This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:
for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret:
and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
— Matt 6:16-18; KJV
Skipping meals or skipping the self?
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Christ touches on a number of things in this statement. We will explore two of them: the correct approach to fasting and the idea of a reward for fasting.
Public Displays of Virtue
We have already addressed the temptation to display piety to others (ref. “Giving As Performance: PR vs Charity“).
The Law of Sowing & Reaping (ref. “Spiritual vs Material, Part 1: Creating Is Perpetual“) dictates that physical seeds (e.g. of attention-seeking) result in physical rewards (e.g. attention, self-satisfaction), but no “reward of our Father which is in Heaven“.
If we strive to align Matt 6:16 with His other teachings (which is necessary if we are to really understand Him) we find that we need to rethink some views about both of these topics.
Fasting: Purely Physical?
Most people define fasting as abstinence from food and/or drink. This defines it primarily in physical terms.
The question is whether there are spiritual benefits to fasting, and whether this physically-oriented approach will get us there…
This physical view leads to a common belief that the physical discomfort of the activity is a key focus. It is presented as a sacrifice to the Almighty. Therefore the ability to push through the discomfort determines the degree of “success” in it.
If this were true, then it would support the medieval practice of self-flagellation, where people would flog themselves in the belief that this self-inflicted pain is somehow of value to the Almighty, and makes them better human beings. If this sounds like a ludicrous idea, which it is, it should lead us to abandon the aforementioned concept of fasting.
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“Giving As Performance: PR vs Charity” (as well as a number of other essays, like “ Active Spirit, Passive Matter“) established that nothing physical can of itself have spiritual value. What has spiritual value is the motive behind the action. It is the spiritual motive that has spiritual power that can further influence the material world positively, and which can also make connection with higher spiritual forces.
A more defensible physically-oriented view is that fasting results in a “purification” of the body that has spiritual benefits.
There is no doubt that a healthy body is important for spiritual development. If the human being on earth is likened to a car, we could say that the body is like the tires and the spirit is like the engine. Clearly, it is good to have the best tires available, but they are useless without a strong engine. The “strength” of the engine (in this overly-simplistic analogy) is the motive (will) power of the spirit.
Fasting: A Spiritual Perspective
So, it is not physical discomfort or body cleansing but the inner attitude that determines whether what we are doing is spiritually effective fasting.
Adopting a spiritual perspective elevates our thinking. It is not so much about food and drink but about an abstinent mindset in general: abstinence from our faults and our lusts; from wrong things that we have found ourselves involved in.
In general: abstinence from the domination of the material world. Or in other words, overcoming the material. An abstemious attitude to food and drink will emerge as a natural byproduct of this.
Fasting/abstinence is meant to be a spiritual “exercise” to strengthen the spiritual “muscles” of self-control and self-awareness.
The goal is that the mindset we adopt during periods of abstinence will gradually become a permanent way of being, as we mature spiritually. This would give these periods lasting value, which is characteristic of all things that are spiritual.
We shall continue this exploration in the next essay.
Today’s Resolution:
- We pray for the strength to overcome our physical lusts, in all forms.
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