Jason's Blog

Not long after hearing the voice of His father from heaven, Jesus embarked on an arduous journey into the desert.  Here, he began a grueling forty day fast (Matthew 3:16-4:4).  My question is have you ever wondered why Jesus, the Son of God would fast?

We normally associate fasting with a need for repentance, and there are plenty of passages in Scripture that point to fasting as a way of entering more deeply into grief over sin (Neh. 9:1, Jonah 3:5, and Dan. 9:3).  But Jesus had no sin, His response in baptism was to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15).  However, though He was the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus felt the need to fast.

“Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” – Jesus.”

Do you really believe these words of Scripture?

Jesus quoted them to Satan as an answer to the temptation to turn stones into bread.  Centuries before, Moses had spoken these words to the nation of Israel before they entered the Promised Land.  They needed to know that God had brought them both hunger and manna.  His purpose was that they might be taught and that God might know what was in their hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).

What is in your heart today?  How has God provided for you?  Have you felt hunger pains of any kind?  That is one of God’s ways of reminding you that your trust cannot be in yourself alone.  You are in need.

Have you enjoyed food today?  Remember that all food is truly manna from heaven.  It is God’s gift for our journey.  Be thankful for what is yours.

Jesus knew these lessons by heart, and his fasting revealed that for all creation (and even Satan) to see.

Let me make two concluding observations about fasting:

1.  Fasting is a resource that we can use to measure what masters and controls us.  Jesus became like us in every way and embraced this discipline so that we could most clearly see that his heart was solely devoted to His Father in heaven.

2.  Fasting is a gift from God and through it we can show our praise for God.  We don’t fast to earn points with God or to prove ourselves to him.  The Scriptures clearly teach that he knows our needs before we even ask (Matthew 6:8).  There are no works that we can ever do that might earn us something before God (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Instead fasting is an act of surrender where we who are “poor in spirit” open ourselves and trust in the Lord to sustain us.

When Paul wrote to the Philippians he encouraged them with these words:  “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).  We, as Americans, hear God’s concern for our well being.  I am not finished with you.  Praise be to God that he isn’t finished with us – but did you know the You in this phrase is plural?

What does it mean for God to not be finished with us as a community?  Paul sees the relationships, the lives that have been knit together:  an unknown jailer, a prominent Jewish business woman (Lydia), a slave girl delivered from Demons, a hard working evangelist like Epaphroditus, Euodia, Synche, and Clement (4:2-3) and knows that God is at work.  Only God could carry this group on His wings.

What about your relationships?  Is God carrying them?  Is He honored through the friendships that surround you?  He is not finished with all of these.

One of the big messages in Philippians is that we consider others better than ourselves (2:3) and that we do everything without complaining or arguing (2:14).  It is easy to live free from complaint when life and relationships are simple and easy.  It is another matter when there is adversity and strain.  Busyness and the complexity of life can add just enough tension to make life hard:

“Busyness is an illness of spirit, a rush from one thing to another because there is no ballast of vocational integrity and no confidence in the primacy of grace.”  Eugene Peterson, Living the Message, May 3rd (HarperCollins, 1996): 132-33.

This week – remember that God is not finished with you.  He’s finished with your marriage.  He’s not finished with your relationship with your kids, or your boss, or your teacher.  He’s not finished even with your relationships with other Christians.  He has begun a good work in you (plural).  He will carry all of this to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.  Don’t be too busy to see His handiwork.  Rejoice in the Lord today.

People have been fasting for spiritual reasons for centuries. Below is some wisdom that I’ve collected that tells what happens to the body and how to get ready for a fast.

