Man Does Not Live by Chicken Alone
As someone who has spent many years in the restaurant industry and currently operates a Chick-fil-A franchise, fasting is probably not the first topic you would expect me to write about. To be fair, fasting doesn’t get a whole lot of attention from anyone in today’s world, even within religious circles. We’re much quicker to talk about regular practices like prayer, Bible reading, and time spent at church.
So why doesn’t fasting get the same love? To put it bluntly and simply, fasting is uncomfortable. We don’t enjoy the feeling of being hungry, and it’s not one that we even want to tolerate – let alone willingly pursue – for any longer than absolutely necessary.
Of course, it’s a topic Jesus often discusses and embraces. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention the extended fast that Jesus embarked on as he began his ministry. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness with no food or water, yet rejected an opportunity to command stones to become bread so he could eat (see Matthew 4:3-4, NLT). Jesus also addresses fasting in a noteworthy way in the Sermon on the Mount, and our weeks-long series brings us to this particular teaching today.
Jesus begins his discourse in Matthew 6:16 (NLT) by addressing the way we portray ourselves when we fast. It seems noteworthy to me that Jesus says when – not if – we fast, assuming that the decision to fast isn’t a topic that’s up for discussion.
He goes on to address an ongoing problem with the Pharisees’ approach to fasting. As Jesus alludes to with his example, the Pharisees’ goal in fasting was for others to notice. They would go out of their way to make themselves look undernourished as a way of gaining respect from others. According to Jesus, this isn’t the way.
“But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:17-18, NLT
Clearly, the purpose of fasting is to strengthen our intimacy and connection with God – not to garner admiring glances or positive affirmation from others. At its core, fasting is a sacrifice and an appeal to God himself to trust and provide for us.
In Matthew 4, when the Devil suggests Jesus command the stones to become bread, Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 8, a passage in which Moses reminds the Israelites of how God provided for His people as they wandered through the wilderness. Moses reminded the people of how they were hungry until God provided manna for them to eat, saying, “He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
In a world where we constantly crave control, fasting is an act of submission. Rather than feeding ourselves, we are trusting in God to care for our most basic needs. The discomfort reminds us of our great need for God’s presence in our lives, and as we wait on God to care for us, we’re reminded of past examples (both in our lives and in the stories we read about in Scripture) when God fulfilled his promises. It’s a practice that I think we should all make a more regular part of our routines – especially as we prepare to begin a New Year.