What Did Jesus Say About Fasting?

Thought For Today - August 29
What did Jesus say about fasting? 
By: Robert A. Searles

Fasting or abstaining from food and drink, and depriving ourselves from some of the comforts of everyday life for a season, ought to be a voluntary act on the part of the Christian. Its' purpose ought to be to purify our body, mind and soul, and express our humility before God for his goodness to us. Only God needs to be aware of our fasting. It is not necessary for us to sound a trumpet and broadcast to the world the fact that we are denying ourselves through fasting to draw nearer to God. God sees the motives of our heart and he will reward us accordingly. We do not need to receive recognition from men.
 
Jesus spoke of some of the hypocritical Pharisees who when they fasted, disfigured their faces, and went about with a sad countenance in sack cloth and ashes, so that they would receive recognition of men for their fasting and humility before God.

Jesus said: "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. But thou when thou fastest anoint thine head , and wash thy face; 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." Matthew 6: 16-18.