Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”. . . Matthew 6:16–18
“Fasting”
In this section of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus again uses the word “hypocrites” in connection with fasting. The term describes people who perform religious devotion in order to gain attention, praise, or social status. They act as though they are on a stage, putting on a display for an audience rather than sincerely seeking God from the heart. Jesus’ warning against hypocrisy is a call to authenticity: God is concerned not only with outward religious practice, but also with the motives that shape it.
As Jesus concludes his teaching on the three familiar practices of Jewish piety — giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting — he turns to the spiritual discipline of fasting. Continuing his warning against religious exhibitionism, Jesus exposes the performative sorrow of people who deliberately make their fasting visible in order to draw attention. Instead, he calls his disciples to a quiet and unpretentious practice: fasting isn’t a public stage for spiritual pride, but a private, bodily expression of dependence on God and hunger for his help. The Father, who sees in secret, sees the sincere heart behind the discipline.
In the Bible, people fast in response to something sacred God is doing. Fasting marks moments so serious that eating would be inappropriate. Jesus encourages these occasions for fasting, but he warns against making a show of it. What does religious hypocrisy look like? Explore three examples from Jesus in Matthew 6:1–8 and his warnings about the temptation to become a hypocrite. Here you can watch an exceptional video clip from BibleProject titled “Warnings about Religious Practices” (6 minutes).
Before exploring how Jesus reframes fasting, it’s vital to keep in mind the core themes carrying over from our look at vv. 5–15: the rejection of religious theater and the embrace of childlike dependence. Whether Jesus was correcting the frantic, manipulative babbling of pagan prayer or giving us the revolutionary, God-centered blueprint of the Lord’s Prayer, his message remains identical. True faith is never about impressing a crowd with eloquent words or pious posturing; it’s about stripping away pretense, resting in the care of our heavenly Father, and aligning our hearts completely with his holiness and grace.
Watch this video clip by Jesus Film Project that depicts Matthew 6:1–18; of Jesus’ famous sermon (3 minutes).
Before discussing Jesus’ instructions, it’s helpful to understand what fasting is. In its most basic biblical sense, fasting is voluntarily going without food for a time in order to give focused attention to God. In Scripture, people fasted in response to grief, repentance, danger, urgent need, mourning, worship, or a desire to seek God’s wisdom and direction. Fasting doesn’t earn God’s favor or force him to act. It’s one way of expressing that a matter before God is so serious that ordinary eating is set aside for a time in order to pray, listen, repent, and depend on him more fully.
Fasting should be undertaken with wisdom. It’s not a competition in spiritual toughness, a way of punishing the body, or a requirement that every believer must practice in the same way. Children, people who are pregnant or nursing, individuals with diabetes or other medical conditions, people taking medications that require food, and those with a present or past eating disorder shouldn’t begin a food fast without appropriate medical and pastoral guidance. A person may choose another meaningful fast — such as abstaining from social media, entertainment, unnecessary spending, or another normal comfort — in order to create prayerful attention and dependence on God.
The Counterfeit Grief of Performative Fasting (6:16)
As Jesus arrives at the final pillar of traditional Jewish piety in v. 16 — fasting — he exposes the same spiritual sickness he found in giving and praying: the temptation to turn a sacred, internal devotion into an external performance. He unmasks how easily religious discipline can be twisted into a theatrical bid for human sympathy and admiration.
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full” (v. 16, NIV).
The Theater of Religious Gloom In the ancient world, fasting was sometimes accompanied by outward signs of mourning or grief. People might neglect normal grooming, wear rough clothing, or use ashes as a sign of sorrow and humility. Jesus’ concern isn’t with sincere mourning before God. He confronts people who deliberately exaggerate their appearance so that others will notice their fasting and regard them as unusually devout. They’ve turned a private act of humility into a public display. Rather than seeking God, they’re seeking to be seen as spiritual by the crowd.
The Emptiness of a Performed Fast Fasting can be a sincere expression of human dependence and soul-hunger directed toward God. But when ego takes control, self-denial can become a way of feeding self-importance. Jesus repeats the sober refrain used earlier in the chapter: “They have received their reward in full.” If admiration from people is the purpose of fasting, then admiration is the only reward received. Human applause is limited and short-lived. Jesus invites his disciples to seek instead the lasting approval and fellowship of their Father God.
Jesus’ words invite a searching question: What do I want others to think about me when they see my religious life? The temptation may not involve visibly disfiguring our faces, but it can appear in more subtle forms. We may mention our fasting repeatedly, post about it for attention, speak in a way that makes sure people notice our sacrifice, or quietly enjoy being regarded as especially disciplined or spiritual. Jesus isn’t condemning an honest explanation when someone asks why we’re declining a meal, nor is he forbidding a church from announcing a shared season of prayer and fasting. He’s exposing the desire to use devotion as a means of gaining admiration.
Looking Back at Your Previous Fasts Before we move on to Jesus’ instructions in vv. 17–18, it may be helpful to reflect on our own experience. If you’ve fasted from food — or chosen for a spiritual purpose to abstain from a normal comfort such as shopping, smoking, or social media — pause to remember that experience. Why did you decide to do it? Was it prompted by a genuine desire to seek God, to pray about a serious need, to repent, or to grow in dependence on him? Or was it shaped more by routine, guilt, a desire to feel spiritually disciplined, or even a subtle hope that others would notice your dedication? Honest reflection about our motives isn’t meant to shame us; it helps us bring mixed motives into the light and ask God to purify our hearts.
