Chapter 16 - The Hiddenness of the Devout Life
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Bonhoeffer- 'Jesus takes it for granted that his disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting. Strict exercise of self -control is an essential feature of the Christian's life. Such customs have only one purpose-- to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.
Fasting helps to discipline the self-indulgent and slothful will which is so reluctant to serve the Lord, and it helps to humiliate and chasten the flesh. By practicing abstemiousness we show the world how different the Christian life is from its own. If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ.
When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.
So the Christian needs to observe a strict exterior discipline. But we are not to imagine that that alone will crush the will of the flesh, or that there is any way of mortifying our old man other than by faith in Jesus. The real difference in the believer who follows Christ and has mortified his will and died after the old man in Christ, is that he is more clearly aware than other men of the rebelliousness and perennial pride of the flesh, he is conscious of his sloth and self-indulgence and knows that his arrogance must be eradicated. Hence there is a need for daily self-discipline. It is always true of the disciple that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, and he must therefore "watch and pray." The spirit knows the right way, and desires to follow it, but the flesh lacks courage and finds it too hard, to hazardous and wearisome, and so it stifles the voice of the spirit. The spirit assents when Jesus bids us love our enemies, but flesh and blood are too strong and prevent our carrying it out. Therefore we have to practice strictest daily discipline; only so can the flesh learn the painful lesson that it has no rights of its own. Regular daily prayer is a great help here, and so is daily meditation on the Word of God, and every kind of bodily discipline and asceticism.'
My thoughts--
'Moreover when ye fast'
When, not if. It's moreover WHEN you fast, not moreover IF you fast. WHEN you fast. It's the same as this--
Mat_6:7 'But when ye pray'
WHEN you pray, not IF you pray.
We take it for granted that if someone tells us they are a follower of Jesus, that they'll be praying. Prayer goes hand in hand with the relationship we form with God, right? It's our mode of communicating with God. We talk to Him and we, through faith, believe He hears us and yes, answers us in His own way. Could you imagine someone telling you they're a disciple of Christ's but they never pray? It would seem awfully odd, wouldn't it? Yet we don't find it strange at all when someone tells us they don't fast as part of their discipleship. That sort of archaic behavior isn't necessary. We've regulated fasting to the past.
Yet it is true when Bonhoeffer said this- 'Jesus takes it for granted that his disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting.'
Jesus takes it for granted and goes on to give instructions for fasting. If we were NOT supposed to fast, or if fasting was something we were supposed to simply forget about, why would our Savior take time to give instructions on how to fast? We don't doubt at all that we are supposed to pray and we welcome all the instruction our Savior has given us on prayer. Fasting is another story, and one that we quite frankly would rather didn't exist.
Fasting calls for a REAL self-denial of self indulgence.
Fasting truly does put us in mind of the place our own needs and desires really belong.
Fasting calls us to recognize that something else is MORE important than us. Something else is MORE important than our hunger pangs.
People fasting in the Bible fast for various reason. David fasted and prayed when His son was dying. Jesus told the apostles that some demons aren't easy to remove from people and they need to fast and pray to get them out. What purpose was the fasting part other than to DENY themselves? Discipline themselves? Put self out of its place of primacy.
We are told this--
Rom_8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Col_3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
Mortify the DEEDS of the body.
Mortify therefore your members.
Mat_16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mar_8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Luk_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Tit_1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
What are these words of God telling us?
There is a CERTAIN way we are to behave as disciples of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, our God.
If we IGNORE all these words of Jesus, if we deny all these Holy Spirit inspired words, then we aren't true disciples of Christ, but rather disciples of our own FALSE teachings. We are LEADING OURSELVES astray. We have become LIARS and have fashioned up a religion of our own making NOT GOD'S!
We are expected to fast.
We are expected to bring our bodies in subjection.
1Co_9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
*******
When we fast.
Fasting isn't done to show OTHERS that we are denying ourselves, that we are putting our bodies into subjection. Fasting should be between God and us, and that's all. We should draw NO attention to ourselves when we bring our bodies into subjection.
