Fasting and Reconciliation

 Fasting and Reconciliation John6:26-27 provides a significant reason why God requires us to fast on the Day of Atonement. Some of the same people Jesus had fed the day before through a mighty miracle comprise the audience in this episode. He tells them they were seeking God for entirely wrong reasons. They wanted to use God for their own ends—not to serve Him, but to be served by Him. It essentially upends the relationship. It is a good idea to consider what our relationship with God is based on. Is it solidly founded on belief or on what we can get from Him? Do we trust Him to provide what we need as we prepare for the Kingdom of God, or are we motivated only by promises of blessings and rewards? Why is disbelief so serious an infraction? Refusing to believe God is to be guilty of slandering His righteous character. It assumes He does not know what He is talking about and assaults His integrity and love. A human rejecting God's revelation is similar to an immature and inexperienced whippersnapper telling a much older and wiser person—one who has been "around the block" a few times—that he is wrong. Disbelieving God, though, is far more serious becauserejecting the loving counsel of the Eternal Creator who does not lie involves sin. With stark simplicity, Genesis 3 shows that Adam and Eve did not believe God's Word. They thought they knew better. In the pride of their limited understanding, they declared their independence from God and exercised their free moral agencyto sin against His government, bringing on the need for atonement. Humanity, like its first parents, simply thinks it knows better. Only when we do not think much of ourselves, feel helpless, weak, and backed into a corner will we listen with the intensity required to believe, repent, submit, and seek to become one with God. Often, He has to resort to stern measures with us before we will allow our minds to change. He would rather have us submit willingly and change ourselves. Thus, in His wisdom, He has ordained fasting as an essential element of the Day of Atonement because it induces a weakness we can physically feel, not just intellectually agree with. Fasting is a self-imposed trial that should help us feel and acknowledge what we are compared to God. Despite being a good exercise in discipline, its purpose is not to impress God with how disciplined we are but to remind us how much we needthe things He so freely and generously supplies. God has life inherent; He is self-sustaining. But when we, even for a relatively short time, are denied the food He supplies, our weaknesses and dependence quickly become apparent. Food gives us physical strength and satisfaction, but if wedeny the body the food it needs, we become weak and die. Food is a type of God's Word. Likewise, if our spirit is denied the manna from heaven, we become spiritually weak and would eventually die spiritually. If in our pride we reject God's food, even though we may have a form of godliness as shownby performing the formalities of worship, our weakness will become apparent through sin—proof that the strength of God's Word is missing. Remember, His Word is spirit, and it is life (John6:63). Fasting can help bring us face to face with what we really are: very mortal beings in need of all the help we can get. Because fasting usually intensifies the feelings of self-concern, it reminds us that we are still flesh and that much of ourtime is consumed caring for ourselves. This is indeed humbling. It teaches us that being humble is a choice, which Peter brings out in I Peter 5:6: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God" (emphasis ours throughout). James 4:10 agrees: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord." Even as we can choose to fast, we can choose to allow our minds to change and submit to God to become one with Him. Hardening our hearts and exercising our pride are choices too (see Hebrews 3:8, 15). We must recognize that becoming one with God is proceeding apace! It is occurring on a one-at-a-time basis as individuals come to believe and repent of sin. It is an ongoing refinement process in each person's life as he continues to repentand grow in holiness. The means of reconciliation that lead to unity with God are the death of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the life of our resurrected Savior as He works as our High Priest. We cannot leave out of the process our part in fighting our pride by choosing to submit to God's Word. We fast to feel and demonstrate our dependenceon God so that we may continue to grow into His image. The time is coming when there will be no cause of disagreement and thus no separation from God, as the prophet writes in Isaiah 11:0: "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all [God's] holy mountain." What an awesome future to prepare for! - John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)