Matthew 6:16-18
Again Jesus tells his disciples how important it is to shun religious posturing. We note here that Jesus does uphold the value of fasting, despite the many warnings these days against "excessive" asceticism. In fact, a secret fast helps to bring one closer to God and is of real spiritual value. God does not need anything we have, but by stifling our bodily desires, we are able to "give" something to him.16 Also, when you fast, don't be like the play actors, who make it obvious to people that they are fasting by their gloomy looks and their dust-smeared faces. Seriously, I tell you, [X1] they have their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that your fast won't be apparent to people, but will be apparent to your secretly watching Father, who will reward you openly.
One can imagine possibly being too hard on one's body because of self-loathing or other psychological illnesses. For example, young women may get caught in the trap of anorexia in which they end up starving to death. This is not what the Lord has in mind, obviously. A born-again person will have the help of the Spirit when he or she fasts or tries to fast.
Fasting is something many of us would rather not think about, as we have not done much to overcome the sick demands of our bodies. And, of course, there has been controversy in the church over how rigorously one should fast.
Some scholars will point out that the assertion in Mark and Matthew that a certain kind of demon can be exorcised only with "prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:28, Matthew 17:21), has been doctored, the words "and fasting" having been added. Yet one should not take that alteration by early scribes to mean that there is never a need, metaphorically, to hold a knife to one's throat.
Mark 9:28-29
(Also Matthew 17:21)
A possibility is that after the destruction of Jerusalem, when Jewish culture had waned considerably, a scribe thought to insert the and fasting phrase in Matthew or Mark because he thought that, in the old days, everyone knew that prayer and fasting went hand in hand while these days, he thought, no one knows that fact anymore, and so it would be best to amplify [2] the sentence. Then that scribe, or another, inserted the phrase into the other gospel book.(Also Matthew 17:21)
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer [and fasting].
In this regard, we observe that, though scholars seem fairly certain that the principal writer of Mark was not a Palestinian Jew (and hence not John Mark), it seems quite plausible that this writer picked up accounts related by early Christian Jews, who apparently set up a community in Rome before either Peter or Paul showed up among them. [1]
In any case, the fact that and fasting was not included in the original texts may well be because to Jews of that period fasting was implied by the word prayer, especially if intense prayer was meant. All through the Old Testament, earnest prayer goes hand in hand with fasting.
Lest we forget, Jesus was very serious about this Scripture: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Matthew 4:1-4
(Also Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)
The passage that Jesus quotes relates how God permitted the Israelites to go hungry in order to strengthen them spiritually.(Also Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Deuteronomy 8:3
Thus, fasting is surely strongly implied in the account of the resistant demon.3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Does not Jesus urge his followers to eschew focus on food and instead "eat him" and do the will of God? Do not live to eat. Eat to live. Even better: eat Jesus to live
John 6:53-54
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 4: 33-34
Also, we may recall that when Jesus sent out "70" (a symbolic number, meaning a complete group) disciples to fan out through Judea, he sent them without provisions. No money. No extras. While it is certainly so that God provided their needs as they went on their way, we can fairly assume that they had at times to skip meals, perhaps even for several days. Jesus wants us to learn not to focus on food, to give up the 6 o'clock express (would that I would).
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Luke 10: 1-4 10
We can be misled by cultists who involve us in all sorts of false worship, Paul warns. These dangerous people promote self-neglect that looks very spiritual but is part of a plan to lead you into worshiping beings other than God. Watch out for people espousing such philosophies. Stick with Jesus, via the Spirit. Follow him, not people who have a form of spirituality that contradicts the liberation given you by Jesus.1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
[Some versions have 72 rather than 70 messengers.]
The whole point of Jesus' sacrifice was to set you free, not to re-enslave you! Paul, writing to the church at Collosae, did not oppose the value of self-denial and fasting, but told the flock there to make sure what they were doing accorded with the gospel of salvation. People were in danger, he thought, of engaging in cult-like activities on the say-so of worldly men garbed in sheep's clothing.
