Why Christians Fast (Pt 1): A Biblical Case
Lent is upon us. With Ash Wednesday coming next week, (happy Valentine’s Day) I thought it would be helpful to reflect on why Christians practice fasting. To do this, let’s go back to the beginning. The Fast of the First Adam In the Garden of Eden, prior to the fall, God gives Adam a particular task, with a particular boundary. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”” (Genesis 2:15-17) We can see that Adam is called to work (till and keep the garden) as well as fast (abstain from the fruit of the tree of knowledge). While there are multiple ways in which this moment echos across salvation history, I believe there is a biblical through line related to fasting here. In a real sense, Adam’s fall is a failure to adhere to the fast that God had commanded. When we fast, we abstain from items that are in and of themselves good and pleasing. In Genesis 3, we see that the tree of knowledge was appealing, and in and of itself good. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6) The Fast of the New Adam One of the keys to understanding the relationship between the Old and New Testaments is the relationship between Adam and Jesus. Adam is the starting point of humanity who fails in his task and plunges the human race into darkness with him. Jesus is the starting point of a new humanity, and is thus a new Adam. “For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22) Thus, Paul refers to those who are in Christ as a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). But what does this have to do with fasting? As soon as Jesus is baptized, we see that the Spirit leads him out into the wilderness to fast for 40 days (Matt 4:1-11). At the end of His fast, exhausted and hungry, He endures and refutes a series of temptations from the devil. The first place the devil attempts to tempt Jesus is where he succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve: food. But here, rather than doubt what God has said and break his fast, Jesus quotes what God has said, that “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Where the old Adam failed in the garden, the New Adam succeeds in the desert. As those called to follow the example and pattern of Jesus, one way we can grow in His likeness is by overcoming the devil through practiced fasting. For a further breakdown of this, I highly recommend David Fagerberg’s The Liturgical Cosmos, Chapter 2. Jesus expected his disciples to fast A few chapter later, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus gives instructions to His followers on alms giving, prayer (this is where we find The Lord’s Prayer), and fasting. Jesus says, “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18) Giving, praying, and fasting are expected of those who follow Jesus, and those practices will reap spiritual benefits for those who practice them with proper motivation. Fasting was the practice of the early church The Apostles were well versed in the Old Testament, where fasting was a common practice. On Pentecost, when Peter gives his first sermon as leader of the church, he immediately quotes from Joel 2, applying that promise to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that day. And while these verses occur just prior to Peter’s citation, it’s hard to believe that the Jews hearing Peter would not have also known these words… “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;” (Joel 2:12). Later in the book of Acts, we see that when serious decisions had to be made, the Apostles joined fasting to their prayers. “And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.” (Acts 14:23) Why would they do this if it wasn’t 1) expected of them and 2) spiritually effective? Conclusion From Adam to Jesus, across both the Old and New Testaments, fasting is an expectation for the people of God. This post simply seems to establish the principle that Christians are expected to fast. The reality is that fasting isn’t pleasant in the moment. Left to our own devices, we would often let that practice slip by. We need a way of scheduling these practices into our lives. That is one of the graces of the season of Lent. God has ordered time in such a way as to help us live a holy life. I hope this post encourages you as we prepare for Lent to begin next week! In my next
Fathers, Guide Your Children
A guide is one who has sufficient knowledge and experience to lead another down a given path. If you are a father, then you are the de facto guide in the lives of your children. This can be a harrowing thought. Here are a few tips for doing this well. 1 Find a guide for yourself I remember when my wife was pregnant with our first child. At about the mid point of the pregnancy, I started to experience some intense anxiety about fatherhood. The fears and questions every man asks, “Can I provide for the family? Can I raise a child? What if something goes wrong? What if something happens to me?” I knew that these questions were normal, but I also knew I needed some help. I found that help in conversations with a couple of men that I respected as fathers. Some of them twice my age with adult children of their own, some only a few years ahead of me on the path. Those conversations provided encouragement and a reminder that this is a natural part of the path and that I was not alone in the struggle. The guidance of those men has continued to be a blessing in my life. 2 Remember that guides lead There’s a difference between pushing your children toward success and leading your children toward success. A father who pushes puts the child out front, prodding the child to go further and faster. While there are times where this may be appropriate, it’s not the ideal pattern. Better is the father who leads by example. The father who leads goes before their child, giving his son or daughter a model of success to emulate. In this case, it’s the child reaching out to the father, as if to say, “bring me where you are.” If the father who pushes has his hand on the child’s back, the father who leads has his hand in his child’s hand, until they’re capable going on their own. This requires that you be present, active, and intentional in the lives of your children. 