WHEN You Fast

# 263 Today’s Living Word comes from Mark 2:18-20 “The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”

In commenting on this passage, the Lutheran commentator Lenski says, “ To fast or not to fast is determined by the conditions in which we find ourselves.” Well said, for this is the crux of New Testament fasting. It begs us to ask the question, “In what condition do we find ourselves today?”

While Jesus was walking with His disciples things were going great! But His passion, resurrection, and ascension were still coming, and the devil would be cast down and begin his roaring lion assault on God's children in earnest. “But woe to you , O earth and sea for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows his time is short!” ( Rev 12:12)

This raging about of the devil should be cause for every Christian to be quick to go into their spiritual tool bag and use this supernatural tool of fasting given to them by God.

It saddens me to see how few Christians avail themselves of this spiritual weapon today. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus specifically mentioned fasting as one of the three disciplines that would mark His followers. He said in Mt 6:2, “WHEN you give to the needy,” and in Mt 6:5, “and WHEN you pray,” and in Mt 6:16, “and WHEN you fast.”

It's not IF, it's WHEN for all three! Sounds like expected behavior to me. What are conditions like in your world today, have you tried fasting?

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.