Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany video of Divine Service and Sermon Text

 

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Isaiah 58:3-9a
1 Corinthians 2:1-12
Matthew 5:13-20

O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. 

Lent begins two Wednesdays from now with Ash Wednesday. Right before the imposition of ashes the pastor states that Ash Wednesday “begins a holy season of prayerful and penitential reflection. Our attention is especially directed to the holy sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. From ancient time the season of Lent has been kept as a time of special devotion, self-denial, and humble repentance born of a faithful heart that dwells confidently on His Word and draws from it life and hope.” 

One of the traditional devotions and acts of self-denial is the ancient practice of fasting. As the practice of fasting is addressed in the Old Testament reading, and, as it is a common Christian practice, and, because Lent is soon upon us, today is a good day to ask and answer the question “Why do Christians fast?” 

Traditionally, in the Bible and in Christian practice, fasting meant voluntarily abstaining from food for a period of time. In Leviticus 16:29, Moses declares that the faithful shall fast on the Day of Atonement. But, beyond that one explicit command, fasting is a voluntary practice that is connected with a specific moment or concern.  One denies food to focus whole heartedly on prayer. For example, after Jonah preached God’s impending judgment upon Ninevah, the people “proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least.” (Jonah 3:5) While they abstained from food and drink, they repented of their idolatry and confessed their faith in the LORD God.  Another example, When King David’s first son with Bathsheba looked like he might die, David fasted and prayed so that the boy may live. (2 Samuel 12:16) Another time, Ezra declared a fast beside the river Ahava to seek God’s guidance for safe passage across the river. (Ezra 8:21) We have several accounts of fasting in the New Testament as well. 

In addition to repentance, mourning, seeking direction and discernment, fasting was also an expression of humility, dependency upon God, worship and devotion. Fasting was practiced privately or with others. Beyond a specific crisis, fasting was connected with specific religious observances or days of the week. Unlike today, fasting was not connected to health concerns. Biblically, fasting from food was religiously motivated.  

The Bible tells us that God takes note when people fast. He especially notes when the self-sacrifice is connected with earnest prayers reflecting what is on their hearts and minds. God sees our actions as well as our thoughts and intentions. He is not fooled. 

Through the prophet Isaiah, God is addressing a religious people. Israel is, by its keeping of holy days, participating in temple worship, offering sacrifices, prayers, and tithes, as prescribed by the commands of Moses, a religious looking people. They organize their days, weeks, and months, by religious festivals and prayer. God’s name is invoked for prayer. That is beyond dispute. But, what upsets God, is that the people’s worship is not reflective of a life that is marked by God’s Word. They observe the letter of the law, but have completely lost sight of the purpose of it all. Religious observance such as fasting is not fulfilling an obligation. It is not about checking the box of duties that are required this week.  The Lord is distressed when the practice does not accurately reflect where the people’s hearts and minds are. 

The very people whose national story includes oppression, injustice, and slavery, are behaving with the same duplicity of their former captors. Right after the time of prayer and fasting has concluded, they forgo acts of charity. They cheat the poor of their wages. They oppress their own slaves and workers and the most vulnerable among them. They turn a blind eye to those who are in need of the help that they can provide. 

The LORD graciously calls the people’s attention to their stunning lack of consistency between personal piety and the actual practice of their faith in every day living. The Lord is appalled. 

Jesus says in today’s gospel that those who are blessed by God are the salt and the light of the world. This message is not new to the Incarnate Son of God. The pre-incarnate Christ has been saying this even before Moses. This is a persistent theme of the prophets. God expects confession of faith to match the action of those who confess. God expects consistency between faith and action. Faith affects and effects every aspect of our lives. This includes all of our relationships. It includes how we conduct our business. How we treat bosses and employees as well as customers. Through Isaiah, God is calling the people to account and calling for them to change. In the gospels, we witness God continuing the same call through Jesus’ clashes with the pharisees. Spiritual disciplines ought not be done to gain the applause of others nor to cover up your sins.

Now that we know what the worst practice of fasting can be, let us talk about why Christians may fast. 

First, it must be stated that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, has already died for your sins on the cross. You are not atoning for your sins. Jesus has already done that for you. Fasting is an outward training that helps us focus on faithful obedience to the Good News of God. 

Second, while you are saved, you remain a sinner. Fasting is a physical expression of repentance that trains the urges of the body. This spiritual discipline may lead us into deeper awareness of our sins and help us to say no to those sinful impulses that we have.  

Third, fasting from food also means fasting from time spent preparing and eating food. Fasting may offer you additional time for contemplation, repentant prayer, and worship. Fasting can also clear your focus. The discipline can help you identify and then address  distractions. 

Fourth, fasting can lead to greater spiritual sensitivity. Prayer is not just about ourselves. Due to the absence of normal food intake, you may become aware of more people and situations for which you may pray. 

Fifth, fasting can lead to increased charity. For example, the time we spend involved with food can be substituted for a brief period of service. Another possibility is that money normally spent on food could be donated to a worthy charity that provides resources, food, and housing for the distitute, poor, or homeless. 

Ultimately, whatever spiritual disciplines we engage serve to let the light of Christ shine forth. By fasting, we want the Holy Spirit to work through us to deepen our love for God and benefit our neighbor. 

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

_____ 

Out of curiosity I looked up the Gospel reading in the Book of Concord index. Here is where Matthew 5:16 is cited. 

Formula of Concord, Epitome, IV, Good Works

“In these last times it is certainly no less needful to encourage people to Christian discipline to the way of right and godly living and to do good works. We need to remind them of how necessary it is that the exercise themselves in good works as a declaration of their faith (Matthew 5:16) and gratitude to God (Hebrews 13:15-16). But works should not be mingled in the article of justification. For people may be just as damned by an Epicurean delusion about faith as they are by papistic and Pharisaic confidence in their own works and merits.”