Matthew 6; Verses 16-18; Fasting

Thank you for taking a look †

Fasting: must be a sincere true spiritual purpose for the Father through Christ. Otherwise it will be a dreaded thing, going through the motions. Resulting in play-acting. Putting on a stage show. God cannot be conned.

(Matthew 6:16-18) "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.

(The "Daniel diet" is not a fast. It defeats the purpose. Good for one's health, and will lose weight? Yes. A fast? No. Daniel never referred to it as a fast. If we're in for a diet it's the wrong reasons. This is not "slim-fasting." But suppose one has never fasted and reading this for the first time: Consider the time you were starving most for food. This why Christ compares Himself and His body as the bread of life. We take Him and that in spiritually, the Word to sustain us give us energy. High in carbohydrates. For the record you're not going to lose weight a diet high on carbs anyway. I'm really stressing this because if that is the motive it is no different than the superficial pharisees. We must be sincere).

(The pharisees here were really not even fasting here. But playing drama queens with play-acting stage shows. Putting on a show to look good).

(Now Christ is about to next show us the worries and cares that come in life in the next 15 verses. Money, essentials--drink; eat; clothes. There are many reasons to fast in specific details: Overall, that we need God more than all them things first (denying self), keeping us focused and disciplined with prayer being a huge reason. We need to have the specific purpose set in place. Just like setting any goal. The goal is NOT to lose weight. Moreover, it also brings back to memory at salvation when that hunger and hunger pains for God and His Word was first realized).

(The hunger pains (and/or thirst) searching for God. As always whatever God says to do spiritually benefits physically as well, i.e. good for your health).

Example: (Matthew 7:7-10) "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?"

(No way, no how. You diligently search in sincerity Christ' promise is you will eat, and eat that bread. Giving energy and sustaining throughout the day. "Give us this day our daily bread." The very fact one is searching in sincerity is God with them. Don't give up (John 6:35-36). Also Christ referring to that feeding of the bread and fish here. You ask in sincerity He is not going to give satan and to harm is the point).

(John 6:35-36) "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.


36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not."


Before salvation we all hungered. And now the hunger here in the end-times is for hearing the Word of the Lord (Amos 8:11-13). Because of the failure to teach verse by verse not filling the gaps/making the connections in God's Word confirming God's Word. As it turns out the majority of spiritual fasts now are from Him and His Word, not towards).

Stone = Satan here, as Satan is a rock all throughout Scripture. Including the mark of the beast. That sooth stone worn over time from the garden of Eden (Deuteronomy 32:29-33). There is he called their rock, along with the mark of the beast. Ezekiel 28:12-13, tyrus = a rock. Verse 13 all the precious stones covering him.

serpent = Satan as well, as he played the role of serpent in the garden of Eden.

The overall point is satan uses the basic essentials in life to grow as well for his benefit and his benefit to get man to serve him without trusting in the Lord first. Putting the things of the world over the LORD.

Back to Matthew 6:17,

17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

(Anoint with olive oil. In Jesus the Christ name for protection showing obedience. It's the not the olive oil that does it, but the obedience in using it. Protection for when we are weaker here).

Why important to anoint here? Complete cleansing and purging. Remember, Christ fasted 40 days and nights being weak physically and tempted of satan then. Which is why protect ourselves with olive oil because of being weak, but total obedience to the LORD. Exodus 25; 30; Mark 6:9 to name a few. And of course in Matthew 4 Satan tempted with the things of the World at this physical weakness. Using that bread and stone. Satan tries to manipulate the stone/rock reference all the time. Because he wants to be THE ROCK. It is no surprise the best way scientifically to detox and purge the physical body is fasting as well. I want to stress again them are not reasons we fast though.

The etymology of Christ, Christos from the Greek is to anoint, pressing in with olive oil. Symbolic for cleansing, and pressing in. Which is why the Holy Spirit represents olive oil in the New Testament. In the verses if it is not, it will tell you directly for physical usage.

18That 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."

(Why tell anyone about it as a measure to impress anyone basically. Fasting is a personal thing for each individual. This is not about the motivation looking good for health reasons i.e. a diet).

Conclusion: When fasting we must check our reasoning, and have good reasoning skills with spiritual purposes. There are many spiritual purposes they must align Biblically rooted in when we as Christians first hungered for the bread of life that is Christ giving spiritual energy and life; water--always drink water (unless directed by God for a complete fast; Ezra 10:6-9; Acts 9:9). As the average human cannot go 3 days without water. God shows that and Science supports that. God will never let man go beyond what is not good for Him, amazing?

That being so, all that is allowed during a fast taking us back in remembrance as Christ is the living water. Beginning at belief and the forgiveness of sins, no longer drinking the bitter waters. Being bitter towards the Lord, and then people.

Amen †