On Fasting and Lutheranism
Fasting is an ancient Christian discipline that has always been used as part and parcel of a life of prayer and meditation on God’s Word. Where it went wrong, and goes wrong, is when fasts are proscribed, commanded, ordered by the Church, where the Church makes “regulations” and, even worse, when fasting is said to provide some kind of grace and merit for the folks fasting. So, that’s the “bad news” about fasting.
Lutherans have done a very fine job pointing out the dangers, errors and problems with community fasting, and any view of fasting that would imply that we merit some special favor or grace from God by fasting. And such dangers abound, every bit as much as anyone who prays, thinking that by praying, they are winning points with God, or if somebody thinks that if they follow a daily pattern of prayer they are somehow “more spiritual” or “better” or that they somehow are making themselves more pleasing to God.
Yes, Lutherans have done, and do, a very job of warning against all the ways we can take a wrong turn in our lives of personal prayer and devotion to our Lord.
Have Lutherans however forgotten that fasting, in itself, is not harmful, wrong, bad or otherwise? Have we forgotten that there is a long history of fasting being used amongst Lutherans? I think we may have.
Our Lord Christ assumes His disciples fast. He says to us, “When you pray….” and “When you fast….” not: “If you pray….” or “If you fast….” So, then why do Christians fast? What is the value of fasting?
The Augsburg Confession puts matters nicely, in very proper and good balance, in Article 26 where we read:
subdue himself with bodily restraints, or bodily exercises and
labors that neither satiety nor slothfulness tempt him to sin,
but not that we may merit grace or make satisfaction for sins
by such exercises. 34] And such external discipline ought
to be urged at all times, not only on a few and set days. So
Christ commands, 35] Luke 21:34: Take heed lest your
hearts 36] be overcharged with surfeiting; also Matt.
17:21: This kind goeth not out but 37] by prayer and
fasting. Paul also says, 1 Cor. 9:27: I keep under my body
and bring it into subjection. 38] Here he clearly shows
that he was keeping under his body, not to merit forgiveness
of sins by that discipline, but to have his body in subjection
and fitted for spiritual things, and for the discharge of duty
according 39] to his calling. Therefore, we do not condemn
fasting in itself, but the traditions which prescribe certain
days and certain meats, with peril of conscience, as though
such works were a necessary service.
Here again we recognize that Lutheranism is wonderfully free from legalistic throwing out of the baby with the bathwater and it heartily embraces all that is good in the Church’s history and probably frustrates the living daylights out of both Protestants and Roman/Eastern Christians as well. Why? We praise and extol the virtues of the good aspects of the life of prayer and fasting, we condemn any attempt to make laws, regulations and rules about it.
It is however true that when it comes to fasting a certain “Romaphobia” has taken hold and we are often more quick to speak negatively about fasting and slow to speak of its value and benefits.
For instance, a Baptist blogger I’m aware of set out recently to find fault with fasting and got himself quite exercised over it, to the point he tried to assert that fasting is an Old Testament thing. Huh? Wrong. He corrected himself finally, but it was sad to see that he was quick to reject and condemn fasting’s errors, finally only paying faint lip service to it, but then went on to praise a book on spiritual discipline. What spiritual discipline? Journalling. Go figure.
My point, made recently to a good friend with whom I’ve been having a vigorous conversation about this, is that even as we must continue very clearly to reject and condemn anything that would give the impression fasting is a “requirement” for a “good Christian” and even as we make clear that the Church has no ability from her Lord to make commands about fasting, we should also take time to make clear that fasting is a good practice and one that is to be urged and encouraged as part of our prayer life.
How have Lutherans fasted historically and today? Many Lutherans have adopted a long-honored practice of consuming no food or drink until they partake of the Lord’s Supper, on Sunday. They let the pang of hunger remind them of the deprivations of their Lord and when their stomach reminds them they are hungry, they call to mind our Lord’s words, “Man does not live by bread alone, but from every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” They look forward in anticipation of breaking their fast on Sunday morning with their Lord’s body and blood given them under the bread and wine. They appreciate the chance to think on our Lord’s words about the fact that He is the bread of life.
During Lent it has been the common practice among Lutherans to fast in some way, or another. Perhaps they choose to reduce their food intake and go with smaller meals, perhaps they choose not to eat certain foods on certain days. It is all a matter of personal freedom or choice, not by way of Law.
