You Have To Feast To Fast

We are entering into Lent season, which is the 40 days of fasting before Easter. Usually people are trying to figure out what they will give up during the Lent season. Although I have never studied the history behind Lent I do know that the primary intention is to sacrifice something for the 40 days leading up to Easter.  For me and my family we call it the Atonement season where we spend 40 nights together as a family and study all the different aspects to the atonement at the same time fasting from something. It's not about what I can give up for God but rather what God gave up for me. So it's not a time of fasting or doing without, as much as it is a time of feasting on what God has done for us.

Mark 2:18-22 some people came to Jesus and asked “why are John's disciples and the Pharisees fasting, and your disciples do not fast”? And Jesus answered “because the bridegroom is here and the wedding guests do not fast while bridegroom is here” so it's like Jesus saying it's not about what the disciples need to give up but more of what Jesus was giving the disciples; and what Jesus was giving his disciples was… Himself.

Additionally, Jesus goes into explaining what fasting is by saying, “no one sews a new patch an old clothing and no one puts new wine into old wine skins” this was the way that Jesus chose to talk about a new way of fasting. If you sew a new patch on old clothing, when you wash it the patch will shrink thus making a bigger hole. In the same way if you put new wine in old wine skins the wine will expand and will burst the wine skin. So, what is Jesus saying? How does this explain fasting? I believe Jesus was saying do not mix the new with the old and He was talking about fasting when he was explaining this.

So what is the new way of fasting? And what is the old way of fasting? I believe the old way of fasting is doing without, abstinence, giving something up. So what is the new way of fasting? I believe it's feasting in His presence, doing with, indulging in God's love. In John 16 Jesus tells His disciples, “it's to your advantage that I go so the Holy Spirit can come to you” it was like Jesus was telling his disciples that the Holy Spirit will be a better help to you to dwell in the presence of the living God.

The bottom line for me is I am going to spend the next 40 days feasting on the glory of the atonement as I fast from food. So it's like I have to feast to fast. One of my primary sins in my life is gluttony. I can’t look at my sin of gluttony and believe, “I need to stop sinning”, or “I need to give up this sin”. Or figure out ways to say no to my sin. I need to believe that a yes to God is a no to my sin. A yes to God is an automatic fast from my sin. I need to believe that feasting in the presence of the living God is enough for me. It is not about what I give up for God, but what God gave me. It's not about what I sacrifice but what Jesus sacrificed.

I invite you to this atonement feast journey as I will be posting what I am hearing from God through out the 40 days