The Temptation of Food
Read: Matthew 4:1-4
When we think of fasting, we generally think of not eating or drinking anything at all; something we often have to do before medical tests. That is a medical fast, not a spiritual discipine. Not eating or drinking anything at all for days on end is not spirituality, it is starvation. It can lead to serious medical consequences or even death, especially if you get lightheaded and have an automobile accident as a result. If you are thinking of this kind of fast, don’t do it. Fasting for religious purposes should consist of a diet that is balanced and nutritious, and if you do it right, it only has two downsides: monotony and cravings. Fasting turns your belly into a sort of snooze alarm. Every time you crave whatever you have omitted from your diet, you pray instead.
For details, you can read about prayer and fasting on this website.
If you fast correctly, there are only two downsides, which are monotony and cravings. At some point in your fast, you will quaver. You might cave into a craving by indulging yourself, as a way of congratulating yourself on being so faithful with your fast. At first, you become very disappointed with yourself, so you rationalize it as a sign that you can’t keep up this fasting and prayer for such a long period of time. You decide to end it right then and there and count what you’ve done so far as your Lenten observance. That works fine on an intellectual level, but it still feels like a defeat. It isn’t a defeat, it is just a lapse that you have to confess, then restart your fast.
Remind yourself that we all mess up now and then. Don’t let this little mistake derail your spiritual discipline. Get back on the horse that threw you, so to speak, or you will never learn how to ride. Confess your lapse, then pick up your discipline of prayer and fasting where you left off.
Who Should Not Fast
There are three classes of people who should not fast during Lent:
- Children
- People over 65
- People who are sick
- People whose doctors tell them not to fast
Please ask your doctor before fasting.
When You Should Take a Break From Your Fast
- Do not fast on Sunday
- Do not fast in public
- Don’t be rude at a friend’s house
There is one day a week on which you must never fast, and that is Sunday. Sunday is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. It is inappropriate to fast at a feast. This is why the Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter are called Sundays in Lent
rather than Sundays of Lent.
In a way, Sundays interrupt Lent.
Remember Matthew 6:16, and do not make a spectacle of your Lenten discipline. If your Lenten discipline is for show, it counts for nothing at all.
Eating at a Friend’s House
If you are at a friend’s house for dinner, eat everything they serve, just don’t gorge yourself on seconds. You know how it goes under other circumstances:
They say, Wouldn’t you like another helping of rutabagas?
or whatever. No matter how much you love and crave what they offer, etiquette requires you to turn it down, at which point they insist. Then you pretend to cave in. During Lent, even if you absolutely love rutabagas, just say that the food was so filling and delicious that you can’t eat another bite.
Eating at a Public Gathering
If you go to lunch with friends, you can still keep your fast by claiming that you aren’t hungry for this or that when you are ordering from a menu. You could even just order a salad, but bear in mind that since salads are very popular these days, restaurants often put an entree on a bed of lettuce and call it a salad. In other words, don’t order the rack of lamb salad.
Don’t be fooled. Be mindful of what the salad
includes. Order one that fits your spiritual discipline.
Prayer
Lord God, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, I confess that I messed up, pure and simple. I forgot my discipline of prayer and I let my appetite overcome my fast. Please forgive me, remind me of my commitment, and strengthen my resolve. This I ask in Jesus’ Name, because He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
Amen