Rev Gav

What does it mean to fast?

Isaiah 58.1–12, Psalm 51.1–18, Matthew 6.1-21

Today is Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent — a season when we focus on penitence, reflection, and spiritual growth, and a time when, as we consider our own mortality, we renew our commitment to following the way of Christ, so what lesson can we learn about following ‘the way’?

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus reminded his disciples to give alms, pray, and fast in secret. Note, he did not say, if you give alms, pray, fast, but when you give alms, pray and fast! Giving alms, praying, and fasting is what we do as followers of Jesus.

In this short message, I want to focus on the third of these disciplines, and that is of fasting. I think we all know what giving alms and praying are, but I wonder how many of us understand what it means to fast?

Traditionally, in Christianity, fasting has been associated with abstinence from food or drink as a means to focus one’s mind on God, and although this can be a useful spiritual discipline, it is just one method that focuses on the self-denial aspect of fasting. As Christians (Christ’s church), we are not meant to be detached from community and from one another and we do not have a ‘personal’ faith that is exclusive and exclusionary, therefore, in the same way that giving alms and prayer are not for solely for our own benefit, fasting can also be something that benefits others. More recently, Christians have begun to adopt the idea of ‘taking something on’ for Lent — some good deed or work — and this is much closer to the idea of biblical fasting, a clue of which can be found in today’s passage from Isaiah:

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke? 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 them and not to hide yourself from your own kin?” (Isaiah 58.6-7)

You see, fasting is akin to denying oneself and to daily take up one’s cross — whatever that may be — and denying oneself means putting God, others, and the environment first, and this comes at a personal cost. This cost is described as being our own metaphorical ‘cross to bear’.

Pride, by definition, is putting yourself first (note there is an ‘I’ in the middle of the word pride) and the opposite of pride is humility, so another way of saying ‘deny yourself and take up your cross’ is that humility comes with self-sacrifice. You cannot have one without the other. Incidentally, pride at the expense of others, and sin, are exactly the same thing, and sin is another word with ‘I’ in the middle!

So, to fast means to have humility, and to selflessly give ourselves to the service of God, others, and the environment. We are to give alms, to pray, and to fast, and we are to do all three in secret.

Each day, as we interact with the world and go about our lives, we encounter moments and occasions where we can choose to serve others or the world at our own expense. Perhaps it will be picking up that litter you see in the park, even though it is not ‘your job’ to do so. Perhaps it will be picking up someone’s dirty laundry up off the floor and popping it in the washing machine? Perhaps it will be taking up the slack when someone drops the ball at work and doing some of their work for them? Perhaps it will be spending time listening to someone and giving them your full attention when you would rather be somewhere else and doing your own thing?

There are endless ways in which each one of us is called to fast on a daily basis, and fasting will be unique to you and your situation and set of circumstances. The opportunities presented to you will be different from the opportunities presented to me.

So, how do we do this in secret? Well, we might not boast about how we washed someone else’s stack of dirty dishes they left in the sink, but we sure can moan about it! Who doesn’t like a good moan? But here’s a thing. How many of you truly feel better for moaning? Moaning — outwardly confessing resentment — only reinforces that resentment. It cements your resentment in time and space, and worse, paints something or someone else in a bad light. It’s a double-whammy! It hurts you and it hurts other people. It also has no positive benefit for the person you are moaning to either (although they have to take responsibility for their own response to your sorrowful carping).

We could paraphrase Jesus’ words by saying, “And when you fast, don’t go on about it, whinging how you did this and you did that, and how hard done by you are, and how you are wounded and aggrieved and exploited! For I tell you, you’ve received your reward in full from the person whose ear you’ve just bent off. But when you fast, swallow your pride, put on a brave face, smile, and take the hit, for your Father in heaven sees it all, gets it, and God will reward you.”

Now, I’m not suggesting you just ‘put up and shut up’. I am not talking about not sharing your inner struggles, pains, and hurts with other people. It is incredibly important to talk and to share. Nor am I suggesting people shouldn’t be accountable if when they take advantage of the generosity of others. I’m talking about grumbling as an expression of resentment about those daily acts of service in which you have participated that go unappreciated or unnoticed. Fasting is not for anyone else, but is only between you and God.

Lent is a good season to do some self-reflection, and during this period, may you find joy in allowing the Holy Spirit that dwells in you to humbly reach out and bless others and the world around you, for when you do this you will bless God, become more like Jesus, and grow into the person God created you to be.

Friends, do not stop giving alms, praying, and fasting — putting yourself out to freely offer acts of service for God, others, and the world around you, and if you are willing and able, go out of your way to encounter those who are yoked to oppression or bound to injustice, and without resentment or bitterness, untie them and set them free.

Amen.