A Hunger for God

Introduction

Food is essential for life. Without it, we can’t survive for long. This makes fasting, or abstaining from food for spiritual reasons, seem puzzling or unsustainable. However, the Bible shows many instances of fasting, including Jesus fasting for 40 days before His ministry. If you believe our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, fasting can be a way to honor God and promote both physical and spiritual health.

Our Lord Jesus, in Matthew 6:16-18, teaches His disciples how to fast. This passage is found in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, an extensive teaching on living as members of God’s Kingdom. As we closely examine this passage, we’ll discover the wrong and the right way of practicing fasting. Fasting may be new to you, but understanding how to practice it according to our Lord’s instructions can pave the way to a deeper and powerful connection with God.

The Wrong Way: Self-Centered Fasting (Matthew 6:16)

In Matthew 6:16, Jesus tells his disciples not to fast to impress others, as the Pharisees do, because fasting with wrong motives will be of no value to them. Similarly, we need to check our motives when we fast. Like other spiritual practices such as the Sabbath, we can fast for the wrong, selfish reasons. We might fast to show off our spirituality, to get God to do something for us, or just for compliance. However, fasting isn’t like that. Fasting that focuses on self is not the right way. Fasting is more than that.

The Right Way: God-Centered Fasting (Matthew 6:17-18)

In Matthew 6:17-18, Jesus exhorted His disciples to focus on their unseen Father, who sees how they fast in secret. This is the kind of fasting that the Father rewards according to Jesus. In the same way, we should embrace the truth that fasting, like other spiritual practices, is a place of grace where we open ourselves to God. This is God-centered fasting: to pursue God Himself. When we fast, we offer ourselves to God in a visceral and bodily experience. And when we fast in this posture, spiritual formation is possible. Physical and spiritual health is possible.

Conclusion

Understanding how we should practice fasting from Matthew 6:16-18 should motivate us to engage in this essential and powerful spiritual discipline, not from the standpoint of what we can get from it, but from an intimate and loving relationship with God. Simply put, “Fasting is feasting on God.” Therefore, we should start practicing fasting, little by little, to strengthen and deepen our intimacy and connection with God, resulting in a better physical and spiritual health.

Discussion

Is the practice of fasting new to you? What was your understanding of fasting before listening to this sermon? Did your understanding of fasting change or deepen because of listening to this sermon?

How can we ensure that our fasting practices are truly God-centered and not influenced by external validation or recognition?

In what ways can fasting help you develop a deeper and more intimate relationship with God? Can you share any personal experiences or examples, if you have any?