g. Secret Fasting (6:16 18) On another occasion when Jesus was asked about fasting he responded:

Transcription

1 g. Secret Fasting (6:16 18) On another occasion when Jesus was asked about fasting he responded: And Jesus said to them, Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Matthew 9:15, ESV) It appears that mourning was central to the idea of fasting. Under Mosaic legislation, fasting was commanded only on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29 31; 23:27 32; Num 29:7). 1 The Day of Atonement was a time to mourn over sin. In time fasting was expanded to cover other situations but they were all in some way associated with mourning. Scripture identifies a number of situations in which fasting is appropriate. Bereavement 1Ch 10:11-12 pp 1Sa 31:11-13 See also 2Sa 1:11-12; 3:31-35 Distress Est 4:3 See also 1Sa 1:7; 20:34; 1Ki 21:4-6; Ps 109:24; Da 6:18; Ac 27:33 Penitence 1Sa 7:5-6 See also Ne 9:1-3; Da 9:3-6 Daniel identifies himself with the sin of the people; Da 9:20; Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-15; Jnh 3:5-9 Seeking God s intervention 2Sa 12:15-17 See also 2Ch 20:2-4; Ezr 8:21; Est 4:15-16; Ps 35:13-14 Seeking guidance Jdg 20:26-28 See also Dt 9:9 Moses fasts before the revelation of the Law; Da 9:1-3,20-23; 10:1-2,12; Ac 13:1-3 The church receives direction through the Holy Spirit while fasting. 2 Self-discipline I Cor. 9:27 Paul says that he disciplines his body. Christians through the ages have often used fasting as a means of denying the flesh and discipline themselves to higher virtues. In the Jewish culture Jesus grew up in, along with his family, he would have fasted from his youth and continued to do so at the Day of Atonement as an adult. In the wilderness temptation he fasted for a prolonged period. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:2, ESV) In Jesus day the Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12; cf. SBK, 2:242ff.), probably Monday and Thursday. 3 Fasting was quite common in the early church and through the middle ages as well. The Reformation Church continued to value fasting. There have been many revivals in the church that were associated with prayer and fasting. 1 D. A. Carson, Matthew, in The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (ed. Frank E. Gaebelein; vol. 8; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009). 3 D. A. Carson, Matthew, in The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (ed. Frank E. Gaebelein; vol. 8; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 8175.

2 There appear to be many benefits in fasting, medical, emotional, intellectual, but the one thing that stands out is that is denies, physically and spiritually, the flesh. The flesh hates to be denied. Just what are we doing when we fast? What are we trying to accomplish? In mourning, we are demonstrating our grief over sin grief over sin is not commonly demonstrated today! And, like prayer, we are trying to convince God to change things or do things. And like prayer, God s response to the fasting is a part of his eternal providence determined before the foundation of the earth. That is, as prayer does in fact change things, so does fasting, that to which it is so closely associated. Matthew 6:16 And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. when It is not if you fast but when. According to Didache 8.1, Christians should fast not as the hypocrites do, on Mondays and Thursdays, but rather on Wednesdays and Fridays. 4 This is practice is not required in the Bible however. fast 5 Fasting is done to indicate and foster self-humiliation before God, often in connection with the confession of sins or to lay some special petition before the Lord, sometimes out of anguish, danger, or desperation. 6 gloomy 7 This word is found in only one other place in the New Testament, that was when Jesus appeared to so disciples after his resurrection. And he said to them, What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still, looking sad. (Luke 24:17, ESV) Only by fasting in such an extreme manner could one become conspicuous and thus gain the reputation of a holy person. 8 hypocrites 9 The word means, one who is an actor in a play. In the context of a play, the meaning was not pejorative, but in the context of fasting it was a criticism. disfigure 10 Hidden or hide. Various explanations have been suggested such as neglected and unwashed face, or to smearing the face with ashes, or to covering the 4 W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (vol. 1; International Critical Commentary; London; New York: T&T Clark International, 2004), νηστεύω to go without food for a set time as a religious duty to fast, fasting. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (540). New York: United Bible Societies. 6 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 175). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 7 σκυθρωπός Grim faced, of a stern, gloomy, sad countenance. Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000). 8 Ulrich Luz, Matthew 1 7: A Commentary on Matthew 1 7 (ed. Helmut Koester; Rev. ed.; Hermeneia a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2007), ὑποκριτής A hypocrite, one who acts pretentiously, a counterfeit, a man who assumes and speaks or acts under a feigned character. Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers. 10 ἀφανίζω To remove out of sight. In the pass., to be removed out of sight, disappear, vanish away. 10 to cause something to be unattractive or unsightly to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly. Louw, J. P., &

