they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.”
Jane Larsen-Wigger preached on this last week noting:
Jesus that we just heard, the one little word that catches
me up is his use of the word ‘when.’ Jesus says “WHEN you
fast . . .” Not “IF you fast . . .” but WHEN.
Fasting is a tough one. So easy to come up with reasons why I shouldn’t.
“I need my energy for ____”
“I’m going to this picnic tomorrow.”
“It’s not going to make me any holier.”
And so on…
Jane reminded us that fasting is not the end; rather, fasting is a tool to get us past ourselves and beyond the many distractions –
Another thing that is interesting in Jesus’ Sermon on the
Mount is that after talking about fasting, Jesus goes on to
talk about things that get in the way of trusting God:
earthly treasures, trying to serve both God and wealth;
excessive worrying, judging others, profaning the holy.
Hmmm, maybe this part of his sermon points to why fasting is
important—or maybe he’s suggesting some of what we could
fast from: earthly treasures, other masters, worry, judging,
disrespect, profaning the holy.
There are things—plenty of things—besides food that we can
fast from. In a chapter on Fasting, Marjorie Thompson
suggests we ask ourselves: “What is consuming me?
Possessing me? What do I do to excess?”
Good questions for me, you and fellow Americans who, with 5% of the global population, consume more than 20% of its resources.
of a relationship of trust with the Living God.
So the world suffers as do we… Read the rest of Jane’s sermon.
Global Food Crisis fast website