“Right Fasting”
Matthew 6:16-18
“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 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.” -Matthew 6:17-18
Fasting is a spiritual practice oftentimes overlooked in our day. Perhaps it is because we are not commanded to fast in the New Testament. “Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Him [Jesus], saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?’” [Matt 9:14]
But in addition, fasting is a privilege, and privileges have a different DNA than commands. It is not the physical act of fasting that is the privilege; it is the result, which is drawing near to the Lord.
Fasting denies self, and the result is that we are set apart from self and drawn to God. “He must increase, but I must decrease” was how John the Baptist described it. That is what fasting does; it decreases “I,” and increases Him, which is always a good thing.
But notice the fuller context of Matthew 9:14. “And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?’” You see, Messiah, God-Incarnate, was in their very midst. Fasting brings one near but Jesus was right there to behold, in flesh.
That is why Jesus did not call His disciples to fast. because they were as close as they could possibly be [i.e., “we beheld His glory” John 1:14] But now that He has returned to the right hand of the Father, it is our privilege and joy to fast and draw near. Because “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
That is the powerful work of fasting. Right fasting is a joy, not a chore. It requires discipline as with any commitment. It is an investment in drawing near to God and a divestment in being consumed with self. That is, too, why fasting goes together with prayer, especially the prayer of intercession.
“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.” [Matt 6:16]
If we fast with “sad countenance,” we are missing the point. While fasting requires discipline, its great blessing is being closer to our Lord. And that should bring a countenance of joy, peace, and strength even in the midst of intercession.
