A Time to Fast?
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 6:17-18)
Beloved Friends in Christ,
What is your favourite holiday? For many, it is Christmas or Easter; perhaps because these holidays are filled with an abundance of food, gifts and, most of all, joyous messages from God to us.
On the other hand, there is Ash Wednesday. Not many would choose it as their favourite holiday. After all, it is not a day of joyous celebration; rather it is a day of sombre repentance. Furthermore, it is not a day of abundance and feasting; rather, for many, it is a day of fasting.
Yet, before we write off the importance of observing a day like Ash Wednesday and a custom like fasting, as many may be inclined to do, consider the words above. Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, does not say, "if" but "when you fast…". And then there are the words of Joel, who in his book, declares, "Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast". According to these verses, fasting-even setting aside a day for all to fast-is a normal thing.
So why then are we so reluctant to fast and so eager to feast? Perhaps because we see fasting and feasting only as physical exercises-as avenues either to fill our bellies and party or as a means of losing weight.
But, there is also a spiritual component to feasts and fasts. Good food on a festive day not only strengthens our bodies, but it also lifts us up in spirit as we celebrate with the Great Banquet Giver. Similarly, when we fast, it is not just our bodies that are affected, but our spirits too. Through the bodily hunger, we find ourselves fellowshipping with the One who denied Himself for our salvation.
So how about it? Ash Wednesday has ushered in another Lenten season, which of course will culminate with Easter. Soon we will celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death. We will do so with Word and Sacrament, with family and friends, with chocolate and an abundance of other good food. And our spirits will rejoice! Until then? A fast? Why not? What shall we give up for Lent? And how will our spirits grow in Him who gave up all for us?
In His service,
Pastor Richard A. Frey