The False and Rejected Fast

by H.H. Pope Shenouda III

Not every fast is acceptable to God, for there are false fasts which are in truth not considered as such and which are rejected by God. The Bible gives us examples of these rejected fasts.

Not every fast is acceptable to God, for there are false fasts which are in truth not considered as such and which are rejected by God. The Bible gives us examples of these rejected fasts.

Fasting to get people’s praise:

About this fast, the Lord said in His sermon on the mount: “When you 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 you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face; that you do not appear to men to fast, but to your Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which sees in secret, shall reward you openly” (Matthew 6:16-18).

A fast, which is for the people to praise, is not for God who has nothing to do with it. Therefore it is false.

The proud Pharisee’s fast:

The Pharisee stood before God flaunting his virtues and saying: "I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess." At the same time, he condemned the publican saying about himself "I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican" (Luke l8: 9-14). That is why he did not leave the temple as justified as the crushedhearted publican.

This example shows us that fasting, that is not accompanied by humility and a crushed heart, is one refused by God because the one who performs it thinks that he is righteous and despises the others (Luke l8: 19).

A fast with a wrong aim is unacceptable:

An example of this fast was set by those Jews who banded together "And bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy" (Acts 23:12). Naturally their fast was a sin. Moreover, we cannot call it a fast in the spiritual sense.

The people’s sinful fast during the days of the prophet Jeremiah:

The Lord did not accept this fast and spoke to Jeremiah about these people saying: "Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offerings and oblations, I will not accept them; but I will consume them" (Jeremiah l4: 11,12).

The Lord did not accept these people's fasts, prayers, and oblations because they led an evil life and their hearts were not pure before Him.... Thus, this fasting without repentance is unacceptable. God wants a pure heart more than He does a hungry body.

A person's fast is invalid if his heart does not abstain from sins and his tongue from untruth. Even if he gives his body up to be burned, it will not profit him (1 Corinthians l3: 3).

Fasting which is far from mercy and charity is unacceptable: The Lord explained this point to the Prophet Isaiah, saying: "Wherefore we have fasted, they say, and you do not see? Wherefore we have afflicted our soul, and you took no knowledge? Behold, you fast for strife and debate...

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free... Is it not to give your bread to the hungry and you bring the poor that are cast out of your house?" (Isaiah 58:37). A Fast that does not go hand in hand with merciful deeds and a pure heart is unacceptable though it may be performed with humility, anointment, ashes, and bowing of the head.

Fasting that is not from God:

Someone may fast because doctors have ordered him to. Another may fast to have a graceful figure and good looks. Both of them are not doing it for God and so they do not get any spiritual benefit from it.

A third person may fast in the manner of a hunger strike and not with a spiritual aim or for the sake of God. A fourth may forsake food in distress or despair. We cannot consider any of them fasting in truth. Here we reiterate saying: any fasting that is not for God and that is not for a spiritual purpose cannot at all be considered a fast and is not accepted by God.

What is then a spiritual fast accepted by God:

It is one where a profound relationship with God is established and where you feel God in your life. It is a sacred period, which you feel that God owns, which is devoted in its entirety to God and throughout which the presence of God is very visible in all your behavior. Everyday of the fast your relationship with God increases and grows in a spiritual ecstasy that makes you long for your fast to stretch and become endless.