daniel in the Lions' Den Fasting of Ezra, on Account of the Idolatrous Marriages of the Jews Fasting of Hypocrites: Boasted of, Before God Fasting of Hypocrites: Described Fasting of Hypocrites: Ostentatious Fasting of Hypocrites: Rejected Fasting of Nehemiah, on Account of the Desolation of Jerusalem and the Temple Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Anna Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Apostles Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Christians Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Cornelius Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Daniel Fasting of Saints Exemplified: David Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Disciples of John Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Esther Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Nehemiah Fasting of Saints Exemplified: Paul Fasting of the Consecration of the Elders Fasting of the Disciples, at the Time of the Consecration of Barnabas and Saul Fasting of the Jews, when Jeremiah Prophesied Against Judea and Jerusalem Fasting of the Wicked: Elders of Jezreel Fasting of the Wicked: Pharisees Fasting: Accompanied by Confession of Sin Fasting: Accompanied by Humiliation Fasting: Accompanied by Mourning Fasting: Accompanied by Prayer Fasting: At the Time of his Vision Fasting: During Forty Days: Jesus Fasting: During Forty Days: Moses Fasting: During the Sickness of the Child Born to Him by Bath-Sheba Fasting: Extraordinary Exemplified: Elijah Fasting: Extraordinary Exemplified: Moses Fasting: Extraordinary Exemplified: Our Lord Fasting: Fasting in the Conflict Between the Other Tribes With the Tribe of Benjamin Fasting: Habitual by Cornelius Fasting: Habitual by John's Disciples Fasting: Habitual by Pharisees Fasting: National Exemplified: Israel Fasting: National Exemplified: Men of Jabesh-Gilead Fasting: National Exemplified: Ninevites Fasting: Ninevites, when Jonah Preached to Them Fasting: Not to be Made a Subject of Display Fasting: Observed on Occasions of Afflictions of Others Fasting: Observed on Occasions of Afflictions of the Church Fasting: Observed on Occasions of Approaching Danger Fasting: Observed on Occasions of Judgments of God Fasting: Observed on Occasions of Ordination of Ministers Fasting: Observed on Occasions of Private Afflictions Fasting: Observed on Occasions of Public Calamities Fasting: On Account of the Captivity of the People, With Prayer for Their Deliverance Fasting: Ordination of Ministers Fasting: Prolonged for Forty Days, by Moses Fasting: Prolonged for Three Weeks, by Daniel Fasting: Promises Connected With Fasting: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Fasting: Upon the Death of Saul Fasting: when They Went to Mizpeh for the Ark of the Covenant Fasting: While Interceding in Prayer for his Friends Related Terms |
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