Introduction: Legalism and Liberty. For as long as I have been a Christian, these two words have been in a state of tension for me. For some Christians, the Christian life is heavily weighted on rules, dos and don’ts. For others, the Christian life is about freedom without boundaries or responsibility. I think the choice is hardly a binary one.
In Mark 23-28 we find an interesting account of how Jesus grappled with this:
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
This passage seems to suggest that respecting and celebrating the Sabbath is very important, but the purpose of the Sabbath is for the spiritual and soulful benefit of God’s people. I wonder how this principle might be applied to our Prayer and Fasting time for today?
As we come to the final of our Fasting Days. It would be easy to dictate (legalism) what should be the focus of our fast. It would be easy to identify food, sweets, coffee, screens, or any such things. But I wonder if a more individualized approach might be a refreshing twist, which keeps with the spirit of what Jesus taught about the Sabbath.
The purpose of fasting is to abstain from something and to direct our mind and spirit toward God. Thus, the question I’d pose here is for us to identify something that can become a distraction, perhaps an idol, and which takes our attention away from full devotion to God. This is a very individual and unique thing for each of us.
I’m going to empower you on this final Fasting Day to exercise liberty in how you give this day attention. Some ideas:
- Is there one thing that tends to occupy too much of our time and focus and distracts us from meaningful time with God? If so, name it and commit to abstain from it this day. Every time we're tempted to go to that thing use that energy to pray, read scripture, and reflect on God’s goodness and Christ’s sufficiency.
- Maybe we have more than one thing that distracts us. Consider having a morning thing or two and an afternoon thing or two. Abstain from those things and turn to God in prayer this day.
- We might consider writing down your thoughts and feelings throughout the day as we wrestle with the discipline of this “fast.” Pay particular attention to how God might be speaking to you through the Holy Spirit. After all, prayer is not just about us talking but also about us listening.
- And where appropriate, perhaps we could share our fasting journey with others in our faith community. We become stronger through community and authenticity. Others may benefit from hearing our stories.
Thanks for your partnership, participation and investment in this season of prayer, and may God bless each of us as we seek to follow Jesus and serve Him with passion and joy!
Faithfully,
Dave Steane
Transitional Executive Pastor