Christ Did Not Need the Approval of Man, for He Knew What Was in Man
“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (KJV, Matt. 6:16-18).
“Moreover when ye fast”
Father, I thank You for the guidance that You have given me in Your Word. I thank You for the many ways that You seek to show me the direction in which I ought to go. I thank You for the work of Christ and the example of my Savior. I pray that, for today, You would make me like Him, and that You would help me to listen to my Good Shepherd.
I see in Your Word that it is clear that there is an intended purpose for fasting in my life. I am also aware that fasting is much different than the normal spiritual disciplines of reading Your Word and praying. While I can read and pray every day, I cannot fast every day or I would die. On other end, if I read my Bible and pray every day, it will surely lead to life.
Nevertheless, I see that You would desire for me to fast. I pray that You would help me to learn more about the topic, as well as seasons worthy of fasting.
“be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance”
I also see that the Pharisees did not fast as they ought to have. I also see in the context of this verse that they did not pray or give money as they ought to have. It was not as though the Pharisees did not fast, for they did. It was not as though they did not pray, for they did. It was not as though they did not give, for they did.
But when they did these things, they did them hypocritically. Father, I pray that I would not put on a mask in front of others so that I would be seen by them. I pray that I would not seek man’s approval as the Pharisees did. Instead, I pray that I would be concerned with Your eyes and that I would be pleasing in Your sight.
“for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast”
Here, I can see that the Pharisees used to make themselves look as though they were fasting. I also see that they would pray loudly and give when people were looking. I see in my heart a temptation that is much like that of the Pharisees. I pray that I would not pray like the Pharisee did, as though I am much better than others.
I know that there is a temptation in my own heart to be seen by others. There is a great temptation that I would be praised by man. But, Father, I pray that You would guard my heart and guard the deposit that You have entrusted to me. Make me like Christ, Who did not need the approval of man, for He knew what was in man.
“Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward”
I thank You, Lord Jesus, that You desire to teach me hard truths. I thank You that You care enough about me to show me the way and not just tell me what I want to hear. I thank You that when You came to earth, You came to seek and to save the lost.
I see in Your instruction that the Pharisees were rewarded for the their actions. When they prayed loudly in front of others, they were rewarded. When the Pharisees gave in front of others, they were rewarded for their actions. When they fasted in front of others, they were rewarded yet again.
However, you make it clear that the reward they received is not the reward that I ought to seek. You tell me that the reward that they received was the reward that they sought, which was the praise of man. Man looked upon the Pharisees as the religious elite, and the Pharisees were overwhelmed with religious pride.
But no matter how highly the people thought of the Pharisees, You are a God Who does not look on outward appearance but into the heart. You are a God Who sees all things and knows all things. The Pharisees received their reward, but I pray that I would seek a different reward.
“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face”
Father, I thank You that You do not leave me wondering about how I can earn a heavenly reward without giving me an answer to the question. You tell me that when I fast, I must anoint my head with oil and wash my face. I also recognize that the instruction given here is not a strict command, but that it gets to the heart of the matter.
I see that You are telling me I ought to hide the fact that I am fasting instead of letting the world know. I see that You are primarily concerned about my heart and why I am fasting, rather than if I am fasting.
“That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret”
I also see that You are a God Who is in secret. I pray that You would make this fact evident in my heart. I pray that You would place this truth deep within my soul and that it would saturate my every deed. I pray that You would remove secret sins far from me and that I would be convicted of the fact that You are a God Who sees in secret.
Please help me to be a genuine person. Father, I pray that I would not be like the Pharisees who You labeled as hypocrites. I pray that You would work on me from the inside, Father, and that my heart would be a place of worship unto You. I pray that I would be consistent, Lord, and that You would be honored and glorified in my life.
“and thy Father, which seeth in secret”
I thank You for adopting me as Your child. I am not estranged from You. I am not distant. I am not far off. You also do not desire that I would isolate myself from You. You have called me to Yourself in an amazing way. You are my Father, and I pray that I would make much of this fact. I pray that I would come to You as my Father and delight in You as my Father. I pray that I would depend on You as my Father and seek Your guidance as my Father.
You are an amazing God. Why You wanted to bring me into a relationship with You in which I could truthfully call You my Father, I may never be able to grasp entirely. You love me, Father, and this I know for certain. I have wronged You in many ways, but You are still my Father, and I rejoice in this fact.
“ shall reward thee openly”
I also see that there is much to gain from living for You. As though having God throughout all eternity was not enough, there are also rewards to consider. You tell me that when I live for You and do good works for Your glory, You will surely reward me.
I pray that I would be a seeker of You and Your rewards, rather than a seeker of man’s praise and the fleeting rewards that it brings. Teach me how to seek Your face and fight against temptation. Teach me how I can be more like Christ in the midst of this broken and fallen world.
I pray that I would stand out for You, while also not seeking the praise of man. Help me to this end, I pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.