1. Just as it would not be wise to sign up for a marathon without having an extensive training period, it isn’t a great idea to try to do too much fasting too quickly. You might find that a partial fast is a good way to get started. Try a lunch to lunch fast (skipping dinner and breakfast).
2. Drink plenty of fluids during your fast—especially fruit juices. You might find non-sweetened and non-acidic juices to be the best. Tomato and orange juice are pretty hard on the stomach.
3. Don’t chew gum while fasting. Chewing activates the digestive process.
4. Any time that you break from a fast, do so with a light meal with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
5. If you’re taking things slow, two or three weeks preparation can ordinarily get the body ready for an all day fast.
6. When fasting over 24 hours, drink lots of water.
7. When you feel hunger pangs or discomfort, recognize that this is your body’s conditioning. You won’t die. I like how Richard Foster puts it, “in many ways the stomach is like a spoiled child and a spoiled child does not need indulgence, but needs discipline” (Celebration of Discipline, p. 57). Don’t give in to these pains. You’ll be surprised how they pass. Drink some water—that may be what your body is really craving at the moment.
8. In general, if you are in the habit of eating poorly, your body will complain more violently as you take on a 24 hour fast.
9. Before you begin, you need to decide how to handle tea and coffee if you avidly drink either of these products. Caffeine addiction has real side effects, but it is good to break through this chemical dependence.
10. If your family commitments will permit it, take the time that you would devote to eating to prayer and meditation.
11. Don’t call attention to the fact that you are fasting. As much as you can, go about your regular schedule. You may want to reduce some rigorous physical activity.
12. Once you’ve completed several 24 hour fasts, you’re ready for a 36 hour fast. After discipline and practice with 36 hours, you can pray and discern whether God is calling you to take on a longer 3-7 day fasts. The first 3 days of fasting are the worst in terms of body pain and discomfort. By day 4, most of these symptoms begin to subside.
13. When participating in a longer fast, sudden movements will promote dizziness.
14. Don’t be surprised by bad breath and/or a coating that appears on your tongue. This is your body getting rid of toxins.
15. There are lots of great resources now available. Consult them before taking on a 3-7 day fast. Check with your doctor, if you have any doubt about your health in approaching a fast.

There are a number of texts that point to momentous events that shaped the course of history that have followed periods of fasting.

• Moses fasted before delivering the Law to the people (Exodus 24:18; 34:28).
• Queen Esther encouraged all the Jews in Susa to fast before she approached the king of Persia  (Esther 4:16)
• Nehemiah mourned and prayed after hearing a report about Jerusalem’s walls (Nehemiah 1:4)
• Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit and he fasted for 40 days (Luke 4:2).

Is it a coincidence that fasting is mentioned in these passages?

Do they establish a precedent that we might follow in seeking God’s will?

“It is almost impossible to overstate the historical importance of this moment in Antioch in the history of the world. Before this word from the Holy Spirit there seems to have been no organized mission of the church beyond the eastern seacoast of the Mediterranean. Before this, Paul had made no missionary journeys westward to Asian Minor, Greece or Rome or Spain. Before this Paul had not written any of his letters which were all the result of his missionary travels beginning here.

This moment of prayer and fasting resulted in a missions movement that would make Christianity the dominant religion of the Roman empire within two and a half centuries and would yield 1.3 billion adherents of the Christian religion today with a Christian witness in virtually every country of the world. And 13  of the 29 books of the New Testament were the result of the ministry that was launched in this moment of prayer and fasting.

So I think is it fair to say that God was pleased to make worship and prayer and fasting the launching pad for a mission that would change the course of world history. Is there not a lesson there for us?”

John Piper, A Hunger for God, (Crossway, 1997): 107.

What Kind of Fasting?

Recently when I was in Cincinnati, I had a chance to hear Scot McKnight talk about spiritual disciplines.  He made the point that many today are using spiritual disciplines.  For example, someone might undertake a fast in the hopes that by doing so we will get some sort of answer or health benefit.  This kind of fast is not what God wants from us.  When our fast is a means to an end, we run the risk of missing God altogether.

In Zechariah 7:1-14, the prophet complains that the people were not mourning and fasting after the LORD.  The question in verse five rings loud and true:  “Was it really for me that you fasted?”

We have to look closely at our motives.

Fasting should not be treated as a magical ritual that we can embrace to make God tip his hand.  Instead, fasting is an opportunity to seek after God with all our heart, soul, mind, and body.

“Once the primary purpose of fasting [to have a life that is centered fully on God] is firmly fixed in our hearts, we are at liberty to understand that there are also secondary purposes in fasting.  More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us.  This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ”

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, Revised Edition (HarperCollins, 1988): 55.

This week find a sacrifice that you make so that you can seek God more fully.