Fasting Can Be Useful, But . . .

This past week marked the beginning of the annual 40-day journey we Christians make with our Lord to the cross of Calvary. It is a most serious time for all of us, because it reminds us how much we rely upon His grace and mercy. Unfortunately it was a rocky start for me this year. I found myself confined to my home, unable to lead in worship or even to join in worship with my fellow believers. For reasons best known to my Lord, He allowed me to be afflicted with strep throat. Not only did this infection bring great pain to my throat, it also affected my eyes and caused a cough in my lungs. The doctors I consulted told me they needed to know if it could be best treated with antibiotic drugs or not. They made me wait—in misery—for four days before assigning any meds. They tell me they have no way to fight viral infections like colds and had to wait to be certain the drugs would work against the strep throat.

So I suffered through (and that included Ash Weds.) at home, unable to read or write on my computer, forced to stay away from the fellowship of the saints (other than my wife). Finally the meds arrived and with their help I am now on the mend, writing again as you can tell. And as I return to writing I am reminded of something I wrote about earlier in my studies of the book of Hebrews.

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. - Hebrews 12:4-8 ESV

This is a very difficult lesson for any of us to learn. And learn it we must for sin continues both in this world and in our hearts, even after Christ's Spirit has entered to grant us new life in Christ. So we return to the value and importance of the Lenten season. In our catechisms we are reminded that setting aside times like the 40-day Lenten season to deny ourselves can be good training in the exercise of will power, but it does not gain us any good will before God. We are ever at His mercy.

At the same time the Lord Himself will put us to the test by removing something from our lives. In my own case this past week He removed my good health for a time. And I thank Him for it, because it reminds me very strongly that I am a grave sinner and yet also a beloved son. As His son He continues to train and discipline me so that I may become an even better servant of His. And how grateful I am for this, for sin continues to attack and trouble me daily. And I have much to learn about prayer, patience, long-suffering, moderation and many other things of that sort.

If you are choosing this Lenten season as a time to fast and deny yourself I can only encourage you to continue, as the Apostle does when he says,

. . . for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. - 1Ti 4:8 ESV

The godliness Paul refers to is faith in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and all the teaching that derives from and is in accord with that teaching (1 Tim. 6:3-6). Not only must our physical bodies be trained, but also our spirits. Using this analogy, the Apostle further writes,

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. - 1 Cor 9:24-27 ESV

 We are ever a whole person, body, mind and heart. So use this season to train yourself in all ways. Deny some bodily pleasure if you will. And joyfully accept any discipline that the Lord Himself places upon you. Then do not fail to spend time with the Word of our Lord and in prayer, praise and thanksgiving. This is why we set aside special times of worship during the Lenten season.

All this is so that you may rejoice when you come to His Table to receive His Body and His Blood, knowing that your sins are indeed forgiven. At the end of these 40 days you will be better prepared to rejoice in the great Sign of forgiveness He has given to us.

When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. - Luk 11:29-30 ESV

As Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and nights, so the Son of Man was in the embrace of the grave (Matt.12:40-41). But now is He risen and we know for certain we have forgiveness for all our sins. This is why we continue to celebrate His resurrection each Sunday, also during Lent. We do not include the Sundays as part of the 40 days for they are ever our reminder that Christ is risen. The Father has accepted His sacrifice and in Him we have full and complete forgiveness. Praise be to Him forever!

My Mom's Influence

My mother had a very strong influence upon my decision to become a pastor. I've sometimes wondered if I even made a conscious decision. It was like I always knew that was my calling. You see, from the time I was a tiny child, I remember her telling me that she prayed the Hannah prayer:

And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." - 1Sam 1:11 ESV

G van den Eeckhout -Hannah  presenting Samuel

My Mom's firstborn died in childbirth. I was her second born and her pelvic region was damaged in giving birth. The doctors told her she could never bear another. In thanks for her only son she promised to dedicate his life to the LORD. So, as I said, she and my Dad did everything they could to direct my life toward the vocation I've known all my life. And for this I have ever been thankful.

There are many Biblical studies about motherhood on the Internet. Here's a sampling:

Mothers in the Bible - 8 Blessed Mothers in the Bible Who Served God Well
These mothers lived in an age when women were often treated as second class citizens, yet God appreciated their true worth, just as he does today. Motherhood is one of life's highest callings. Learn how these eight mothers in the Bible put their hope in the God of the Impossible, and how he proved that such hope is always well-placed.

• Includes studies of  Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Jochebed (Moses' mother), Hannah, Bathsheba, Elizabeth and Jesus' mother Mary.

