Dr Paul Allen

Myth #1: Jesus commands his followers to fast. Jesus assumes his followers will fast, and even promises we will fast, but neither he nor his apostles strictly command fasting. While many biblical texts mention fasting, the two most important come just chapters apart in Matthew’s Gospel. The first is Matthew 6:16–18, which comes in sequence with Jesus’s teachings on generosity and prayer. Fasting is as basic to Christianity as asking from God and giving to others. The key here is that Jesus doesn’t say “if you fast,” but “when you fast.” Second is Matthew 9:14–15, which might be the most important scripture on Christian fasting: Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 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.” (Matt. 9:14–15) When Jesus, our bridegroom, was here on earth am...

“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting , but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:17–18). I have observed over the years that Roman Catholics are much more diligent about fasting than Protestants—or at least they used to be. The reason for this is that the Catholic Church used to require a partial fast, from meat, every Friday. There were other days of fasting in the Roman calendar as well. Protestant churches, however, have had little to say about fasting. Why is this? The reason lies in the fact that at the time of the Reformation, fasting was connected with the sacrament of penance. In the Roman system, if a person committed a mortal sin, he lost his justification. In order to regain his justification and escape the sentence of hell, he had to make use of the sacrament of penance. Frequently...

Chances are you are among the massive majority of Christians who rarely or never fast. It’s not because we haven’t read our Bibles or sat under faithful preaching or heard about the power of fasting, or even that we don’t genuinely want to do it. We just never actually get around to putting down the fork. Part of it may be that we live in a society in which food is so ubiquitous that we eat not only when we don’t need to, but sometimes even when we don’t want to. We eat to share a meal with others, to build or grow relationships (good reasons), or just as a distraction from responsibility. And of course, there are our own cravings and ache for comfort that keep us from the discomfort of fasting. Not So Fast Fasting is voluntarily going without food — or any other regularly enjoyed good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose. It is markedly counter-cultural in our consumerist society, like abstaining from sex until marriage. If we are to learn the lost art of fasti...

Deutsch: Christus im Hause des Pharisäers, Jacopo Tintoretto, Escorial (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 9:14–17 “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is…the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved” (v. 17). From an argument with the Pharisees over the propriety of eating with sinners (Matt. 9:10–13), Jesus moves to a misunderstanding regarding fasting in today’s passage. The disciples of John the Baptist protest that Jesus and His followers do not fast like they and the Pharisees do (v. 14). This text is not saying that Jesus neglects fasting altogether. As a devout Jew , He certainly obeys God ’s command to fast on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29, 31). He also fasted before meeting Satan in the desert (Matt. 4:1–2). Furthermore, Jesus teaches that His people will fast after His ascension (9:15). But in the first century, certain “pious” Jews observed fasts on Mondays and Thursdays each week, in a...

An aristocratic lady coming out from temple and giving alms. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting , but only to your Father , who is unseen; and your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” ( Matthew 6:17 –18). Roman Catholics are much more diligent about fasting than Protestants —or at least they used to be. The reason for this is that the Catholic Church used to require a partial fast, from meat, every Friday. There were other days of fasting in the Roman calendar as well. Protestant churches, however, have had little to say about fasting. Why is this? The reason lies in the fact that at the time of the Reformation, fasting was connected with the sacrament of penance. In the Roman system, if a person committed a mortal sin, he lost his justification. In order to regain his justification and escape the sentence of...