[5] “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?"
[8] "And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: [9] “This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. [10] Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'"
These verses are very similar to verses in Isaiah where the subject of fasting was addressed. Here are those verses - Isaiah 58:3-7 NIV:
[3] 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. [4] Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. [5] Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
[6] “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? [7] Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
The question in Zech. 7:5 really grabbed my attention this morning. It is such a simple question, but really gets to the heart of our motivation for religious acts like fasting -and it is right to ask ourselves 'who are we doing it for?'
Fasting is an interesting practice that does not really get mentioned until Leviticus as part of the the Day of Atonement. The idea in Leviticus was that the people were supposed to deny themselves food, and present an offering to the Lord. The Day of atonement was supposed to be celebrated one time per year, and it was the day the people's sins were removed from them. Thus, they were reminded of their sins and extended mercy and grace on the day of their fast.
It seems to me that they never made the connection between their fasting and God's actions, which were meant to be an example for them of how they should treat one another. That is exactly what Isaiah is addressing, the people were fasting but never changing their attitude towards each other or their behavior. The idea was not observe the religious practice, but to actually change one's behavior to become more like the Lord. We would be right to call this repentance, for it should involve changing the way we think, and then changing the way we act. The fast was meant to aid us in this, by causing us to reflect on our lives and see the areas where our actions did not line up with God's law, and provide us the opportunity to change. Fasting is supposed to be an aid in reflecting on our life, seeing God's mercy and compassion, and then imitating Him in our own lives.
The question that God asks through Zechariah cuts to the heart of the people's motivation. Are they fasting for God, or for themselves? Are they using this time to become more like the Lord, or are they trying to check off a box so they can say they did what was required, and then go back to doing things exactly the way they did them before? The Lord is pretty clear in Isaiah that He expects that their reflection to lead them to better represent Him through their actions.
So why do people give up chocolate in Lent? Why do we fast? Are we trying to get God to answer our prayers? Are we trying to get the Lord to notice us, or think nice thoughts about us because we followed the rules? What is our motivation? Are we changed in our behavior following our fast? Are we fasting for God (for His Name's sake), or fasting for ourselves?
As I think about this reflection, I realize that in this season of advent, when we are preparing ourselves for the celebration of Christ's birth, one of our goals should be reflection upon our lives, identifying areas where we are not Christ-like, and deciding to change to become more like Him. Just as Jesus demonstrated when He came to earth, we are called to extend mercy and compassion, to loosen chains of injustice, to set oppressed free, to share our food with the hungry, shelter for the poor wanderer, clothing for the naked, and embrace our times with our families. I believe that would represent a proper embrace of the reason for the season.
Oh Lord, help us to focus our attention on You, rather than on ourselves this Christmas season!
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