Living in the Presence of The Secret Benefactor Matthew 6:16-24
I. Vs 16-18 Fasting Before our Father A. Fasting isn’t a visible evidence of super-spirituality. Jesus plainly forbids “the motive of notice”. It is to be evident to and before our Father alone. 1. It occurs overwhelmingly in the O.T., and apparently was given to misuse. Consider Isa. 58, God’s chosen fast, in contrast to Israel’s perverted fast. Again see Joel 2:12-14 where fasting is to be part of rending their hearts (inward) and not their garments (outward). 2. Jews in Jesus day and fasting. Matt. 9:14-15 (John’s disciples); Luke 18:12 (self righteous Pharisee and his view of law keeping). 3. Matt. 4:1 First N.T. mention: Note it’s occasion—after the Father’s declaration of His Sonship and satan’s temptation. Jesus needed 40 days of uninterrupted communion with His Father to face the enemy, even though in His Humanity, He may not have known what was coming next! And that’s the point of fasting. Laying ourselves low at our Father’s feet, loosed from the entanglements of this world, crying out for His Sufficiency and Mercy in the face of the enemy of our soul, no matter what he throws at us. 4. I Cor. 7:5 (in marriage); II Cor.6:5, 11:27 (Paul speaking of his “credentials” to the Corinthian church. These are the only mentions of fasting outside of the Gospels and Acts. There is no command or suggestion that one fast in the N.T. There is also no condemnation of the practice.
II. The New Testament concept of fasting. Matt.19-24 A. Remember I John 2:15-17? This is the foundation of the New Testament Life of fasting. Worldlings are consumed with the “stuff” of this world. The people of God are to live in “the Love of the Father” and therefore are expected to live according to I Cor. 7:29-31. The Father’s children are to live in a constant fast from the world and it’s lusts, for the world is not of the Father. 1. Vs 19-21 Treasure—on earth or in heaven? a. Notice Vs 21. As in all of the New Covenant, it’s all about the heart! N.T. fasting is all about guarding the heart that it be not wooed away from the father. b. Vs 19-20 For heavenly minded/hearted people, this should be a no brainer!!! Moth and rust or, heavenly, eternal interest—which will it be. God gives us all things to enjoy, but the Spirit indwelled child of the Heavenly Father uses His Father’s good gifts with thankfulness and humility. He “fasts” from the obsessions of earth lust. 2. Vs 22-23 The Father’s children are Psalm 121/123 people. “Unto YOU I lift up my eyes, O YOU Who dwell in the heavens…So our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us.” Ps. 123:1&2b To have our eyes corroded with the dust and rust of this world is to have a black eye before our Father. a. Heb. 12:2-3 The New Covenant focus, antidote to the “evil eye” of our text. Remember John 14:9b? He who has SEEN Me Has SEEN the Father!!! 3. Vs 24 The Eternal Choice!!! Which will it be? Your heart cannot be in two places at once! The master determines the service. Our heart attitude toward our possessions and position on this earth evidences who/WHO is our master. Take a heart inventory!!! Which master consumes the bulk of our time? What’s our first thought when we awaken?
One Final Note: The Old Testament was the "shadow land", ever in natural, material form pointing to the glorious spiritual reality of the coming New Covenant. This is plainly evidenced by tabernacle worship swallowed up in the Spiritual worship of the redeemed people of God. See Hebrews 9:6-15 for a clear explanation of this. In the sabbath law, the people were to do no labor, that is to rest on one day of the week. But in the New Covenant, the fulfillment of the shadow, the people of God are to rest in God's sabbath rest continually and constantly, and that is Jesus Christ in His Finished Work of salvation. As Hebrews 4:9 ff says, "There remains a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His Rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His." And what follows is the powerful working of the Word by the Spirit of God and the coming to the Great High Priest Who has passed into the heavenlies to make intercession for us. Our Sabbath is to be at complete rest in our Christ Jesus and His satisfaction of all that God requires. To live in worry, anxiety and fear is to break God's Sabbath--it is blatant unbelief in the Perfect Son of God.
And in our fasting text, the OT people were to fast from food for a period of time to commune with their God. It sadly became a self justifying ritual. God's New Covenant people, however are to live a righteous fast everyday, all the time, from the lusts of this world, all that would draw us away from communion and fellowship with our Heavenly Father. This is not some form of monasticism, but a living in this world with a humble gratitude to our Father that sees every blessing from His Hand and causes us to live before Him with thanksgiving for all things and in God Glorifying stewardship.
