Bible ReadingMatthew 6:16–18Verse 16: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
[44:31]Verse 17: “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,”
[44:31]Verse 18: “that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
[44:31]Isaiah 58Verse 1: “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.”
[53:59]Verse 2: “Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.”
[53:59]Verse 3: “‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.”
[53:59]Verse 4: “Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.”
[53:59]Verse 5: “Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?”
[53:59]Verse 6: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”
[01:08:03]Verse 7: “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
[01:08:03]Verse 8: “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.”
[01:08:03]Verse 9: “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,”
[01:08:03]Verse 10: “if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.”
[01:08:03]Verse 11: “And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
[01:08:03]Verse 12: “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”
[01:08:03]Matthew 6:1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
[52:48]Observation questions- In Matthew 6:16–18, what actions do the hypocrites take to make sure others notice their fasting, and what reward does Jesus say they receive? [51:45]
- What does Jesus tell a person to do differently while fasting, and who is meant to see the fast?
- In Isaiah 58:3–5, what sinful patterns are still present among the people even while they are fasting? [53:59]
- What specific actions toward hungry, oppressed, poor, and vulnerable people does God connect with the fast he chooses in Isaiah 58:6–10? [01:08:03]
Interpretation questions- Why does Jesus connect fasting with the hidden life before the Father rather than with being noticed by other people? What does this reveal about the kind of reward Jesus values? [52:48]
- Isaiah 58 shows people fasting while also exploiting others and fighting with one another. Why would religious self-denial be empty when a person’s treatment of others remains unchanged? [56:16]
- Fasting can express prayer, repentance, dependence, discernment, grief, or longing for God. How does this keep fasting from becoming a way to pressure God to act on someone’s timeline? [47:23]
- Isaiah 58 moves from going without food to sharing food with the hungry. How might a person’s awareness of personal weakness grow compassion for someone else’s need? [01:11:40]
Application questions- What good thing—food, a phone, social media, entertainment, or another comfort—do you most quickly reach for when you feel bored, stressed, anxious, lonely, or sad? What might it look like to let that urge become a prompt to turn toward God? [01:06:14]
- Is there an area of your spiritual life where you are tempted to want others to notice your effort or think well of you? How can you practice generosity, prayer, or fasting with a quieter and more honest heart? [01:14:07]
- If you chose to fast in the coming week, what would be a wise and realistic way to begin—a meal, a portion of a day, technology, or another good comfort? What prayer or need would you bring before God during that time? [01:07:10]
- Fasting is not a way to make God do what someone wants. Are there situations in your life where you feel tempted to treat prayer or spiritual effort like an attempt to gain control? What would trusting God’s wisdom and timing look like there? [53:33]
- What does your usual response to hunger, discomfort, waiting, or craving reveal about the places where self-reliance is strongest? How could those small moments train you to depend on God in harder moments of suffering? [58:28]
- Isaiah 58 calls God’s people to share bread, care for the poor, and loosen burdens of oppression. Is there a tangible need in your neighborhood, workplace, church, or family that you could notice more carefully and respond to with mercy? [01:12:00]
- Who might be a helpful person to ask for prayer, encouragement, or accountability as you seek to grow in fasting without turning it into a performance? How can you share honestly while guarding your heart from seeking approval? [01:13:43]