*******
Bonhoeffer said this-- 'The spirit knows the right way, and desires to follow it, but the flesh lacks courage and finds it too hard, to hazardous and wearisome, and so it stifles the voice of the spirit. The spirit assents when Jesus bids us love our enemies, but flesh and blood are too strong and prevent our carrying it out. Therefore we have to practice strictest daily discipline; only so can the flesh learn the painful lesson that it has no rights of its own. Regular daily prayer is a great help here, and so is daily meditation on the Word of God, and every kind of bodily discipline and asceticism.'
My thoughts-
Our practicing STRICT DAILY DISCIPLINE is encouraged by scripture as we know from the above verses. So to believe that we are not to think at all about how we live would be a HUGE mistake and one we, here in America at least, find very easy to make. Pleasing ourselves is something we grow up doing. Indulging ourselves is the norm, not the exception. When we have a desire we fulfill it if it's within our means. We seldom consider not fulfilling it, it's just the way we live here and now. To go without food, purposely going hungry when we truly do NOT desire to go hungry, is not often done. Who enjoys the feeling of hunger? No one I know. So choosing to fast, something Jesus expect from His disciples, is something that truly would remind us that we HAVE to bring our bodies into subjection, by HIS GRACE. It would remind us we need to DENY ourselves. It would make us truly think about how much we DO indulge ourselves.
What reasons do we have for fasting? Should it be done just to learn self-denial? Would we be in danger of pride if we succeed in our fast, something that would negate the entire reason for fasting? I've talked about fasting before and more than likely I'll talk about it again. Part of me wants to fast because I know that Jesus expects us to fast, I know it's a good thing, but another part of me, MOST likely the self-indulgent part of me shuns the idea of purposely going hungry.
By God's grace may we seek HIS will in ALL things, in fasting, may we find our path and may it be one of HIS GRACE and MERCY, not one that points us to ourselves, but an opportunity to offer Him praise, glory, and honor!
Please Lord, by YOUR GRACE, help us to learn that our flesh truly does have NO rights of its own as Bonhoeffer writes. Help us to live in the SPIRIT, not the FLESH, as YOUR WORD TELLS US!
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
By His Grace in His Love!
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Bonhoeffer- 'Jesus takes it for granted that his disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting. Strict exercise of self -control is an essential feature of the Christian's life. Such customs have only one purpose-- to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.
Fasting helps to discipline the self-indulgent and slothful will which is so reluctant to serve the Lord, and it helps to humiliate and chasten the flesh. By practicing abstemiousness we show the world how different the Christian life is from its own. If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ.
When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.
So the Christian needs to observe a strict exterior discipline. But we are not to imagine that that alone will crush the will of the flesh, or that there is any way of mortifying our old man other than by faith in Jesus. The real difference in the believer who follows Christ and has mortified his will and died after the old man in Christ, is that he is more clearly aware than other men of the rebelliousness and perennial pride of the flesh, he is conscious of his sloth and self-indulgence and knows that his arrogance must be eradicated. Hence there is a need for daily self-discipline. It is always true of the disciple that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, and he must therefore "watch and pray." The spirit knows the right way, and desires to follow it, but the flesh lacks courage and finds it too hard, to hazardous and wearisome, and so it stifles the voice of the spirit. The spirit assents when Jesus bids us love our enemies, but flesh and blood are too strong and prevent our carrying it out. Therefore we have to practice strictest daily discipline; only so can the flesh learn the painful lesson that it has no rights of its own. Regular daily prayer is a great help here, and so is daily meditation on the Word of God, and every kind of bodily discipline and asceticism.'
My thoughts--
'Moreover when ye fast'
When, not if. It's moreover WHEN you fast, not moreover IF you fast. WHEN you fast. It's the same as this--
Mat_6:7 'But when ye pray'
WHEN you pray, not IF you pray.
We take it for granted that if someone tells us they are a follower of Jesus, that they'll be praying. Prayer goes hand in hand with the relationship we form with God, right? It's our mode of communicating with God. We talk to Him and we, through faith, believe He hears us and yes, answers us in His own way. Could you imagine someone telling you they're a disciple of Christ's but they never pray? It would seem awfully odd, wouldn't it? Yet we don't find it strange at all when someone tells us they don't fast as part of their discipleship. That sort of archaic behavior isn't necessary. We've regulated fasting to the past.