3 face with a cloth to avoid looking and being looked at. 11 A vale may be the idea. However, the purpose of the disfiguration is clear that their fasting may be seen by others (6:16). And this idea is supported by Chrysostom who talks about those wearing the masks of them that fast. 12 may be seen 13 by others We see this same motivation in verse 6:1 in charity and in 6:5 in prayer. There is a play on words here. Disfigure means to hide; it is the same root word as seen but with an alpha privative in front of it. This changes the word from seen to unseen. So they hide that they may be seen. Note that the first two verbs create an oxymoron: the hypocrites make themselves unrecognizable (ἀφανίζουσιν) in order to be recognized (φανῶσιν). 14 reward 15 wages. It is interesting that God views our fasting as something that is to be rewarded. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding [μισθός] your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth. (Revelation 11:18, ESV) Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense [μισθός] with me, to repay each one for what he has done. (Revelation 22:12, ESV) Although the hypocrite has received his reward in his showy behavior, still there is a reward from God for fasting not done in that that way. Matthew 6:17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, Yet Jesus, far from banning fasting, assumes his disciples will fast, even as he assumes they will give alms and pray (vv. 3, 6). 16 Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (695). New York: United Bible Societies. 11 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:3-7:27 and Luke 6:20-49) (ed. Adela Yarbro Collins; Hermeneia a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), John Chrysostom, Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, in Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew (ed. Philip Schaff; trans. George Prevost and M. B. Riddle; vol. 10; A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series; New York: Christian Literature Company, 1888), φαίνω signifies, in the active voice, to shine ; in the passive, to be brought forth into light, to become evident, to appear W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (vol. 1; International Critical Commentary; London; New York: T&T Clark International, 2004), μισθός a recompense based upon what a person has earned and thus deserves, the nature of the recompense being either positive or negative reward, recompense. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (490). New York: United Bible Societies. 16 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 175). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

4 In Matthew 9:15, we read where Jesus says that one day they would fast. Here in Acts we read where they did so. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:23, ESV) anoint 17 and wash 18 The directives here are clearly designed to hide the fact of fasting from others. 19 Matthew 6:18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. secret 20 The word secret means hidden. So again the play on words continue. The word disfigure means to hide. They do this that they may be seen. But the God who is hidden sees. Fasting as such is not rejected, but it is justified only when performed inconspicuously. Only in this way can one safeguard its religious integrity, its righteousness. 21 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. (Mark 2:20, ESV) Once again the embedded challenge is to take the purity of motivation which by definition must characterize totally private engagement with God out into the complexities of normal life where others necessarily see what we do. 22 Your Righteousness In the broader section we started by reading this statement. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20, ESV) Jesus explained how that could be done with his you have heard, but I say to you statements addressing anger (5:21-26), lust (5:27-30), divorce (5:31-32), oaths (5:31-37), retaliation (5:38-42), and love of enemies (5: In 6:1 began a section stating 17 ἀλείφω to anoint with a liquid, normally oil or perfume to anoint. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (522). New York: United Bible Societies. 18 νίπτω to wash a part of a body, usually the hands or feet to wash. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (522). New York: United Bible Societies. 19 Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (295). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. 20 κρυφαῖος Hidden, concealed, and thus secret. Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000). 21 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:3-7:27 and Luke 6:20-49) (ed. Adela Yarbro Collins; Hermeneia a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (296). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

5 do not. Do not give hypocritically (6:1-4), do not pray hypocritically (6:5-15) and do not fast hypocritically (6:16-18). In doing as Jesus teaches, one can exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees for theirs was no righteousness at all. God to Isaiah Concerning Israel: 1 Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. God Speaking Ironically of Israel: 2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. Israel to God: 3 Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it? God s Response to Israel s Complaint: Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. 4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? God s Instruction to Israel on How to Fast: 6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11 And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. Isaiah 58:1 12 (ESV)