11 Bible verses about Motherhood

• Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her - Proverbs 31:28 ESV
• And so train the young women to love their husbands and children, To be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. - Titus 2:4-5 ESV
• Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. - Proverbs 19:18 ESV
• For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11 ESV 
• When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. - John 19:26-27 ESV 
• Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him - Proverbs 13:24 ESV
• Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. - Proverbs 23:22-25 - ESV
• O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. - Psalm 139:1-24  ESV 
• Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. - Genesis 32:11 ESV

The Majesty of Motherhood - Motherhood is undoubtedly one of the most complex and exacting callings in life. A poll among women revealed overwhelming agreement that raising children properly requires as much intelligence and drive as holding a top position in business or government. And that task falls mainly on mother’s shoulders for the first six years of the child’s life. Even after that, her contacts with the children will of necessity be more frequent and prolonged than dad’s. While dad is the leader in the house, mother sets the tone. The hours her children spend in her presence will have a lasting influence on their lives. They will become largely what she makes them. She faces the noble challenge of molding their young lives for eternity. Motherhood is one of life’s highest honors, and one of its heaviest responsibilities.

Fasting—A Fine Outward Training

The Lutheran Catechism says, "Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly a fine outward training . . ." There is a 'But' that follows. And that allows most of us Lutherans to not fast, not even during the Lenten season. Oh, there are some of us who attempt some form of fasting, but by and large most of us simply go on our merry way, ignoring the encouraging suggestion that such an act is "certainly a fine outward training." I invite you to think about fasting for a few minutes.

Let's start by pointing out that fasting is certainly not the same thing as dieting, a practice that is quite widespread in our day. Americans spend $40 billion a year on weight-loss programs and products. We must lose weight. Our celebs who have lost weight go around celebrating it in the media and, of course, are paid handsomely for their proclamations. As many commentators point out, dieting is meant to be a lifestyle rather than a passing fad. It is at that point that the weight-loss industry—and it is an industry—comes closest to fasting.

The above Catechism quote comes in the context of Luther's discussion of the Sacrament of the Altar, the Lord's Supper. It is part of his answer to the question, "Who receives this sacrament worthily?" He goes on to say, "But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." Thus he rightly connects fasting to the forgiveness of sins. And this gives us a clue to the purpose and value of fasting.

Fasting relates to our spiritual life and most especially to our faith relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ who gave His body and shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. So we ask ourselves how this outward act, this training, will assist us inwardly with our faith.

The immediate temptation is to start thinking that denying ourselves some form of bodily pleasure ("I've given up ice cream for Lent") somehow earns us a special relationship before God, even the forgiveness of certain sins such as gluttony. It does not. Inasmuch as we turn fasting into that, we deny its value. Here is what our Lord Jesus says,

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-17). 

Fasting is a secret act, between you and to your heavenly Father. To everyone else nothing has changed. You still wash your face and comb your hair as you always have, but secretly you are fasting. Your Father knows it. And He will reward you.

What kind of reward are we to expect? What's the pay back? As Scripture points out, we all need training and discipline in obedience and submission to the will of our heavenly Father, for it is our very sinful nature to disobey and rebel. But by God's grace, we are the sons and daughters of God, adopted into His family by the shed blood of our Lord Jesus. And what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Such discipline does not seem pleasant at the moment ("You're grounded for two weeks and no TV!"), but we later look back and thank our parents for such training. We later grow in our respect for them and thank them for it (Hebrews 12:1-13).

As you enter the Lenten season and once again ponder the issue of fasting, prayerfully ponder how your Lord is already at work in your life disciplining and training you. What is He asking you to give up, to deny yourself? For instance, your addiction to food became a kind of drug that prevented you from serving Him. Now you discover this addiction has contributed to your heart disease and/or diabetes. You need some radical changes in your diet and exercise program in order to become a better steward of your body.

The same may be true for any sin in your life. Say for instance that for decades you knelt daily at the altar of professional success. You made this idol your god. You rose up early and stayed up late to do whatever it took to please your idol. And your god blessed your labors. You gained fame, wealth and glory. You often leaned back in your plush leather office chair to gaze out of your twentieth story window while applauding yourself for your efforts and your accomplishments. Then suddenly, quite unexpectedly you were told by your physician that you had prostate cancer. An operation revealed that it had spread into your abdomen and that you required extensive chemo and radiation therapy if possibly you were to survive. Now you are unexpectedly face to face with your own mortality and are not prepared. Up to now you have given but a weak nod to your Creator and Redeemer while you spent your life worshipping your idol. Now you realize that your true Lord has stepped forward to discipline you. And for the remainder of your life you will have to give up much. Your lifestyle must change quite radically. He is disciplining you.

I say again, fasting is a secret act between you and your Lord. How is He disciplining you? Lent is a good season to ponder that question and to listen prayerfully to Him speaking to you in His Word. Submit to His training whatever it is. Accept it with thanksgiving. God is treating you as His son or daughter, precisely because you are His child! His training does not always seem pleasant. It is often rather painful. But know with certainty that He is training you in faith, humility, patience, kindness, and many other qualities of the righteous life. So endure your fast with thanksgiving. Wash your face, comb your hair, put on a smile as best you can, and get on with the life He has given you.

Watch out that  you do not grumble and complain about the situation He has put you in. If you find yourself doing that then quickly come in prayer before your Father and confess it and rise again, knowing you are forgiven for the sake of Christ your only Savior. Go again to the Table of our Lord to be reassured of the forgiveness of your sins. And your Father who sees your fasting in secret will reward you with quiet faith and the blessed assurance of life eternal with Him.