A New Perspective on Fasting

Once upon a time it was my ritual to fast on Wednesdays. Instead of bringing a lunch to work I would simply bring a book to the lunchroom and read. Soon, however, my behaviors began to be noticed by my co-workers who wondered at my abstinence. They questioned me in spite of my intentions to keep my fasting unnoticed. Of course, I responded truthfully. My answer though was met most often with confusion and sometimes admonishment (I’m a thinner guy and they feared for my physical well-being). Week after week they would comment on my choice, not in a mean-spirited way, but rather with incredulity. They seemed somewhat unable to comprehend why I would voluntarily abstain from food. The fact was, I couldn’t really explain it myself either. I lacked the language to form a comprehensive answer.

I had taken fasting for granted (not that I actually did it that often). It was something I just inherently understood at least in theory. It was what “good” Christians did (or were supposed to do). The concept of fasting is so ubiquitous in Scripture that it can almost seem an abstract notion that is never fully addressed or expounded upon. Most of the attention given to it is either matter-of-fact mentions:

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,” Acts 13:2

 or warnings about abuses:

“’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. 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.” Isaiah 58:3,4

Generally, Scripture seems to use fasting in six primary contexts: seeking wisdom, mourning, worship, repentance, commissioning, and preparation. Fasting though is always seen as a further expression of these purposes and not a purpose in itself. Fasting, as a practice, seems to be something like a punctuation mark. If you are asking the Lord for something in prayer --- you fast. If you are mourning a great loss --- you fast. It is never seen as some way to blackmail or manipulate the Lord into something. David’s prayer and fasting for his critically ill son (who later dies) proves a good example of this.

How are we then to think of habitual fasting, something that we build into our lives and participate in regularly? For Jesus clearly assumed that His followers would fast:

“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.” Matthew 6:16 [emphasis mine]

[It must be noted here that Jesus’ assumptions about his follower’s disciplines (fasting, prayer, loving others, tithing) seem to be that they would be motivated by devotion and not by mere ritual alone.]

What attitude should we take as we attempt to make the discipline normative to our experience? How do we communicate it to others?

I recently found an interesting analogy from an unlikely source. While reading the book of Leviticus I endeavored to understand better the types of sacrifices outlined in the Law of Moses. In doing so, I came across the Peace Offering. In contrast to what its name might imply, the Peace Offering was not a means of making peace with the Lord or appeasing for some disobedience. It was not a way to make up for some mistake or misdeed. It was not buying flowers for an upset spouse.

“And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord. If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread.” Leviticus 7:11-13 [emphasis mine]

Rather, the peace offering was a voluntary sacrifice offered to God. Unlike burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, or guilt offerings, the peace offering was not mandatory. It was designed to be a heartfelt sacrifice out of abundance or thanksgiving to the Lord. It was offered in three circumstances: 1) giving thanks to God 2) alongside a fulfilled vow or 3) offering God thanksgiving for some deliverance. With all of the multitudes of situations and sins in which the people of Israel were obligated to offer sacrifice to the Lord through the Law, this was one way in which they could give back out of the overflow of their own hearts. Now I’m sure that, at times, the peace offering was abused and instead of being a heartfelt offering it became a way for the wealthy to show how wealthy they truly were (they could afford to offer out of their abundance after all). Judging by the admonishments of the prophets and eventual condemnation of the nation I would bet on it. Still, this offering provided an avenue for the people of the Lord to voluntarily offer their thanksgivings and to show that the Lord has always been a God of grace. It was a kind of natural overflow of blessings, lavishly given and flowing back to the Giver.

With all this in mind, how do we view or explain the discipline of fasting? As with the Peace Offering, fasting establishes that we are willingly submitting our will to the Lord not out of guilt or some obligation. When we choose to abstain from something, food or otherwise, we are telling the Lord that He is enough for us, that He is what matters most to us. As the Peace Offering allowed the opportunity for the worshipper to voluntarily give, fasting offers the chance to offer our meager frames, so fleeting, fragile, and wavering, back to the Lord. Though our act of sacrifice is laughable compared to that of Christ, I believe the Lord honors the effort and intention just as Jesus honored the widow who give to the temple out of her poverty. So, we too give out of our poverty. There are of course, many times in which we fast out of desperation whether in mourning, repentance, or out of some other deep need. ‘Ordinary’ fasting forces us to ruminate on the act of putting Christ first in our lives. It is more than routine. It is more than even the act of abstaining. It is offering our very selves back to our Creator and Father. In this, we “present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)