A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer by John Piper

Author:John Piper
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Religion, Christian Theology, General
ISBN: 9781433517846
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 1997-07-03T05:00:00+00:00

FINDING GOD IN THE GARDEN OF PAIN

A Different Fast for the Sake of the Poor

One of the greatest preachers of the first thousand years of the Christian Church was John Chrysostom, the bishop of Constantinople in the fourth century. He has left us one of the most sweeping statements I know concerning the value of fasting. He was known as an ascetic in an age of luxury in Constantinople. His lifestyle offended the emperor Arcadius and his wife Eudoxia so much that he was eventually banished and died in A.D. 407. Chrysostom therefore embodied, it seems, not only the discipline of fasting but also the commitments to holy living that, as we will see in a moment, are an even greater fast than going without food.

Fasting is, as much as lies in us, an imitation of the angels, a contemning of things present, a school of prayer, a nourishment of the soul, a bridle of the mouth, an abatement of concupiscence: it mollifies rage, it appeases anger, it calms the tempests of nature, it excites reason, it clears the mind, it disburdens the flesh, it chases away night-pollutions, it frees from head-ache. By fasting, a man gets composed behaviour, free utterance of his tongue, right apprehensions of his mind.2

I take Chrysostom to mean that fasting has had these good effects on him and others from time to time, not that it always does, nor that it assists everyone with all these benefits. For example, for some people fasting will (at least temporarily) cause a headache rather than take it away. Nevertheless, thousands have heard the word of the Lord in Matthew 9:15 that “when the Bridegroom is taken away, then [his disciples] will fast,” and they have proven its immense spiritual value. The more you read in the history of fasting, the more varied appear the testimonies to its benefits. (See Appendix: “Fasting: Quotes and Experiences.”)

The Dangers of Fasting

However, what we have already seen, and will now see again, is that there is danger in fasting. I’m not referring to physical danger. You can avoid that if you follow simple guidelines.3 I am referring to spiritual dangers. It is possible to fast in a way that will be very displeasing to the Lord and spiritually destructive to yourself.

If you fast, for example, to be seen by other people, Jesus said, you have your reward from them, and you will not be answered by the Father (Matthew 6:16). To test our motives, he said that we should take steps not to be seen by others, but only by God: comb your hair, wash your face, and do not put on an oh-poor-me countenance. Then—if your motives are pure—your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Fasting and the Suffering of the City

But that is not the only warning about fasting in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah delivers a strong word that has tremendous relevance for our day. For me, as well as others, it has proved to be a very personal word.

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