3 Find other guides While you may be the primary guide in your child’s life, you haven’t mastered everything. Be on lookout for other people who will be a model for your children. Maybe they’re older children who are models of discipline or compassion. Maybe they’re coaches, or military veterans, or teachers. Even in this pursuit, you have the opportunity to guide your son or daughter through the process of identifying a good guide. In matters of faith, introduce them to the saints, those who have given their lives as an example of faithful commitment to Christ. Remind them that they are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1) and not alone on the spiritual path. Heaven and earth overlap in the life of the church, and they have access to far greater resources than they may believe. Fathers, guide your children along the path of life and lead them into eternity.
Two Men and the Messiah
2000 years later, it can seem almost pedestrian to hear the story of the coming of the messiah. Christianity is, at the moment, the largest religion in the world with over 2 billion adherents. It can be easy to forget that there was a time when this news was brand new. I want to take some time to examine and contrast the responses of two men, Herod and Joseph, to the news of Jesus and see how each response reaches forward to us today. A Short Profile Herod the Great was installed as King over Judea. His placement was controversial as he was an Edomite, and most Jews did not recognize him as a legitimate ruler. While on the throne, he oversaw great architectural projects and was an apt administrator, however his rule was marked by terror, obsession, and insecurity. These traits led to the murder of three of his sons, one brother-in-law, and the most beloved of his 10 wives. Joseph, by contrast, was a simple carpenter who, because of his lineage back to King David, had a legitimate royal bloodline. His life is marked by obedience, courage, and protection of the weak and vulnerable. These two men could not have been more different, and their responses to the arrival of the messiah put their differences on display. Herod’s Response As soon as the wise men appear before Herod with news of the messiah, Herod recognizes the threat to his own power. In fear, he calls together the priests and scribes to determine where the messiah will be born. Finding the location is Bethlehem, he immediately begins plotting. He sends the wise men on their way and asks that they return with information so that he “may pay him homage.” But Herod’s request is a ruse. He has no intention of paying homage to the child who is an immediate threat to his power and position. He would rather see that child die, in fact he would commission the death of many children, so that his comforts and prestige may be maintained. Joseph’s Response By contrast, when Joseph receives news that Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, his response is not to remove the child, but himself. While there are multiple ways of understanding Joseph’s response, I find St. Thomas Aquinas’s reading most compelling: Joseph understood what was happening and recognized that he was unworthy of close proximity to the miracle within Mary, who had become the Mother of God (theotokos). Thus, his response comes from a place of humility. I believe this is why God immediately sends an Angel to reassure Joseph of his place in the plan of God. It is because Joseph was willing to remove himself in order for God’s plan to progress. Bringing it forward While I grant that both of these men are real historical figures, I suggest that each is also the embodiment of two distinct spiritual patterns of being. It would be easy if we could say that some people reflect the pattern of Herod and others the pattern of Joseph, but reality is more complicated than that. In Herod, we see a person clinging on to the things of this world in order to maintain his kingdom-of-self. This spiritual pattern requires that the other must be sacrificed so that the self may be elevated. This message is pervasive in our modern American culture. In Joseph, we see a person willing to step away from the love of his life in order that she and her child would be protected. This spiritual pattern seeks to sacrifice oneself so that the other may be elevated. In ourselves, when we’re being honest, we see each of these patterns battling for control because every day we must choose how we will live in response to good news of the Messiah. The Herod pattern is present in many of our deepest temptations and must be fought against. The pattern of Joseph must be intentionally crafted through grace, humility, and obedience to God through Christ. This requires reflection, repentance, prayer, and worship to be ongoing practices in our spiritual life. Digging out the roots of our Herod-like tendencies may require the help of a trusted counselor, confessor, or spiritual director- looking back into our own histories and seeking God’s grace to heal our wounds. In that process of healing and growing in our Union with the Lord, we will see our own interior life begin to be re-patterned into the likeness of Christ. Take some time to reflect on your own spiritual patterns and bring them before the Lord. Allow Him to enter into those places of discomfort and bring healing and restoration.