What is the value of fasting as part our lives of prayer and devotion? Again, when we deprive our bodies of as much food as they are used to [and for most of us chubby/happy Americans that is *way* more food than we need], the pang of hunger sharpens the mind and we can use that experience to think and meditate on God’s Word and Christ’s sacrifice for us.
It’s not “rocket science” but it is beneficial, in this sense. So, even as we rightly reject, condemn and warn about the errors associated with wrong views and uses of fasting, let’s also remember that we Lutherans do understand the value of fasting as part of our lives of prayer and meditation on God’s Word.
I suspect, and of course I may be dead wrong, that folks who express the greatest discomfort about fasting among us, are those who have never really experienced fasting in a way that is praised and extolled in our Lutheran Confessions. Or perhaps they have been “burned” by false views and teachings about fasting and relect those negative experiences. Perhaps, for them, fasting is not appropriate, since it may only raise doubt, and whatever proceeds from doubt, is sin. So, for them, fasting may not be appropriate.
But, let’s not be shy about what we do believe, teach and confess about fasting and other spiritual exercises and disciplines:
“We do not condemn fasting in itself” and “Every Christian ought to train and
subdue himself with bodily restraints, or bodily exercises and
labors.”
Why?
and bring it into subjection. 38] Here he clearly shows
that he was keeping under his body, not to merit forgiveness
of sins by that discipline, but to have his body in subjection
and fitted for spiritual things, and for the discharge of duty
according 39] to his calling.
Now that was VERY well said. Thank you. One other benefit of fasting is that when we are hungry we are standing in solidarity with the poor – who go to bed at night with hunger – and by not eating, we can take the money we would have used on ourselves and give it to share our food with others, and the time we save can be devoted to prayer.
I was wondering who these people are who are subject to proscribed fasting? How horrible that would be. I am fortunate that in Orthodoxy there is economia, that is very different from churches where praying with a person of another confession could get one excommunicated. Some day I hope to find these groups that hear about on the internet all the time. Once and a while I think I have found such a group only to find out that such a group has been misrepresented. I know Lutherans are always being misrepresented by baptist.
I hate the hypocrisy of the fast, one Sunday a couple old Greek women were complaining Father was carrying on to long in his homily. They just wanted to get to lunch at the local Italian Restaurant. Fasting like every other aspect of the Christian struggle is perfected not by our adherence but by Christ. The Good news is that regardless of the cannons of the church Christ grants us economy and forgiveness saving us from all our failure.
Yes, in fasting the body reminds one to pray. That is such a roll reversal for the body, which would usually rather do anything else. Praying the Litany in place of a meal is excellent Lenten devotion. Kneeling while praying is also good bodily discipline.
In Christ,
EE
I like the way in which John Chrysostom looks at the point of fasting by noting other things in addition to food from which we should “fast:” “”Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works…Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin. Let the eye fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful…Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip. Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism. For what good is it if we abstain from fowl and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?”"
I remember reading in Bonhoeffer’s “Letters and Papers From Prison” the hardships he went through without his pipe and his renewed awareness of the weakness of his own flesh. He counted it a valuable spiritual lesson. This is what fasting does for us.
The words of Jesus spoken to the devil (which you quote) have shaped my understanding of fasting. I’ve seen fasting as a means of training myself to remember there is that which is more important than mere food and I have needs that go beyond the earthly and physical (a need for the Word of God).
I love the careful balance of the Augsburg Confession. It counsels the need for fasting in the pursuit of self-discipline and a fitness for spiritual things while ever reminding us that by this we in no way merit grace.
spiritual discipline of journaling? LOL, it would be for me. I would hate to do that. Fasting for me is easy. Anyway, that is really the point. If fasting is hard for someone, maybe he should do it. However, plenty of folks love journaling. So, how would it be a discipline to do something that you find fun? Seriously.
I liked this posting because it shows that not everything that is pious is pietistic and the abuse of any practice does not negate the right use of that practice. I fear that, if we reject every spiritual discipline and practice which has been abused or misused, there will ultimately be nothing left at all.
This has always been a confusing topic for me, but I appreciate this: “the pang of hunger sharpens the mind and we can use that experience to think and meditate on God’s Word and Christ’s sacrifice for us.”
I agree. And I notice personally, that even before I feel that pang of hunger, I pray more often knowing I am going to need extra help to face my day because of the fast.
And then I am convicted that a full stomach makes me so quickly forget my constant need for grace and help.
As a side note, I journal all the time. I must be much holier than I thought I was!