What is the 'kind of fast' that God has chosen for those claiming to be His children?

'Fasting' was a method of religious service practiced by those who considered themselves 'righteous.' It was spoken of in both the Old and New Testaments. It was viewed as a religious duty for those who were devout, spiritual people.

This practice of fasting was as important to Jews in Jesus day as it was in Isaiah's day. Fasting was a practice of ascetics. There have always been those who felt severity was pleasing to God.

What does the scripture have to say about ascetics and severity?

Matthew 9: 10 (NIV) While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.

11. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and `sinners'?"

12. On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

13. But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

14. Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

Isaiah 58:1 (NIV) "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.

2. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 

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 a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on 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 him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8. Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10. and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

11. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

12. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13. "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14. then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."  The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Matthew 9: 35 (NIV) Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

36. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

38. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Matthew 11:4 (NIV) Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:

5. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

6. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

It appears to me things haven't changed significantly among religious types since Isaiah responded to God's call on his life way back in 742 B.C. The name, Isaiah, in Hebrew is YeshaÅyahu (“God Is Salvation”). His name was significant in light of the message of God he delivered.

(The English word, "salvation," comes to us from the Latin, "salus." "Salus: lt.; whole, to be whole, integral, coming together of fragments or parts into completion.")

And that, my friend, is why Jesus came…He is our 'salvation.'

One of the things most distressing to me about Christians in the 21^st Century, is how similar many of them are to the Pharisees of the 1^st Century and the Jews of the 8^th Century B.C.

Micah, also a prophet in the 8^th Century B.C., gave a brief summation of the messages of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah. “and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 (NIV).

Justice, kindness and humility are Biblical standards that were voiced by Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles. It was also the primary message of Jesus to his disciples.

When Jesus was stern, it was toward the religious leaders who were demanding ascetic practices – 'touch not, taste not, handle not …' Colossians 2.21 (KJV). Jesus was tender and compassionate toward the people of the cities, villages and countryside - "preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matt.9:35b-36 (NIV)

The approach Jesus had toward those 'living in sin,' as a religious person today might describe it, was typified in John 4 when he met the Samaritan woman at the well.

Jesus did NOT begin his visit with her by pointing out her sins and sinfulness. Jesus gave her acceptance and hope. She was amazed at his acceptance. She was so thrilled at the hope he extended, even though he knew all about her, that she carried the message to all her friends. Jesus then spent two more days there in the village living among them, showing them – the despised Samaritans; love, acceptance and hope.

This is vastly different from the methods used by many Christians today. There seems to be a fear among righteous people that abortion, homosexuality, drug and alcohol addiction, and sexually transmitted diseases will totally consume humanity. They seem to feel it necessary to do battle against spiritual powers of darkness with anger and denouncements.

Jesus' anger and denouncements were leveled against the religious leaders, not the drunks, whores, prostitutes and swindlers among whom he mingled. Among those who were not welcomed in the synagogues and temple he was loving, kind, gracious, accepting, and forgiving.

In this he couched a message of hope for eternal life and help for a different way of living. This was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets.

In the world of the 8^th Century prophets there was infanticide and atrocities unimaginable to us today. The prophets didn't center their message against the horrors of the society at large. Their message was stern toward those who professed to be children of God, and centered on God's expectation of His children to bring social justice, kindness, and to walk with humility.

Likewise, Jesus didn't address the horrors and atrocities of the Roman world around him. There was an emperor who had set himself up as a god. There was incredible sexual perversion and rampant evil throughout the empire, including the palaces of Palestine . Public killings were considered spectator sport. And, there were many forms of abortion available and used widely throughout Roman society.

Jesus didn't target these things. Jesus didn't rail against the sinfulness of the society, the empire, nor the common people. He brought love, hope, kindness and promise of a better way. He did NOT come to condemn them. He didn't need to point out their sinfulness, they KNEW they were sinners. He didn't need to point out the desperation of their situations. He came to bring 'salvation,' wholeness, to their fragmented and chaotic lives – and hope of eternal life.

John 3:17 (NIV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 20:20 (KJV) And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

 21.  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

 22.  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

 23.  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Perhaps we need to let go of their sins so they can let go of their sins? Human nature being what it is, we tend to be resistant toward those who are antagonistic and critical of us. I don't often want to please those who criticize me. I more often want to please those from whom I feel warmth, love and acceptance.

Let's let go of other's sinfulness and bring them salvation – a wholeness that includes forgiveness, hope and peace. Let's let God be God and do the work of the heart. Conviction, justification, righteousness, sanctification and holiness are all God's domain, not ours.

He has showed us what is good and what He requires of us… (Micah 6:8)