• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Who Fasts?: Fasting: Matthew 6:16-18

sealchan

sealchan

Well-Known Member
Jesus teaches us...don’t look like you are suffering even when you are suffering through your fasting. Even compensate for any outward evidence of fasting so that public approval will not rob you of God’s approval.

This teaching is analogous to those prior in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Don’t seek public pity or approval for your hardship, cover it so that only God can see. Jesus is likely responding to a behavior that he saw too much of in his time and making the continual point that the kingdom of heaven is open to those who cultivate an inner psychological attitude that is in line with God’s desire for us. The inner effort one makes trumps the outer effort one needs to make to be a good person and a good member of your society.

Rather than analyze this section of scripture I want to ask people on this forum:
  • Do you fast?
  • How so and why?
  • And if you do, how do you understand Jesus’ teaching that we shouldn’t make a public spectacle of it?
Thanks!
 
Rational Agnostic

Rational Agnostic

Well-Known Member
sealchan said:
Jesus teaches us...don’t look like you are suffering even when you are suffering through your fasting. Even compensate for any outward evidence of fasting so that public approval will not rob you of God’s approval.

This teaching is analogous to those prior in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Don’t seek public pity or approval for your hardship, cover it so that only God can see. Jesus is likely responding to a behavior that he saw too much of in his time and making the continual point that the kingdom of heaven is open to those who cultivate an inner psychological attitude that is in line with God’s desire for us. The inner effort one makes trumps the outer effort one needs to make to be a good person and a good member of your society.

Rather than analyze this section of scripture I want to ask people on this forum:
  • Do you fast?
  • How so and why?
  • And if you do, how do you understand Jesus’ teaching that we shouldn’t make a public spectacle of it?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I don't fast but I've heard that fasting for a day can cure diarrhea, so it might not be a bad idea for some people at some times.
 
sealchan

sealchan

Well-Known Member
Hubert Farnsworth said:
I don't fast but I've heard that fasting for a day can cure diarrhea, so it might not be a bad idea for some people at some times.
Click to expand...

I have heard from time to time various things about fasting and its health benefits. For myself, I have found that if my stomach has any reason to be active, it will interfere with my ability to get a full night's sleep. And regular, full sleep is a very valuable part of one's overall physical and mental health.

As a result I try to quit eating about eight hours before I go to sleep. No dinner. I have a larger breakfast and lunch to compensate. When I fail to keep this practice it is largely due to stress. When I am relaxed I can be hungry and not suffer too much psychologically about it nor insist with myself that I have something to eat.
 
Rational Agnostic

Rational Agnostic

Well-Known Member
sealchan said:
I have heard from time to time various things about fasting and its health benefits. For myself, I have found that if my stomach has any reason to be active, it will interfere with my ability to get a full night's sleep. And regular, full sleep is a very valuable part of one's overall physical and mental health.

As a result I try to quit eating about eight hours before I go to sleep. No dinner. I have a larger breakfast and lunch to compensate. When I fail to keep this practice it is largely due to stress. When I am relaxed I can be hungry and not suffer too much psychologically about it nor insist with myself that I have something to eat.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've tried some very short periods of fasting (under 24 hours) for indigestion and stomach pain and it helps a lot.
 
Brickjectivity

Brickjectivity

wind and rain touch not this brain
Staff member
Premium Member
sealchan said:
Jesus teaches us...don’t look like you are suffering even when you are suffering through your fasting. Even compensate for any outward evidence of fasting so that public approval will not rob you of God’s approval.

This teaching is analogous to those prior in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Don’t seek public pity or approval for your hardship, cover it so that only God can see. Jesus is likely responding to a behavior that he saw too much of in his time and making the continual point that the kingdom of heaven is open to those who cultivate an inner psychological attitude that is in line with God’s desire for us. The inner effort one makes trumps the outer effort one needs to make to be a good person and a good member of your society.

Rather than analyze this section of scripture I want to ask people on this forum:
  • Do you fast?
  • How so and why?
  • And if you do, how do you understand Jesus’ teaching that we shouldn’t make a public spectacle of it?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Once I fasted without telling anyone, but a lady at church immediately called me out on it. She could see it in my face. I was about 14 years old, not fat but not a skinny fellow either. Maybe it was obvious because I was such a well fed person? Anyway there was no point in my fasting at that time since it just made me feel frustrated and hungry. I got no visions or voice from God out of it and felt at the end I still didn't know what fasting was for! As at the start I still did not know what the goal was or why fasting mattered to me.

Now I have only fasted twice. What I think is that when Jesus fasts it is in the Jewish way, so its to help become humble, to mourn past events and perhaps as penance for wrongs towards God or others. It could have been in combination with other self humiliating acts like not washing, going ragged or naked or dirty, sleeping rough or in other ways making oneself unhappy or embarrassing ones self. ( I am a little surprised about the going naked.) Anyway Jesus begging and living homeless might count as fasting - I am not sure.

It seems counter to purpose though to fast for the purpose of ingraciating ourselves and making ourselves popular. For example if Mother Theresa had helped homeless people as a publicity stunt and endured hardship only for publicity then that could not help her or humble her, but she was genuine and did it for good purposes. I would count her selfless work as fasting: it was humiliating, mournful, generous and selfless. On the other hand when McDonald's corp braggs about helping children with Ronald McDonald House (a genuinely important charity) it nevertheless does not count as a pure penance by McDonalds as it is used for publicity. It may count for others related but not for the corp as it does nothing to make McDonalds more humble.
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
sealchan said:
Jesus teaches us...don’t look like you are suffering even when you are suffering through your fasting. Even compensate for any outward evidence of fasting so that public approval will not rob you of God’s approval.

This teaching is analogous to those prior in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Don’t seek public pity or approval for your hardship, cover it so that only God can see. Jesus is likely responding to a behavior that he saw too much of in his time and making the continual point that the kingdom of heaven is open to those who cultivate an inner psychological attitude that is in line with God’s desire for us. The inner effort one makes trumps the outer effort one needs to make to be a good person and a good member of your society.

Rather than analyze this section of scripture I want to ask people on this forum:
  • Do you fast?
  • How so and why?
  • And if you do, how do you understand Jesus’ teaching that we shouldn’t make a public spectacle of it?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

People who make a public spectacle of their
supposed virtues are contemptible, and your "good book"makes numerous references to that.
 
Cacotopia

Cacotopia

Let's go full Trottle
I fasted during Ramadan but only cause I was dating a Muslim chick at the time and wanted to respect her culture and religion while I was dating her. I didn't do it for any religious reasons, just respect, but I personally think fasting is pretty unhealthy, I could be wrong, but meh whatever.
 
Shushersbedamned

Shushersbedamned

Well-Known Member
Cacotopia said:
I fasted during Ramadan but only cause I was dating a Muslim chick at the time and wanted to respect her culture and religion while I was dating her. I didn't do it for any religious reasons, just respect, but I personally think fasting is pretty unhealthy, I could be wrong, but meh whatever.
Click to expand...
No it's not unhealthy.
 
Jumi

Jumi

Well-Known Member
Cacotopia said:
I fasted during Ramadan but only cause I was dating a Muslim chick at the time and wanted to respect her culture and religion while I was dating her. I didn't do it for any religious reasons, just respect, but I personally think fasting is pretty unhealthy, I could be wrong, but meh whatever.
Click to expand...
There are unhealthy and healthy ways to fast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top