A life that has a purpose

Read Matthew 6:16–24

Put the things that are most important first! Even food is less important than God.

The proper reason for a person to fast (verses 16–18)

To fast was normal in the life of a good Jew. Jesus did not discuss the qualities of this practice. The right attitude, while a person fasts, is the important thing. To fast can show our determination. We are going to put first the most important things. To fast can help us too. We can see what is most important in our lives. These things will happen if we fast with the right attitude.

The Jews had two types of fast. There were the public fasts. These were times when everyone fasted. For example, there was the Day of Atonement. (Read Leviticus 16.) They would all fast at a time when very bad things were happening to the nation too. Also, there were private fasts. (Read Mark 2:18 and Luke 18:12.) These were for moral and religious discipline. In this passage, Jesus seemed to be speaking about private fasts. Jesus taught that a real disciple must be sincere. He or she must not fast so that all will know about it. It must be private. (Compare verses 17–18 with verses 3–4, 6.)

There is another way to understand Jesus’ words. He may be calling us to control ourselves. We can become so busy with things that we forget God. These things could be right. But it is sometimes good for a disciple to leave them. He or she may need to think only about spiritual things. To fast could help him or her to do this.

The most important things in life (verses 19–24)

In 6:1–18, Jesus spoke about a danger. People can put religious custom first in their lives. The custom could then become more important than a right attitude. In verses 9–34, Jesus spoke about two other dangers. The first is in verses 19–24. Believers (Christians) call it ‘being worldly’. This is when things and people have first place in a life. Spiritual things then become secondary. The next danger is in verses 25–34. It is the danger of worry. Both of these dangers are a result. They come from a disciple’s wrong way of life. They come when there is a lack of trust. They come when there is sin in his or her life.

Some people have ideas of what Jesus meant here. They say that a disciple should never make plans. He or she should not prepare for the future at all. (Read verse 11.) But other people say that God especially approves when people are poor. These ideas are not correct. Jesus is thinking about a person’s attitudes. A poor person can think too much about worldly things. A rich man can be a real disciple.

Some people want the things in this world. They do not live their lives for God. Jesus said that people like this are wrong. He said that they were foolish. Treasures in this world wear out. (Note: Treasures are anything that a person values much.) And, a person cannot take them into the next life either. A disciple should be preparing for that future life. He or she should be storing treasures in heaven.

All people want the things that they believe to be important. This is what should control their lives. (Read verse 21.)

In the ancient world, a slave had no rights. He or she was the property of a master. All the time, that slave had to do what the master wanted. It was impossible to have two masters (verses 24). The same thing is true when we live for God. This was what Jesus said.

Questions

• What are God’s ambitions for you? Are you following them? Is discipline important? What do you think about it?
• What are God’s ambitions for your church? What are those of your group? Are both ambitions the same?
• What place should ‘fasts’ have in today’s church? What might they include, in addition to not eating? Give reasons for these things.

Important truths

When people in the Bible fasted (they chose not to eat for a time).

There are many reasons to fast in the OT:

• Repentance. (Read Leviticus 16:29–34; 23:26–32; Numbers 29:7–11; Deuteronomy 9:18; 1 Kings 21:27; Nehemiah 9; Daniel 9:3–4; Jonah 3:5.)
• An illness. (Read 2 Samuel 12:15–23.)
• Defeat in war. (Read Judges 20:26.)
• The death of someone that you love. (Read 1 Samuel 31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:11–12; 2 Samuel 1:12.)
• The arrival of sad news. (Read Nehemiah 1:3–4.)
• Trouble as a punishment from God. (Read Joel 1:14; 2:12–15.)
• Terrible danger from an enemy. (Read 2 Chronicles 20:3;Esther 4:3; 9:31.)

These are reasons why people fasted in the OT.