St. Valentine

“Must You Be Jealous..?”

¹⁶ “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

-Matthew 6:16-18

Friends,

First of all, I don’t want to make a case for or against fasting because I think that would be missing the point of this passage. Next, I don’t care to discredit anyone who has fasted before, but did not keep their fast a secret. Moreover, my desire is not to encourage self righteousness in the minds of those who fast and take their fasting secrets to their graves thinking that they will get a special reward.

Now let me begin:

Who is this God the Father, the God whom Jesus calls “our Father”? Perhaps, he is the father that met the Prodigal on the road (Luke 15), or possibly the wealthy landowner who paid those who worked hardest the exact same amount as those who worked the least? (Matt. 20:1-16) If God is the same father/character as the protagonists in these parables, why would the Father reward those who fast at all?  Why does the orchestrator of the good news that “will bless all nations” seemly only reward those who participate in fast in secret? Why are there rewards at all?

Because his rewards flow from his character and not the sweat of our brow. He rewards because He loves.

Jesus is not endorsing secret fasts over those who declare their fast over the radio. Indeed, all will be offered the same rewards. Yes, the one who gloats about his fast has received his reward in full. Yes, the one who fasts in secret has also received his reward in full. What of those who do not fast at all? Surely, the faster who enjoys the religious publicity will receive a little more of a heavenly reward than one who doesn’t even try to fast? Nope. All get the same rewards, accolades, and gold stars– even those who do not fast. Why?

It’s not about the reward; it’s about the Father. He sends rain on the godly and the ungodly and throws the same party for both the prodigal and the religiously, hardworking older brother. He loves them enough to offer them all the same reward — a reward that all receive whether their hearts were open to receive it or not.

The Father loves his kids enough to spoil them. This is how Grace works. It is not dependent on actions, well intentioned or not; righteous or unrighteous works, but is solely dependent on a Father’s extravagant love–as messy and offensive as it is for all parties.

 “But he replied to one of them, ‘My friend, I’m not being unjust to you. Wasn’t our agreement for a silver coin a day? Take your money and go home. It is my wish to give the latecomers as much as I give you. May I not do what I like with what belongs to me? Must you be jealous because I am generous?’

-Matthew 20:13-15

The nature of Grace is that every single person will get paid the same.  Why are we so offended that God is so generous?

Cameron