Colossians: 2:16-23
Selected verses
We have here the apostle reinforcing Jesus' words about fasting: don't put on a show. Paul was affirming that teaching and urging believers not to be led into such practices by others.
Selected verses
16 Let no one therefore tell you what to eat or drink, or to observe some holy day, or the time of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days [our Saturdays].++++++++++18 Let no one trick you into turning aside from your reward by a formal humility and angel worship; that person is intruding into those things which he knows nothing about, being vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. [How can you permit someone who is not born-again – a fact which you should be able to discern – to divert the congregation with these kooky ideas?]++++++++++20 Now if you are dead, with Christ, to the world's controlling spirits, why do behave like you should submit to the world's rules?
21 As in: don't touch this, don't taste that, don't handle something else,
22 which are things that all pass away with use.
23 These are merely the rules and teachings of human beings.
24 Such willful practices certainly appear pious and wise, with their shows of humility and neglect of the body. Nevertheless, there is no honor in this form of ego gratification.
In any case, many Christians over the centuries have engaged in spiritual fasting, not in order to look thin and flatter themselves, but to practice self-denial, which is a major teaching of Jesus [3]. How is one to die to self if he habitually indulges his body? That nut is a real toughie, but Jesus has and is the answer.
Now and then Christians are led astray for a while by the notions of soul offered by Pythagoras and Plato and their adherents. In that Greek tradition, to which the church has been exposed rather often, the soul is regarded as an immortal being imprisoned in an evil body. New Testament doctrine says that the inner person, the one that is to be saved, must fight the desires of the flesh, with this fleshly mind or spirit being essentially anti-God. The fleshly mind, or animal mind, is unable to relate to God, which is why it goes its own way.
Thus, the Greeks had a partial understanding. There is a war between the "higher" man and the animal self. But, the higher man that they yearned after – but could not attain before the Resurrection – is the born-again mind, the one that has been renewed and transformed after Christ's touch. As the Messiah had yet to be revealed, these Greeks did the best they could with the information at hand.
So one can see a partial agreement between the teaching of Jesus that one must deny himself and be prepared to do without and the yogi-like teaching of the Greeks. Yet, there is a major difference. The Greek thinkers believed that rigorous denial of creature comforts would purge the soul so that it would no longer have to endure many human and animal lives, thus bringing the soul to a blessed state.The problem with that idea is that – no one can do it. In order to achieve complete mastery of the animal self, you would already have to be perfect. The mistake here is the theory that your works, your efforts, can save you, whether you are trying to be a stickler for Jewish rules and regulations or a Greek moral code. Surrender to Jesus is how you become saved. That is the gospel.
Now what has just been said should not be taken as a cop-out, whereby no effort is made at fasting and denial of comforts to oneself. The goal should be a closer communion with God. Sure, any animal mind problems need to be handed off to God. But the complete purging of the animal mind – the flesh – may not come in this life, though one should not rule out such a possibility. But even then, no one would reach that blessed state under his or her own steam. None of us can do anything without Christ. The two swords brought to Jesus shortly before his arrest (Luke 22:38) signify the fact that he has been granted all power in heaven and on earth, all spiritual and temporal power. We cannot even do something criminal without his back-channel aid, let alone save ourselves all by ourselves.
Thus monastics, who live a life of deprivation of material and other satisfactions, may be doing well – if the goal is closer communion with God. But if the aim is to reach a special blessed state by such self-denial, then there will be disappointment. This is an important point. Some Christians have allowed themselves to remain worldly on the theory that only special religious people are called to possibly become saints. In the proper sense, a saint is a born-again believer. A saint is not an especially holy person, though real born-again believers are expected to be kind and loving. As Christ loved them, so are they to love others.
To recap: show-off fasting, like show-off charity, is a pitiful, superficial, ego-driven behavior. In fact, any ego-driven fasting is of little help. And though monks and yogis may improve their character by fasting, no human action will suffice to save them. The fasting that Jesus commends is meant for a deeper walk with God by someone who has surrendered to Jesus. Then the childish ego tends to diminish as God's love increases.
Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be
– Traditional hymn
Draft 6
No comments:
Post a Comment