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What fasting is not:
- A hunger strike (political)
- A diet plan (physical)
- It is a spiritual discipline
- Focus on God
- Focus on heavenly, not earthly, food
- Social justice: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)
Why it fell out of favor:
- Came to be associated with the excessive asceticism of Middle Ages
- Emphasis on eating in modern day societies
Biblical basis:
- Occasions of fasting
- Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27)
- Times of group or national emergency (Joel 2:15, 2 Chronicles 20:1-4, Ezra 8:21-23)
- Gradually expanded
- By the time of Zechariah there were four regular fasts (Zechariah 8:19)
- Didache prescribed fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays
- Adopted by John Wesley, who wouldn’t ordain anybody who didn’t fast on Wednesdays and Fridays
- “Is not the neglect of this plain duty (I mean fasting, ranked by our Lord with almsgiving and prayer) one general occasion of deadness among Christians?”
- Jesus assumes people will fast: “When you fast …” (Matthew 6:16)
- Types of fasting
- Absolute fast: no food or water
- 3 days: Jews (Esther 4:16), Paul (Acts 9:9)
- 40 days: Moses (Deuteronomy 9:9), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8)
- Typical fast: includes liquids
- Modified fast: “I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all.” (Daniel 10:3)
Practicalities:
- Start small: for example, a 24-hour juice fast (2 meals)
- Then attempt a true fast of 24 hours (just water)
- Then try a longer (36-hour) fast (3 meals)
Context of hunger:
- 29,000 children die every day from hunger or diseases related to hunger
- 160 million children under five are malnourished
- For every 6 people who have enough food to eat, 1 person doesn’t
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