Fear, Exhaustion, Prayer, Fasting - Being Human 3

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

While in this short break from continuing through the Psalms I am searching for the times when Jesus is recorded praying. Because prayer and fasting might be considered reinforcement to each other I must include times Jesus spoke about fasting as well. Though I may be corrected after the forty days of fasting (no prayer mentioned) to begin His ministry I don't recall anytime that Jesus was recorded after that of actually fasting. There were times He spoke on fasting and He and His disciples were spoken against because they weren't known for fasting. There was even a time when Jesus said, after casting out a demon, that it couldn't be cast out without prayer and fasting. That would lead us to believe that He had fasted before casting out that demon. So I keep looking to see what more there is in the life of Jesus.

Matthew 7 (Mark 2,Luke 5) is where when questioned by Pharisees about when they, the Pharisees and John's diciples were fasting as to why Jesus and His disciples didn't fast. Though His answer sounded crytic to them it gave them something to ponder, the friends of the bridegroom don't fast when the bridegroom is present.

As was noted from the sermon on the mount before about praying (Matthew 6:5-15) Jesus spoke immediately after about fasting (Matthew 6:16-18). It is worth noting that while almsgiving, prayer, and fasting all should be in secret before the Father that the fact about what you believe should not be hidden in your works (Matthew 5:13-16).

Again it is worth noting that when John the Baptist ask if Jesus was indeed the one who was coming (Matthew 11, Luke 7), the reply Jesus gave didn't include that prayers were answered and that fasting made a difference. Those weren't what Jesus gave as reassurance, it was only the end results of good work which incidently included, even required both praying and fasting.

The next mention of prayer or fasting is when He looked up to heaven and blessed the five barley loaves and two fish for the feeding of the five thousand. It is interesting that here (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, John 6) and other places we are told Jesus "prayed before a meal" (think of with the disciples in Emmaus when they hadn't recognized Him that whole walk) that what He said was never recorded. It reminds me of a preacher friend who had ask one of his sons to pray before a meal. What his son said was so quiet the family couldn't hear what was said. When my friend said, "I couldn't hear you" his son with no intentional disrespect replied, "I wasn't talking to you."

It is immediately after this that to get away from what many people thought they should do with Him, force Him to be king, He gets out of there into the mountains specifically to pray.kJohn 6:14, 15; Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:45, 46). Was it because He would walk on the water next, or the healing of so many in Capernaum, having to interface with many getting them to see what their true reasons, their true desires were, saying things that would be hard for many followers to understand and accept? Or was it from the fact that He would soon face stronger challenges and accusations from the Pharisees and Jewish leaders? We are not told most of the time when He went apart to pray His WHY. More than likely it could be all of these and much, much more.

Again, at the feeding of the four thousand there it is quite simply, He gave thanks and break the bread (Mark 8:6; Matthew 15:36).

Next is the only place Jesus speaks of prayer and fasting together. The only actual specific example of prayer and fasting together is Daniel in Daniel 9:3. There he tells that:

And I turned my face unto the Lord God, and sought by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel 9:3 GNV

There he speaks of prayer and supplications specifically disciplining himself with fasting, wearing of sackcloth, and marking himself with ashes indicating deep distress, sorrow, and focus. But here is found both prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29 - I recognize that some versions completely disallow the verse or part of it so don't be to alarmed if it happens not to appear in your particular version).

And he said unto them, This kind can by no other means come forth, but by prayer and fasting.

Mark 9:29 GNV

As this is part of my search for "what did Jesus do" because Jesus said this one goes out by "prayer" and "fasting" it would seem apparent that Jesus had done both because He cast out the demon. Even so when the disciples asked why they couldn't cast the demon out Matthew 17:20 said it was because they had little faith. Going back to verse 19 of Mark 9 when Jesus heard that His own disciples couldn't cast the demon out Jesus said for everyone to hear,

Then Jesus answered, and said, O generation faithless, and crooked, how long now shall I be with you! how long now shall I suffer you! bring him hither to me.

Matthew 17:17 GNV

Like it or not Jesus wasn't a Mr. Rogers from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood to even His own disciples. To Peter He had just said, "Get thee behind me Satan" (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33). The disciples accepted the strong rebuke from Jesus and came to ask what they did wrong. The gracious leader, their only example pointed out their need for prayer, their need to combine it with the spiritual discipline of fasting.

Certainly Jesus had much love and compassion for His disciples, but that doesn't mean He also wasn't pressed to the limit, His fully human limt with His disciples. Jesus didn't have this special God man "get out of dealing with followers who aren't getting it yet" card. He had to deal with the psychological drain of human nature from those close to Him. Add to that the ever present knowledge that one of the twelve He selected to be His follower was going to outright betray Him to those who wanted to kill Him. Ask any parent who daily deals with their own children, close fellow worker, of friends in a ministry if they aren't taxed or nearly completely drained sometimes day after day. Sometimes we may feel or even in jest say something like "this kind doesn't go out but by prayer and fasting", but this reinforces to me that it is much more real than we can imagine. We absolutely need prayer and fasting.