I. Vs 16-18 Fasting Before our Father A. Fasting isn’t a visible evidence of super-spirituality. Jesus plainly forbids “the motive of notice”. It is to be evident to and before our Father alone. 1. It occurs overwhelmingly in the O.T., and apparently was given to misuse. Consider Isa. 58, God’s chosen fast, in contrast to Israel’s perverted fast. Again see Joel 2:12-14 where fasting is to be part of rending their hearts (inward) and not their garments (outward). 2. Jews in Jesus day and fasting. Matt. 9:14-15 (John’s disciples); Luke 18:12 (self righteous Pharisee and his view of law keeping). 3. Matt. 4:1 First N.T. mention: Note it’s occasion—after the Father’s declaration of His Sonship and satan’s temptation. Jesus needed 40 days of uninterrupted communion with His Father to face the enemy, even though in His Humanity, He may not have known what was coming next! And that’s the point of fasting. Laying ourselves low at our Father’s feet, loosed from the entanglements of this world, crying out for His Sufficiency and Mercy in the face of the enemy of our soul, no matter what he throws at us. 4. I Cor. 7:5 (in marriage); II Cor.6:5, 11:27 (Paul speaking of his “credentials” to the Corinthian church. These are the only mentions of fasting outside of the Gospels and Acts. There is no command or suggestion that one fast in the N.T. There is also no condemnation of the practice.
II. The New Testament concept of fasting. Matt.19-24 A. Remember I John 2:15-17? This is the foundation of the New Testament Life of fasting. Worldlings are consumed with the “stuff” of this world. The people of God are to live in “the Love of the Father” and therefore are expected to live according to I Cor. 7:29-31. The Father’s children are to live in a constant fast from the world and it’s lusts, for the world is not of the Father. 1. Vs 19-21 Treasure—on earth or in heaven? a. Notice Vs 21. As in all of the New Covenant, it’s all about the heart! N.T. fasting is all about guarding the heart that it be not wooed away from the father. b. Vs 19-20 For heavenly minded/hearted people, this should be a no brainer!!! Moth and rust or, heavenly, eternal interest—which will it be. God gives us all things to enjoy, but the Spirit indwelled child of the Heavenly Father uses His Father’s good gifts with thankfulness and humility. He “fasts” from the obsessions of earth lust. 2. Vs 22-23 The Father’s children are Psalm 121/123 people. “Unto YOU I lift up my eyes, O YOU Who dwell in the heavens…So our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us.” Ps. 123:1&2b To have our eyes corroded with the dust and rust of this world is to have a black eye before our Father. a. Heb. 12:2-3 The New Covenant focus, antidote to the “evil eye” of our text. Remember John 14:9b? He who has SEEN Me Has SEEN the Father!!! 3. Vs 24 The Eternal Choice!!! Which will it be? Your heart cannot be in two places at once! The master determines the service. Our heart attitude toward our possessions and position on this earth evidences who/WHO is our master. Take a heart inventory!!! Which master consumes the bulk of our time? What’s our first thought when we awaken?
One Final Note: The Old Testament was the "shadow land", ever in natural, material form pointing to the glorious spiritual reality of the coming New Covenant. This is plainly evidenced by tabernacle worship swallowed up in the Spiritual worship of the redeemed people of God. See Hebrews 9:6-15 for a clear explanation of this. In the sabbath law, the people were to do no labor, that is to rest on one day of the week. But in the New Covenant, the fulfillment of the shadow, the people of God are to rest in God's sabbath rest continually and constantly, and that is Jesus Christ in His Finished Work of salvation. As Hebrews 4:9 ff says, "There remains a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His Rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His." And what follows is the powerful working of the Word by the Spirit of God and the coming to the Great High Priest Who has passed into the heavenlies to make intercession for us. Our Sabbath is to be at complete rest in our Christ Jesus and His satisfaction of all that God requires. To live in worry, anxiety and fear is to break God's Sabbath--it is blatant unbelief in the Perfect Son of God.
And in our fasting text, the OT people were to fast from food for a period of time to commune with their God. It sadly became a self justifying ritual. God's New Covenant people, however are to live a righteous fast everyday, all the time, from the lusts of this world, all that would draw us away from communion and fellowship with our Heavenly Father. This is not some form of monasticism, but a living in this world with a humble gratitude to our Father that sees every blessing from His Hand and causes us to live before Him with thanksgiving for all things and in God Glorifying stewardship.