To fast or to feast?

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:1-3

Just recently a Christian friend asked me, right out of nowhere, what I thought about fasting. Which was interesting, for various reasons…

For one thing, I had been thinking about fasting myself. Then, I heard a sermon on Acts 13; the preacher briefly focussed on verses 2-3, where the writer mentions twice (!) the fasting of the leaders of the Antioch church. And then, third, I was in a small-group Bible study where the same topic came up for a bit of discussion.

A coincidence? (Or, as some Christians like to call it, albeit with a rather ugly word, a “Godincidence”?) Whatever, I thought it couldn’t do any harm to devote a blog to it.

What are we as Christians to think about fasting? Here are a few reflections, not in any particular order.

First, it figures a lot in the Bible, but far more in the Old Testament than the New. The people of Israel fasted regularly as a nation; but we read also about fasting as individuals, perhaps as a sign of mourning or sadness, or of sorrow for sin. It was a normal aspect of a religious life. This might be the setting where it is of most value to us.

Second, Jesus never told his followers to fast; he simply took it for granted that, being Jews, they would: “When you fast…” he tells them in Matthew 6:16-18. Certainly, he taught them how to fast – they must avoid any suggestion of self-display. But it clearly wasn’t a topic that was, so to speak, high on his agenda. Indeed, it seems he caused puzzlement and even offence to the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees because of his failure to require it (Matthew 9:14). Did they think he wasn’t “religious” enough?

Third, he did, of course, fast himself; indeed, before the start of his ministry he went without food for forty days and nights (Matthew 4:1-11), which suggests that in spite of what I have just said, fasting isn’t something we should lightly dismiss or treat as completely unimportant.

Fourth, there are no hard-and-fast rules about fasting: a whole day? or more? or just one meal? or just one particular item of food? In general throughout the Bible it seems to mean simply a willing act of self-denial in going without food (though in 1 Corinthians 7:5 Paul suggests to married couples what we might call a period of sexual fasting).You could say that for Christians the only “rule” about fasting is that in fact there are no rules.

Fifth, whatever significance we might see in fasting, it seems always to be linked with prayer. Certainly it was that time in Antioch. We might need a period of focussed and intense prayer if we are particularly concerned about something, or if we have slipped into sin, or if we have allowed ourselves to become spiritually sluggish or lazy, or if we have a big decision to make. Fasting is a way of concentrating, of seeking to shut out for a time other intruding thoughts.

Sixth, we need to keep clear in our minds that fasting must not be an attempt, even a subconscious one, to offer God a bribe. We can’t force his hand: “Lord, you will grant me what I need, won’t you, if I devote to you this time of self-denial…” That seems to be the error the people of Israel were guilty of according to Isaiah 58. They actually seem quite affronted with God for not keeping his side of the bargain: “Why have we fasted… and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves and you have not noticed?” (verse 3).

No! That would make our relation with God a transactional thing, rather than a relationship thing. Isaiah 58:6-9 leaves us in no doubt that while fasting has its place there are other things far higher on God’s list of priorities. The prophet’s words are  later echoed by Jesus in the story of the sheep and goats: the most valuable “fasting” means feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the  sick and imprisoned (Matthew 25:31-46). Let’s never forget that!

Fasting may be a way of humbly demonstrating to God that we really are serious about following Jesus. Of course, he already knows that anyway, doesn’t he? But then it’s like that with all prayer. Can we ever offer to God a prayer he doesn’t already know about?

So… whether we feel it right to fast as individuals, privately and discreetly, or whether we are involved with a local church, like the elders of Antioch in Acts 13 having to make a big decision, let’s do it as part of our love for Jesus, with a true desire to know him better and to love him more. What comes of it? – well, that is for God alone to decide.

And let’s remember, when we look at its overall message we see that the Bible is far more a feasting book than a fasting book! God calls us to enjoy all that we have received in Christ! Let’s do it!

Father, when I particularly feel my weakness and failures, may I find comfort in the hymn-writer’s prayer: “Lord, it is my chief complaint/ That my love is weak and faint;/ Yet I love thee, and adore; O for grace to love thee more!” Amen.

William Cowper (1731-1800)