Cultivating Nazareth
“Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judah in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth… “ Matthew 2:22-23 I think it’s fair to say that the role of Joseph in the life of Jesus is often overlooked. One can hardly be blamed for this. Considering all that takes place in the Gospel narratives, Joseph’s mentions are few and early. He has no recorded words and all but disappears from the story once the Jesus comes on the scene as an adult. And yet, as the head of the family charged with raising the savior of the world, God has given us something worth considering in the life of Saint Joseph. In the passage above, we see Joseph as an obedient and attentive father protecting and leading his family away from certain danger. Joseph was clearly a man of courage, willing to act on the word of God. We aren’t given the impression that Joseph was a thrill seeker, but rather that he would do what was necessary to protect the lives of his wife and foster Son. Joseph was a family man. Once through that danger, Scripture says that Joseph “made his home in a town called Nazareth.” It is here, in Nazareth, that I would like to pause and dwell for a moment to consider the kind of home that Joseph was cultivating for the Holy Family. A place of safety To understand where Joseph has led family to, it helps to reflect upon what Joseph has led the family through. In Matthew 2, we see the tyrant Herod investigating news that the messiah has been born. Knowing that this messiah was a direct threat to his own power, Herod orders the death of this child. Joseph is warned of the threat in a dream and is told to flee with his family to Egypt until it is safe to return. Joseph obeys, and after the death of Herod returns home, but not before a final dream guides him and the family to Nazareth, a place where he can safely raise this Holy Family. As husbands and fathers, one way that we can cultivate Nazareth in our own day is by ensuring that our home is a place of safety from the threats of the world. So long as sin is in the world, the weak and vulnerable will always be at risk of abuse and exploitation. It is interesting to note that the primary way in which Joseph provides that safety is through concealment. He finds a place that is simple and unimpressive. He is not attempting to bring undo attention to his family, and perhaps in our social media driven culture, there is something we could learn from that. Joseph found a space for his family that was safely out of the spotlight. This of course required sacrifice on his part. Once that safe place was established, the conditions were set for the next aspect of Nazareth. A place of growth “When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” Luke 2:39-40 NRSV The love and safety that Joseph was responsible for cultivating in Nazareth fostered the conditions in which the Son of God would grow into the savior of the world. One can imagine the boy Jesus working side by side with Joseph, learning the skills and disciplines of a carpenter, accompanying Joseph in prayer and recitation of Scripture, and observing the patterns of a righteous man. In this place of love and safety, the human nature of Jesus grew and was formed into the Jesus that we see in the Gospels. A place of love One of my favorite images of the Holy Family is a sculpture called “A Quiet Moment” by Timothy P Schmalz. At the very center of the piece is the baby Jesus who is resting upon Mary. Framing, upholding, cradling both of them is Saint Joseph. It is as if he has offered his very body and soul as a place where mother and Son can be safe and loved. It is fitting to think that the man who was willing to sacrifice so much to protect his holy family would create a quiet place in Nazareth for this Holy Family to live and grow. We would do well to model our own lives off of the example of Saint Joseph. The answer to so many of the problems that we face today lies in men choosing to cultivate Nazareth in their own lives. A place where women and children are safe, where love is central, and where growth is intentional.
