Slow to Fast

We are cruising along in reading the Bible this year. It’s day 160, and there’s a lot of cool stuff going on in today’s readings. In Matthew 17, we learn about a demon-possessed young man. A sinister reality unfolds: the demon is actively trying to kill the boy. His distraught dad brings him to the disciples, but they can’t cast the demon out. Then he brings him to Jesus; he kneels and asks Jesus for mercy for his son.

Jesus rebukes the demon, setting another captive free. The disciples ask Jesus why they couldn’t cast it out. He tells them because of their unbelief, and that kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29)

‘And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Matthew 17:18-21

Some manuscripts omit verse 21, but the Bible contains many examples of people fasting. For instance, Moses fasted for forty days when he received the Ten Commandments, Esther called for a fast before going to the king to save her people, and Jesus himself fasted for forty days in the wilderness. I believe we are expected to fast.

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. ‘
Matthew 6:16

I feel like I’m being called to fast; the Holy Spirit is really guiding me down that path. But man, I hate fasting; I don’t like being hungry, and I don’t like sacrificing. Have I made food, comfort, or habits an idol? Maybe I’m scared of change, and I’m hanging onto my own life. I’m going to start small and work my way up to a longer fast; maybe I’ll replace a meal with prayer and Bible study.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ‘
Matthew 16:24-25

Fasting and self-denial are a daily challenge. What can I give up today to be more like Jesus?