Now that we understand
the obvious need for fasting among faithful, let us further explore the
struggles we can face while fasting and also learn of the spiritual gain we can
receive when we overcome these struggles by faithfully abstaining from eating
certain foods and partaking in sinful practises. Of course fasting and prayer
go hand-in-hand so we will also briefly discuss our need for prayer
specifically during a fasting period.
Many of us would
be familiar with past examples of fasting taking place by God’s people for various
reasons. For the most part, people fasted from food out of their repentant desire
to draw closer to God (Rogation of the Ninevites Jonah 1-4), to strengthen
themselves against the temptations of the flesh (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13,
Luke 4:1-13) and to help them faithfully live by the Holy Spirit abiding within them.
(Mark 9:29 NKJV, Galatians 5:16)
During the Great
Fast (Soma Raba) which is canonically observed in our Church for fifty days
preceding Resurrection Sunday, we look to our Lord Jesus Christ’s example of
fasting in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights and try to imitate His humility
and Godly strength during this time. (We hold the fast with an extended nine days
and break it on the fiftieth day). The significance of this fast alone opens
our ‘spiritual eyes’ up to a wealth of knowledge and understanding about what
fasting can truly achieve for us when we study the details in depth.
Firstly, we see
that Christ was lead into the wilderness alone by the Holy Spirit immediately
after His baptism. The wilderness was a place without walking paths,
without protection from the elements and as Mark states, was populated by wild
beasts (Mark 1:13).
And see whither the Spirit led Him up, when He had taken Him; not into a
city and forum, but into a wilderness. That is, He being minded to attract the
devil, gives him a handle not only by His hunger, but also by the place. For then
most especially doth the devil assail, when he sees men left alone, and by
themselves.1 (St. John Chrysostom)
It is here that we
can relate to Christ being alone in the wilderness, as we His followers who
have also received baptism in His name, are also living in the wilderness of this
unruly, sinful world. When we are distant from God because we desire the things
of this world more than God (James 4:4), the tempter, satan tries to catch us
off guard and lure us in through our fleshly weaknesses. Today these temptations
have become that much easier to see and access through widespread international
media and alluring marketing campaigns that make us believe we cannot live
without these fleshly indulgences in our lives.
The 21st
Century wilderness we are living in and surrounded by today is a world that is
governed by satan (1 John 5:19), the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). The
very same temptations that tempted Christ in the wilderness are the temptations
that this world throws in our faces every single day; from the moment we wake
up, leave our homes and return back and go to sleep.
When we read
Matthew 4:1-11, we learn how the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness
alone to fast for forty days and forty nights. It is at the end of His fast when Christ
is hungry and His flesh is awaiting the fore coming temptations. While
Christ is in this state, satan finds the opportune moment to try to tempt Him
with the first of three temptations.
Firstly, satan purposely questions
Christ’s identity as the ‘Son of God’ after witnessing Christ’s baptism and
hearing God call Jesus His Son (Matthew 3:17). He then tries to tempt Him to break His fast
(Matthew 4:3) to prove that He is the Son of God, and to influence Him to
disobey the Father’s will.
“behold with how much craft he draws near, and wickedness; and for what
sort of opportunity he watches. For not in his fast, but in his hunger he
approaches Him; to instruct thee how great a good fasting is, and how it is a
most powerful shield against the devil, and that after the font [of baptism]
men should give themselves up, not to luxury and drunkenness, and a full table,
but to fasting.” 2 (St. John Chrysostom)
For us baptised
Christians today, this is the equivalent of being tempted by fleshly desires
(things that make our bodies feel good) such as: fornication, adultery, vanity,
food indulgences (top restaurants, various fast food chains, watching recipe
show after recipe show), gluttony and basically making food and our physical
pleasures our priority in life. We see how Christ here adheres to His fast,
and rebukes satan with powerful scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3)
The second
temptation Christ receives is to test God. When satan sees Christ use
scripture to fight him off, he also tries to use scripture (Psalm 91:11-12) out
of context, to tempt Christ again by assuring Him that God will protect Him if
He jumps off the highest point of the temple (Matthew 4:5-6). Today, we also
test God in our wilderness by limiting Him with our own thoughts on how
He can work in our lives. (Refer to blog article: Limiting God). Christ again rebukes
satan by replying with scripture (Deuteronomy 6:16).
The third and
final temptation Christ experiences in the wilderness is that of idolatry,
power and greed (the love of money). Satan tells Jesus to bow down and worship
him in order to receive abundant wealth and power (Matthew 4:8-9).
Unfortunately today, people’s ignorance toward God and His ways in order to
gain wealth, prosperity and power is very evident. We see how people like
celebrities go against their ethics and morals in order to become wealthy. We
see how gaining some money makes people greedily want more. We see people
cheating, lying, stealing and gambling out of their greedy desires to attain wealth
and power. And this is how the ruler of this world – satan successfully uses
our weaknesses to shift our focus away from God and follow his ways (or bow
down and worship him). This is especially what he wants for us who have been
baptised into Christ. Jesus’ final rebuke of satan here uses scripture again. “Fear
the Lord your God and worship Him only”. (Deuteronomy 6:13)
Every verse of
scripture that Jesus quotes in His defence are from Moses’ words in Deuteronomy
when the Israelites were being tested in the wilderness for forty years and were
disobedient to God and His word during this period. Jesus’ righteous actions here
reverse the sinful actions of the Israelites... While the Israelites
grumbled against God during His gracious providence, here we see Christ uphold
God’s word during His forty days in the wilderness during a period of fasting and
need.
Glory be to
Christ our Lord who by the power of the Holy Spirit, the mighty word of God and His faithful fast, defeated
satan’s attacks that were intended to make Him fall. For, for this cause even He fasted, not as needing
it Himself, but to instruct us.3 (St
John Chrysostom) Christ teaches and leads us by perfect example.
(Hebrews 4:15)
To gain strength
in times of temptation in our “wilderness” and during times of fasting, we must
look to our Lord’s perfect example by observing our Church fasts; being vigilant
in prayer and reading God’s word the Bible. (Ephesians 6:13-19) These all go
together with fasting to keep ourselves spiritually alert and strengthen us
from physical and spiritual attacks of the enemy who as St. Peter mentions is
prowling around like a roaring lion waiting to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Let us undertake
this fast to conquer our fleshly desires that can lead to sin and instead allow
our bodies to submit to the Holy Spirit of God within us and live (Galatians5:16).
Recommended reading: St Ephrem's homily on the Lord's fast
Continued next week… Part III and
Final
How and why fasting was practised by
our forefathers and Our Church today
This week’s song: Malka d’Malkeh – Bishop Mar Odisho Oraham
1.
NPNF1-10. St. Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew,
Chrysostom, Saint, Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library (1886)
pp. 134
2.
NPNF1-10. St. Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew,
Chrysostom, Saint, Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library (1886)
pp. 135
3.
NPNF1-10. St. Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew,
Chrysostom, Saint, Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library (1886)
pp. 135
I love the weekly songs that you post! :)
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