Communing with the Father Before, During, and After Next, consider the prayerful rhythm of the experience. To what extent did you communicate with God before you began, while you were fasting, and after the fast ended? A biblical fast isn’t meant to be a standalone test of willpower or an empty physical exercise. It’s an opportunity to turn ordinary hunger, discomfort, cravings, or distraction into reminders to pray and depend on the Father. Before beginning, we may bring our purpose honestly to him. During the fast, we can ask for his help and direct our attention toward the need that has led us to fast. When the fast ends, we can receive food or another restored comfort with gratitude, thanking God for what he’s provided and for what he’s shown us about our hearts.
The Secret Joy of Authentic Fasting (6:17–18)
Concluding his teaching on the three pillars of piety — giving, praying, and fasting — Jesus offers the antidote to religious showmanship in vv. 17–18. He redirects his disciples away from public posturing and into a posture of joyful, unpretentious devotion where physical hunger is kept strictly between the believer and the Father.
“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (vv. 17–18, NIV).
The Radical Call to Ordinary Joy To counter the gloomy, disfigured faces of the hypocrites, Jesus gives a surprisingly counterintuitive command: “put oil on your head and wash your face.” In ancient Judea, anointing the head with oil and washing up were part of daily grooming and hygiene, especially for festive occasions. Jesus is instructing his disciples to look completely normal, energetic, and clean. Instead of advertising their self-denial to draw sympathy, they’re to carry themselves with normalcy. The physical discomfort of fasting remains between the soul and God, while outward appearances remain unpretentious and free from theatrical gloom.
The Intimacy of the Unseen Audience Just as he promised with secret giving and private prayer, Jesus anchors this final teaching in the comforting reality of an observant, loving God: “your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.” Fasting isn’t about torturing the body to earn spiritual credit; it’s an act of spiritual realignment. By refusing the cheap reward of human applause, the disciple steps into a deeper, uncorrupted communion with the heavenly Father. The true reward of fasting is a renewed, vibrant soul-hunger satisfied by God’s grace alone.
Jesus isn’t establishing a rule that every fast must be unknown to every other person. Scripture includes occasions of corporate fasting, and churches may rightly call people to pray and fast together in a time of need, repentance, discernment, or ministry. Families may also need to know about a fast for practical reasons. The central issue is motive. Even when fasting is shared or known by others, the disciple’s goal isn’t to gain a reputation for holiness, discipline, or sacrifice.
The Father’s “reward” shouldn’t be treated as a guaranteed spiritual feeling, a material benefit, or an answer to prayer on our preferred timetable. Jesus points us to the Father’s approval, fellowship, and forming work in the hidden life. A sincere fast can help us recognize our dependence, turn from distractions, intensify prayer, examine our hearts, and remember that our deepest need isn’t merely physical provision but God himself. The purpose isn’t to become impressive; it’s to become more attentive and responsive to God.
Practical Application of This Sermon Passage (6:16–18)
† Begin with the purpose, not the menu. Before choosing a fast, ask God why you’re to fast. Is there a need for repentance, wisdom, prayer for someone in crisis, renewed dependence on God, or freedom from distraction? Fasting is most helpful when it’s joined with prayer and a sincere desire to seek God.
† Choose a wise and realistic form of fasting. If you’re medically able, you may choose to skip one meal, fast for part of a day, or set aside a specific period for prayer. If a food fast is unwise for you, choose another ordinary comfort to set aside for a time — social media, television, entertainment, shopping, or another habit that regularly occupies your attention.
† Keep the focus between you and God. Don’t use fasting as a way to gain recognition, sympathy, or a reputation for spiritual intensity. You may explain your choice when necessary, but resist the urge to advertise the sacrifice. Let the hunger, inconvenience, or interruption become a reminder to pray and turn your attention toward the Father.
† Let fasting lead to love and obedience. A fast that leaves us impatient, self-righteous, harsh toward others, or proud of our discipline has missed its purpose. Ask God to use the practice to deepen humility, generosity, self-control, compassion, repentance, and readiness to obey his will.
Conclusion
Matthew 6:16–18 completes Jesus’ teaching about giving, praying, and fasting. In each practice, he exposes the same danger: religious devotion can be distorted when we seek the attention and praise of people rather than the approval of our Father. Jesus doesn’t reject generosity, prayer, or fasting. He calls his disciples to practice them with sincere hearts, quietly and faithfully before God.
Fasting is a gift that can help us slow down, acknowledge our weakness, seek God’s guidance, confess sin, and renew our dependence on him. Yet its value doesn’t rest in how difficult the fast is, how long it lasts, or whether anyone notices. The Father sees what’s done in secret. As we seek him without performance or pretense, he forms in us the humility and wholehearted devotion that no public display can create.
- Q. 1 When you think about fasting, what purpose or need in your life might make this spiritual discipline meaningful rather than merely difficult?
- Q. 2 Are you ever tempted to let people notice your service, sacrifice, prayer, or spiritual discipline? What might quiet faithfulness before the Father look like in that area?
- Q. 3 What’s one wise and realistic form of fasting — or abstaining from a normal comfort — that could create more time and attention for prayer this week?
Are you ready to take Warren’s 25-question Sermon on the Mount quiz? Answers with Bible references are included with your grade.