Matthew 6:16-18
Fasting
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In Jesus’ culture, fasting was a normal ritual that set aside a period of time as sacred. We don’t have to fast to connect with God or hear from him. But fasting is a powerful way to surrender ourselves to God, trusting him to meet us in our need.
Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E18
Fasting to Mark Sacred Moments
In the Bible, people fast in response to something sacred God is doing. Fasting marks moments so serious that eating would be inappropriate. Jesus encourages these occasions for fasting, but he warns against making a show of it.
In the Bible, people fast in response to something sacred God is doing in their midst. Fasting marks moments so serious that eating would be inappropriate. In Jesus’ culture, fasting was a normal ritual practiced by many. However, we don’t have to fast in order to connect with God or hear from him. Fasting is a way of fully surrendering ourselves to God, trusting that he will meet us in our need. Jesus encourages this kind of fasting, but he also warns us to not turn fasting into a performance in order to appear devout before others.