Yet it is true when Bonhoeffer said this- 'Jesus takes it for granted that his disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting.'
Jesus takes it for granted and goes on to give instructions for fasting. If we were NOT supposed to fast, or if fasting was something we were supposed to simply forget about, why would our Savior take time to give instructions on how to fast? We don't doubt at all that we are supposed to pray and we welcome all the instruction our Savior has given us on prayer. Fasting is another story, and one that we quite frankly would rather didn't exist.
Fasting calls for a REAL self-denial of self indulgence.
Fasting truly does put us in mind of the place our own needs and desires really belong.
Fasting calls us to recognize that something else is MORE important than us. Something else is MORE important than our hunger pangs.
People fasting in the Bible fast for various reason. David fasted and prayed when His son was dying. Jesus told the apostles that some demons aren't easy to remove from people and they need to fast and pray to get them out. What purpose was the fasting part other than to DENY themselves? Discipline themselves? Put self out of its place of primacy.
We are told this--
Rom_8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Col_3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
Mortify the DEEDS of the body.
Mortify therefore your members.
Mat_16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mar_8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Luk_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Tit_1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
What are these words of God telling us?
There is a CERTAIN way we are to behave as disciples of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, our God.
If we IGNORE all these words of Jesus, if we deny all these Holy Spirit inspired words, then we aren't true disciples of Christ, but rather disciples of our own FALSE teachings. We are LEADING OURSELVES astray. We have become LIARS and have fashioned up a religion of our own making NOT GOD'S!
We are expected to fast.
We are expected to bring our bodies in subjection.
1Co_9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
*******
When we fast.
Fasting isn't done to show OTHERS that we are denying ourselves, that we are putting our bodies into subjection. Fasting should be between God and us, and that's all. We should draw NO attention to ourselves when we bring our bodies into subjection.
*******
Bonhoeffer said this-- 'The spirit knows the right way, and desires to follow it, but the flesh lacks courage and finds it too hard, to hazardous and wearisome, and so it stifles the voice of the spirit. The spirit assents when Jesus bids us love our enemies, but flesh and blood are too strong and prevent our carrying it out. Therefore we have to practice strictest daily discipline; only so can the flesh learn the painful lesson that it has no rights of its own. Regular daily prayer is a great help here, and so is daily meditation on the Word of God, and every kind of bodily discipline and asceticism.'
My thoughts-
Our practicing STRICT DAILY DISCIPLINE is encouraged by scripture as we know from the above verses. So to believe that we are not to think at all about how we live would be a HUGE mistake and one we, here in America at least, find very easy to make. Pleasing ourselves is something we grow up doing. Indulging ourselves is the norm, not the exception. When we have a desire we fulfill it if it's within our means. We seldom consider not fulfilling it, it's just the way we live here and now. To go without food, purposely going hungry when we truly do NOT desire to go hungry, is not often done. Who enjoys the feeling of hunger? No one I know. So choosing to fast, something Jesus expect from His disciples, is something that truly would remind us that we HAVE to bring our bodies into subjection, by HIS GRACE. It would remind us we need to DENY ourselves. It would make us truly think about how much we DO indulge ourselves.
What reasons do we have for fasting? Should it be done just to learn self-denial? Would we be in danger of pride if we succeed in our fast, something that would negate the entire reason for fasting? I've talked about fasting before and more than likely I'll talk about it again. Part of me wants to fast because I know that Jesus expects us to fast, I know it's a good thing, but another part of me, MOST likely the self-indulgent part of me shuns the idea of purposely going hungry.
By God's grace may we seek HIS will in ALL things, in fasting, may we find our path and may it be one of HIS GRACE and MERCY, not one that points us to ourselves, but an opportunity to offer Him praise, glory, and honor!
Please Lord, by YOUR GRACE, help us to learn that our flesh truly does have NO rights of its own as Bonhoeffer writes. Help us to live in the SPIRIT, not the FLESH, as YOUR WORD TELLS US!
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
By His Grace in His Love!
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