Jesus Teaches on Forgiveness and Fasting

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” –Matthew 6:14-18 (ESV).

As the note at the end of yesterday’s devotional indicated, The Lord’s Prayer was the subject of devotionals for June 17-22, so I move ahead here to Jesus’ next teachings after prayer, which are forgiveness and fasting.

Bearing grudges for wrongs—or even assumed wrongs—against us is one of the sins we have to guard against and confess.  Harder still is wiping the memory of the wrongs others have done from our minds, truly forgiving the person or persons, and then moving ahead to rebuild relationships.  In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus teaches us that there is a direct relationship between our forgiving others and the Heavenly Father forgiving us.  Jesus had just taught, in the last tenet of the Lord’s prayer, “”Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  This measure of forgiveness was not speaking of the initial forgiveness after confession of sins that the sinner experiences at the time of salvation and turning to God.  This has to do with the manner of living.  When we sin, after becoming a Christian—and we all do stray and err—it is seeking forgiveness and our decision to return again to the way of the Lord, living upright and holy lives.  But then, if we have done wrong to others, or others have done wrongs to us, and we hold onto those thoughts of deeds that separate us and break relationships, then our Father cannot forgive one who is not forgiving of others.  Hard expectations?  Yes!  But then the Christian way is a high road, one that shows distinctiveness from the world’s way.  Restoration with God after we stray is linked to how well we can forgive others.  How do we measure up?

Fasting was a common practice among the Jews in Jesus’ day.  Those who wanted others to know they were fasting often went about the streets in sackcloth and ashes, with their forehead marked with a blob of dark ashes.  By law, one fast a year was required of all faithful Jews on the Day of Atonement.  While fasting, in addition to abstaining from food, people were to humble themselves by praying, mourning and wearing sackcloth, a scratchy, poor type of robe.  As with giving, fasting is to be a matter of the heart between the person and God.  We do not call attention to fasting by announcing it in the assembly or showing by pious and devout-seeming behavior that we are fasting.  That calls attention to the person, so that people possibly laud the one fasting, rather than giving God the glory for the religious action.  “When you fast” indicates that Jesus expected His disciples to fast, but his warnings regarded motives.  As in giving and in praying, if our fasting becomes a means of public demonstration of our devoutness, then that, itself, becomes our reward.  It amounts to a boast such as “look how devout I am; I’m giving up this or that for the Lord!”  This can only bring attention on the person performing the act of fasting and the glory intended for God is not present in such an action of self-adulation. In our churches today, not as much emphasis is given to fasting, except during the week of Lent leading up to Easter.  Then, it is mainly individual choice that leads person to fast or not to fast.  I have recently heard of a well-known church’s pastor in North Georgia calling the entire congregation to fast for a week in order to make sacrifices both individually and corporately for a large undertaking of expansion and mission.  The week was observed and the results were a blessing in what that particular church aimed to do.  Again, fasting was not to call attention to themselves but to focus on a need that would reach others for the kingdom of God.  If we fast, we are to be sure it is for God’s glory and not to call attention to our own piousness.