Fasting, Part One

February 13, 2011
Matthew 6:16-18
When you fast . . .

David began the session with a quick review of the Sermon on the Mount to this point. Chapter 5 was largely composed of "You have heard that it was said" followed by "But my followers will do this instead." These were focused on ethical issues. In Chapter 6, Jesus has described some religious practices. Some people use their charitable giving to attract attention to themselves. Jesus gave His followers new instructions. Then He described how some religious people handled prayer. Again, He gave new instructions, including what we call the Lord's Prayer.

Today's section describes how some people fast. But His followers are to do it differently.

How do some people fast?

• They attract attention to themselves.
• They try to impress others, and maybe try to impress God.

Their reward is acclaim from individuals, and that is all that their fasting will provide for them.

What is fasting?

• Giving up food
• Discipline of abstinence
• Hard!

Is is spiritual? Or can we call it fasting if we're trying to lose weight? And if we are aware that it might help us lose weight, does it lose its spiritual significance? And that raises the whole issue of what spiritual purpose is behind fasting.

We can also fast other valued things. For instance, some people have been advised by their doctors that they must eat on a regular schedule. Fasting may be particular food items instead of completely not eating, or it may be giving up something non-food related as many people do for Lent.

"When you fast" is not exactly a command, but it is an assumption that Jesus' followers will fast. In Luke 5, verses 33-35, Jesus pointed out that His followers were not going to fast so long as He was with them.

Fasting is a focus. When we miss something, we should spend time in prayer. Essentially, forgoing a meal should give us that time for prayer instead.

Fasting is counter-cultural, especially in America. We are encouraged to believe that if we can indulge ourselves, we should.

Fasting develops new spiritual muscles.

It can become a meaningless ritual. The example of meatless Lent for some groups was given; many participants do give up meat, but don't focus on God.

Types of Fasts

• Absolute: Neither food nor water. This should not be done for more than a day or two at a time; the body must have water much sooner than it needs food.
• Partial fast: Restriction of the diet.
• Group fasts: In the Old Testament, Esther asked others to fast before she risked her life
• Regular fasts: Judaism encouraged Monday and Thursday fasts, and John Wesley chose Wednesdays and Fridays for fasting (the actual days for Wesley may be uncertain, but these were what the class recalled)
• Fasting habits or practices, such as media fasts during Lent

Fasting can reveal what controls us. Even good things can have too much control over us. "Choosing better sometimes means saying 'no' to good."

Lord's Prayer Summary

February 6, 2011
Matthew 6:9-15
Review of the Lord's Prayer

David provided a handout on the Lord's prayer. We went through the handout, and we added a few more thoughts. The sections and numbers below refer to those pages.

Introductory Thoughts

1. The Lord's prayer is not a good-luck medallion.

3. Praise and adoration are often overlooked in our prayers. We also tend to omit any acknowledgement of God's authority. It is hard to mean, "Whatever you do will be okay," but that is the thrust of "Thy will be done." We may also skim over confession; if we harbor resentment then we haven't truly understood forgiveness. We don't need to fear confession; because of Jesus, we are welcome in God's presence. Pride and self-sufficiency may keep us from God.

From the Prayer

1. The promise inherent in "Father" is hugely helpful to many with troubled pasts. Intimacy issues that people have tend to be mirrored in our relationship with God (and vice-versa).

3. The goal is to move into a trust relationship.

5. God can forget. Continual remorse (over the same offence) may be false guilt. We may have continuing consequences from our past. Not forgiving ourselves is arrogant.

6. The point of forgiving others is to release us as well. "How can God forgive that person?" does occur to us sometimes; is that righteous anger? We may be called to hate what the person did, but we must allow God to forgive and then join Him in that forgiveness. Avoid sitting in judgment on people We need God's guidance, the Spirit of truth, to reach that point. It is challenging to love onew who is doing or who has done wrong. Matthew 18 may indicate that there are different procedures for Christians and non-Christians, though the goal of forgiveness is for both.

Give God the Praise

January 30, 2010
Matthew 6:13
"For thine is the kingdom . . ."

Apparently, the ending phrase to the Lord's prayer was not in the earliest versions of Matthew's gospel. Nowadays, it is found in footnotes in most Bible translations. However, it is always included when groups pray the Lord's prayer together, as in our church each week.

These lines are referred to as the Doxology of the prayer. Doxa is the Greek word for glory, and this part of the prayer focuses on that aspect of God. 1 Chronicles 29:11 is regarded as the basis for this passage.

There are three motifs in this Doxology.

Kingdom - Everything belongs to God. The kingdom is yet to come; it will go on forever. This second mention of the kingdom emphasizes the central message of Jesus' ministry. Saying "Thine is the kingdom" expresses confidence that God has the final say-so.

Power - Control. This ascribes ultimate power to God. There is a cosmic struggle for control. This power is based on love. Jesus came to redeem and to restore. The resurrection is often considered the greatest expression of power in the universe.

Creation also demonstrated God's power. Resurrection, coming later in time, may be considered even greater since its power broke the second law of thermodynamics. (The second law, in plain English, says the universe is running down.)

God's power is also shown by reversing the human tendency to be drawn into brokenness.

Glory - Recognition of a claim. This expression of reverence is associated with light in scripture. Stories of Moses, writings of Paul, and the book of Revelation all make statements along the lines of "His face was like the sun . . ."

The Doxology states our expectation that God will hear and answer.

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