Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.
Matthew 6:16 (CSB)
First, what fasting is, in case the word is new. Fasting is going without food for a while on purpose, and praying during the time we’d usually eat. Believers have done it for thousands of years.
Jesus says “whenever you fast.” Not “if.” He expects His people to do it sometimes. But He warns us about how.
In His day, people made their fasting obvious. Messy hair, a dirty face, a long suffering look. Everyone would know they were being extra spiritual. Jesus calls that acting. The fast was real. The suffering face was a costume. They wanted people to notice, and people did. Jesus says that’s all they get. The attention was the whole reward. Nothing from God.
We’re tempted to do our own version of this. We give something up, then make sure it gets mentioned. We serve, then talk about how tired we are. Whatever reward we chase is the only reward we get.
So we keep the cost quiet. What we give up for God stays between us and God. He sees. He doesn’t miss anything done for Him.
And fasting has a meaning bigger than hunger. Jesus called Himself the bridegroom and said His people would fast when He was taken away (Matthew 9:15). He was taken away, on the cross, for us. So when believers fast, it means: we miss Him. We want Him more than food. One day He’ll be back, and we won’t have to miss Him anymore.