Matthew 6:16-18
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. As we continue the sermon on the mount we land on the subject of fasting. But before we get to what Jesus is talking about, it's important to know that his teaching of fasting is tied with two other topics that we’ve gone over the past few weeks, giving and prayer - And Jesus is in the final stretch of making a compelling argument about how we should go about living these three things out. I’m going to call out 2 really important points: First, Jesus opens with this: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” Jesus continually returns to the theme of “being seen” - using phrases like “announcing with trumpets” and “noticed by others” in his teaching in chapter 6. Remember this - this is key! Second, Jesus specifically uses the word “hypocrite” in his teaching in the beginning of chapter 6. Examples: “when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites” Understanding why he does these two things is paramount to understanding the point he is trying to make. The word hypokritai in Greek transliterates to “hypocrites” in our English language - but that word isn’t quite what Jesus is getting at. When we use the word hypocrite today, we mean to say someone who says one thing, and does another. But the word “hypokritai” more accurately means actor, or stage performer. Again, Jesus continually goes back to this idea of “being seen” All of these things are uniquely tied with the idea of performance or acting that others may witness you and acknowledge you doing. The pharisees were not hypocrites in the sense that they were saying one thing and doing another. In fact, the pharisees were sticklers of the law, looking to obey it to the very letter. The problem for the pharisees was their religious piety was largely a show. And their actions were not changing their hearts and moving them to generosity or compassion. You see, you can say one thing, and do it as well - but if you're doing it just to be seen, you are an actor, you’re an hypokritais. And Jesus told them, much like actors, their reward was being noticed for a moment, and their prize was being acknowledged by peers. When doing so Jesus is critiquing the “why,” and the reason that they were doing things as problematic. This is on brand with all of the teaching that Jesus has been doing so far in the sermon on the mount: it’s about the heart of what you are doing that is important. Whether its hate, or lust, or making promises - the posture of the heart is what is important to God. You can almost go back through the sermon on the mount and replace Jesus’s sayings with, “You’ve heard it’s been said this, but it’s the heart that matters.” In fact, at a quick glance the first half of the sermon on the mount was an interpretation of the law, and the second half shift in chapter 6 is now how you live it Now let's get back to the matter at hand, fasting! So in preparing for this devotional I thought the best thing I could do so I was able to speak with some sort of experience was to fast myself, and I sought out to learn what it looked like to fast. Disclaimer: I in no way am claiming to have some sort of secret or key to fasting, nor am I hoping that you’ll think greater of me because of my fast. Quite frankly my fasting experience was sorta sad, and slightly comical. Anywho, I’d like to share my experience in doing it. *Side note* I’d like to make the argument that Jesus doesn’t necessarily want us to hide our fasting… but this devo would be too long. Fasting experience: I love food. Food is an important part of my day, every day (probably too much so). When I get hungry, I turn into a different person as well. So naturally I decided to fast from food. My “goal” was to fast for 24 hours - *side note* I think setting this goal was sorta problematic (I’ll explain in a second). And while I fasted for a day, I really feel like my discovery came in the last few hours of my fast. And this is what I found, those last hours were really difficult. I started to get a headache, and I tried to push through and I couldn't. I distinctly remember being in a meeting and the room started to spin and I sorta felt nauseous. At that moment I tapped out, and finally grabbed some animal crackers. This wasn’t a glamorous experience - but I took away something from it. When I neared the end of my fast and I started *feeling* the physical effects of not having food, I became *aware* of my weakness. And in those moments I started to understand in a tangible way my *need.* Not my need for God necessarily, but just my need. And I think that was the point. I mentioned earlier that my “goal” was to fast for 24 hours. I think even that mentality was wrong - for me. I live in a world of metrics, and roadmaps, and estimates, and kpis and milestones. Alot of my life is often about measuring performance and meeting expectations. Often times when I do things, it's about a transactions. Fasting cannot be transactional. When we enter fasting (or prayer), if we have in mind we are inputting something, therefore perhaps God will return or output something I think we’ve missed the point. The real treasure of fasting (and prayer!) is that we get to be with the God of the universe. That is the goal and that is the prize. And I truly believe once we practice this, and believe this, our relationship with God dramatically changes. As I wrap up my once again very long devo [#longforms not dead] I’d like to take a quick jump back to the old testament at a really cool passage about fasting, and hopefully we can take away some more application: Isaiah 58:2-12 2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. I think God is telling us that “fasting” isn’t about what we are giving up, or how we look, or even what we do per se. “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast,” I think God is telling us that “fasting” is about something more beautiful, something more beneficial to us and the people around us. It’s when we become less, and God becomes more. It's about our interests being replaced with God’s interests, and our interests become less interesting. And that’s when we are ready to be used by God in the greatest of ways. “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free”... Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
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