As we prepare for Christmas, we’ve been reviewing Matthew chapter six, a perfectly natural thing to do, don’t you think? After all, how can we celebrate the birth of Christ apart from His basic teachings? So far, we’ve seen that He came to show us humility, selflessness and forgiveness, and in this section He speaks about fasting. Let’s take a look, and as we do, ask yourself this question: Is this passage about fasting, or is it covering something much larger than that?

 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:16-18

Have you ever met someone who approaches their faith with a long, grave expression as though the weight of it all was almost too much to bear? Have you ever met someone who has a tendency to let others know how much they pray or fast or deny themselves? Why do you suppose they do this?

Do you know how I see this person Jesus is describing in these verses, the one with the pained expression on their face when they are fasting… or whatever? I see a “religious” person, or if you prefer… a Pharisee. To be honest, I avoid the words “religion” and “religious” because so many people have been so overtly long suffering and grave that they have given these words a bad connotation when we speak with people who don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ; they have the idea that following Jesus is a miserable existence of heavy labor and burden, when it is really a sublime joy.

How sad.

So then, why would anyone want to be like that? If God leads me into a time of prayer, meditation and fasting, it turns out to be a glorious time, a time of growth, a time of healing, a time spent in His very presence. Yes, it is true that there might be an uncomfortable aspect to it, since we seldom grow very much when everything is completely within our comfort zones, but if we trust Him, then we know that at the end of it all, we will be filled with joy.

So why the long faces?

Could it be that such folk are somehow trying to establish spiritual superiority over other, less spiritual, less righteous people? Could it be that they are trying to gain respect and acclaim for their spiritual accomplishments? Well, I am not a mind reader, so I can’t say, but it seems that Jesus might be thinking along these lines. Undeniably He has implied that this is their attitude in verse 18.

So what is the lesson here?

Our spiritual practices are between us and God. It is not for me to judge another if God relates to them differently than He does with me, and it is not for me to seek the approval or acclaim of men for what I do in private with God, be it prayer or fasting or whatever spiritual discipline God leads me to. For me to seek such acclaim might just be a signal that there is no reality in my spiritual life; certainly it would be a red flag that something isn’t quite right in my heart if I’m praying or fasting to impress others. I think that we can add “truth” to our list of things Jesus came to show us!