Lent: Fasting and Homesickness (Devotional)
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)
Fasting during Lent is often used to wrestle a particular sin. We step away from a staple, comfort, or vice that we feel is distracting us from the Lord. And while that is not a bad thing to do, it's worth taking some time to think through why we fast during Lent.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see fasting connected to mourning and sacrifice. It’s used by the “faster” to get God’s attention or to show their grief. It’s an offering to move God's heart. And then, in Matthew 6, Jesus speaks to His disciples and says: “When you fast, do not bring attention to your fasting but do it for God" (verse 16). While fasting is not an explicit command in the New Testament like it is in the Old Testament, it is clear that Jesus expected that a time would come when His followers would fast. But our fast would be different than the fasting of old! We do not fast in grief. God has poured out His grace and mercy on us, He has taken the crushing weight of sin off our shoulders. And we do not fast to offer a sacrifice, hoping that our sacrifice will turn God’s head or move God's heart. The only sacrifice we offer as Christians is faith in Jesus’ work on the cross. The perfect sacrifice has been made, and our eternal grief has been comforted in Christ.
The most common way we fast is by abstaining from food and/or drink. Our hunger reminds us of our need for God. As Christians, we are wandering in this world as exiles, a hard and uncomfortable journey. So, it is tempting to lean into the comforts this world offers. A drowsy state of “safety” falls upon us when everything is convenient and easy. We think, “It's not too bad here. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do.” That’s where fasting comes in, reminding us that we are not home. Our bridegroom is not here. We are not satisfied with a world without Him as King. Hunger reminds us of our hunger for Him to return and make all things right. Only then will we find true and lasting comfort. Not a hollow fleeting comfort, but a Comfort so powerful that pain, tears, and mourning will be gone forever.
Come Lord Jesus.
