Do you feel set up for failure by the stringent fasting regulations of the Church?
Do you feel like prayer rules or “putting your time in” at church is
Have you ever noticed an inconsistency between the gospel reading and the liturgical practices of the church?
For example, a few Sundays ago, the gospel tell us not to be like the Pharisee who bragged about following the rules . . . yet the Orthodox Church gives us a lot of rules.
So, what’s going on?
The Church, like scripture, functions to convict us of our shortcomings.
The Good News is that when we realize we’ve fallen short, we are able to see the true path towards salvation: putting our trust in God’s grace.
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If you’re like me, you saw many of your friends with ashes on their foreheads last Wednesday.
In the Western Church–as well as in Western-Rite Orthodoxy–it was “Ash Wednesday,” the beginning of Lent for them.
In their tradition, they save the palm branches from last year’s Palm Sunday, burn them, add a bit of oil and, then, the priest makes a cross on your forehead.
The ashes remind us of our own mortality.
“You are dust and to
But, it also ushers in Great Lent for them, which, traditionally, is a time of fasting.
And, they read the same passage from Matthew that the Orthodox read on Forgiveness Sunday
“ And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. . . . But when you fast . . . wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others . . .” (Matthew 6:16-18 NRSV)
It seems ironic.
The gospel tells us to maintain our normal appearance when fasting . . . yet, the day they begin the fast, Christians walk around with ashes on their foreheads
What’s going on?
This got me thinking. Does our church also have this sort of irony?
I think it does.
On the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, the Gospel reading teaches us taught not to practice our piety in public and boast about fasting like the Pharisee did.
So, the Church makes that week fast free.
But, if the Pharisee was all about following the rules, and now the rule is that Wednesday and Friday are fast free, haven’t we just continued to be the Pharisee?
On those fast free days, should we rebel and fast instead?
Then, last Sunday, right before we began the fast, the epistle is from 1 Corinthians,
“Brothers and sisters, food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.”
So, what does the Church do?
It gives us a food rule as if it’ll commend us to God!
In cases like this, it seems as if the Church purposely wants us to fail!
Is there a way to reconcile all of this?
I think there is.
Today’s reading comes from a larger thought unit often called the Sermon on the Mount.
Here Jesus doesn’t do away with the
- No longer is it enough not to murder someone, now it’s a problem to even be upset with them.
- No longer is it enough not to commit adultery, now it’s a problem to even think lustful thoughts.
- No longer is it enough to make an oath, you have to abide by every “yes” or “no” you say.
- No longer are you able to take just revenge, now you have to give a thief your coat if they want it.
- No longer are you able only to love your neighbor, but now you have to love your enemies as well.
Jesus sets the bar extremely high.
In fact, this section ends by saying,
“You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48 GNT)
Any rational person will say, “That’s all well and good, but it’s impossible! There’s no way I can be perfect like God. After all, I’m only human!”
That’s exactly the point!
The teaching brings us to the realization that we can’t do it on our own. We just aren’t able to follow the Law as we’re supposed to.
St. Paul understood this and quoted Psalms to get his point across
“ There is no one who is righteous, no one who is wise or who worships God. All have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12 GNT)
But there is a solution!
“But now God’s way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence.” (Romans 3:21-23 GNT)
The Law convicts us of our own shortcomings so that we don’t put our trust in our own ability to do everything perfectly.
Instead , we trust in Christ, who frees us from bondage.
I think the church, in her wisdom, is doing the same thing.
In the Eastern tradition, fast free days after the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee show us that as hard as we might try, we’re really a hypocrite, playacting like the Pharisee.
And, we have a strict Lenten fasting rule that
Nothing we do on our own can put us right with God.
And, the Church, in little ways, constantly reminds us of that.
God’s mercy, love, and grace are what puts us right with him.
This is why we, as Orthodox Christians, read Matthew 6:14-21 the day before the Fast begins.
Because we depend on God’s mercy, we have mercy on others.
“If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
Since our works—fasting, prayer, and the like—don’t save us (though we’re still commanded to strive to do these things), the Gospel reading reminds us that we should do these things in private.
“And when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair, so that others cannot know that you are fasting—only your Father, who is unseen, will know. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)
In the end, the Good News is that we place our trust in God because only he has the power to save us.
As luck would have it, this is exactly how the Sermon on the Mount ends.
“This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn’t
life worth more than food? And isn’t the body worth more than clothes? . . . So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ . . . Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings. (Matthew 6:25, 31-34 GNT)
So, I’m wondering . . .
Has there been a time when you did something you thought we make you righteous and acceptable to God?
What fears do you have that hold you back from fully trusting in God?
How can you let go of your worries to trust in God?
Father Dustin thank you for sharing this. For many years I have fasted and people viewed me as being ill. So this year my Lenten Journey looks very different I watch what I eat since January because I work out at the gym. I believe the church at times contradicts us, but I believe its more of the people who make church that puts us in those gray areas we call sin. What I mean by this is simply there are people in our faith communities who truly want to “be church” and an ever growing population of people who desire to “play church”, the ones who desire to “play” do it at the cost sadly of others. When people speak to me regarding their fears of game players, I simply remind them of God’ unconditional love. I love the gospel reading of Luke 13: 31-35 where Jesus outs Herod as a “fox” and Jesus cry to the city of Jerusalem. Thanks again Father I look forward to your post!
Sadly, I think you’re right, there are people who “play church” and those who want to “be church.” But ultimately, the message is the same: God loves us all.
Amen 🙏
My fast looks different this year also. I trust and pray that whatever we do for the fast in honour of our God will strengthen us and lead us closer to Him.
Amen, Paul!