READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary | Lent is a season of reflecting on the life, ministry and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days and overcame temptation in preparation for the kingdom work he was to do, before going to the cross.
It is therefore also our posture during lent, to set ourselves apart and prepare ourselves for the purposes that God has for us. During lent, one key spiritual discipline is fasting. But how do we balance fasting and feasting?
The Scripture text of Luke 6:20-26 is the sermon on the plain which presents an upside-down kingdom of God. In verse 21 and 25, we see two great reversals. In verse 21, we see that those who hunger now will be satisfied. In verse 25, we see that those who are well-fed now, will be hungry.
Hunger Well
Blessed are you who hunger now for you will be satisfied (v21). The real issue Jesus is highlighting is not just hunger but the satisfaction we all long for. “We are never enough people, living in a never enough world” (Miroslav Volf). Deep within, there is a longing to be satisfied in our identity, purpose and worth. We try to find satisfaction in our accomplishments and relationships, but it is never enough.
At the core, we are not meant to be satisfied by the things of this world. Our hearts are like a God-shaped vacuum that can only be filled by God through Christ. The hunger goes beyond food, it is a figure of spiritual desire. Our souls long for righteousness and a right relationship with God. We know we are forgiven and set right with God and with one another.
Why spend money on bread that does not satisfy? (Is 55:2) Jesus, the bread of life, is the only one who can truly satisfy our spiritual hunger. Let us hunger for the eternal things and not just the temporal. When we make the good things in life the ultimate, we miss the point because God is the only one who can truly satisfy. God has a plan and purpose. When Christ returns, we will hunger and thirst no more. (Rev 7:16)
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that directs our hunger to God. Fasting helps us to hunger well. Whatever we fast from creates an emptiness to be filled by God. We surrender our desire for instant gratification and find true satisfaction in God. In fasting, we break the power of the flesh to control us and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us. We learn to be joyful, even when we do not get what we want. We practice suffering and through it, increase our capacity for joy in all circumstances. (John Mark Comer) When we look to God to satisfy, it gives us a kind of joy that the world cannot give. We discover areas of our soul most in need of grace. This opens us to God in surprising ways. We need both the disciplines of abstinence and engagement.
Fasting is a means of God’s transforming grace. Fasting does not change us. It is God’s grace through fasting that transforms us. The focus is not on the fast, but the encounter of God through the fast. God’s grace orients us to the eternal, instead of being earthly minded. There is long-term transformation instead of just short-term piety. We are no longer bound by our attachments, when God’s grace does a deeper work in us.
Fasting is a way of empathy for others. Fasting allows us to deeply identify with others. It does not only remind us of our lack, but shows us what it means to be someone lacking. Fasting leads us to real empathy for the unjustly treated and leads us to righteous action. It teaches us to care and to share — to loose the chains of injustice, share food with the hungry and provide shelter and clothing for those in need. (Is 58) When fasting, we need to stay reverent and humble, avoid self-attention and be intentional, not legalistic.
Eat Well
Jesus not only fasted, but also feasted very well. Much of what we know about Jesus happens around food and hospitality. (Lk 5,7,9,10,11,14,19,22,24) Jesus himself said, the son of man comes eating and drinking and you call me a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors. “Jesus teaches at a meal, forgives at the table, welcomes sinners at the table, breaks bread with someone who will betray him, and reveals himself after he is resurrected, at a table.” (Ian Simkins)
Feasting is a way of hospitality to bring God’s grace and kindness. It represents tables of grace, hope and redemption. Jesus’s feasting was a way of extending God’s love. We too can bless others through a meal with them around the table.
Self-indulgent feasting without regard for the needs of others has spiritual consequences. Eating well is never about self-indulgence or prideful enjoyment. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. (v25) Jesus warns that if we are well fed and disregard the needs of others, there will be a woe pronounced for eternity. This is well illustrated in the parables of the rich fool (Lk 12:13-21) and the master returning from the banquet (Lk 12:35-48), and the accounts of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31) and scribes who treated others unjustly (Lk 20: 45-47). Jesus reminds us that looking to the hunger and needs of others is a criterion of our own authentic discipleship.
Feasting points to the eventual reality of the new heaven and earth. Feasting at God’s heavenly banquet presents a picture of fullness and satisfaction in the eventual reality of the new heaven and earth. (Is 25:6-8) Jesus promises to swallow up death and wipe away all tears and there will be a great heavenly banquet waiting for us. We too can allow someone else to get a foretaste of heaven.
Let us be thankful for the food we eat because it is the word of God that makes the food on the table possible. Let us spare a thought for someone who needs to eat, create an inclusive table as we eat and befriend and bless the poor and needy through our COSC ministry.
May we hunger well and eat well this Lent; as we give glory to God through both our fasting and our feasting.
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Study Scripture
a. Read Luke 6:21 and 6:25. What stands out to you? - Recall Sermon
a. Why is fasting a way of hungering well?
b. What are the three applications for fasting? Which spoke to you?
c. Is God calling you to fast this Lent? What are you to fast from?
d. What does Jesus do with his feasting in the book of Luke?
e. How can we feast well?
f. How can you extend hospitality through your meals this Lent? - Relate Personally
a. What about the message that really spoke to you?
b. What is one discipleship lesson gleaned from the sermon? - Commit to Action
a. In what ways is God calling you to act in response to the message?
b. What steps will you take this week to apply the lessons learned from the sermon?
