Spiritual Practices: Fasting

Scripture Passage

Esther 4:5-17

⁵ Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

⁶ So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸ He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

⁹ Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰ Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, ¹¹ “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

¹² When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³ he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

Sermon Script

The theme for this month is “Spiritual Practices”. We will continue exploring this theme in March too. It fits nicely with the season of Lent.

Our faith doesn’t just come from the nice things we hear. Our faith is not like a static object either. Our faith is something that has to be nurtured – like a plant. Yes, God gives us faith through his word. But we also do our part of nurturing the gift God has given us. In order for us to nurture our faith, we need spiritual practices. Practices that help us to walk and grow closer with God.

There are many spiritual practices. Last Friday, we learned about Brother Lawrence and how he practices the presence of God in his life. Through this theme, we will look at other practices as well. Today, we will explore the practice of FASTING.

Have you fasted before? You are all growing, which means you probably eat lots. So I’m guessing no. Even for me, I don’t really fast. I get “hangry” when I miss a meal.

But there are people who do. Some people practice what’s called ‘intermittent fasting’. They don’t eat for an extended period of time. Some people do ‘water or juice fasting’. There are different kinds of fasting. They do it because it has positive benefits for your body. It helps you lose weight, boosts your metabolism, improves your brain function, and so on. You have to do it carefully and with outside help, of course.

How is fasting then, “spiritual”? What does it have to do with our faith?

In order for us to grasp the spiritual significance of fasting, we have to expand our understanding of fasting. When it comes to our faith, the goal of fasting is not ourselves. We don’t fast for our own health and benefit. The goal of fasting is to focus on God wholeheartedly.

In that sense, fasting doesn’t necessarily mean not eating food. Rather, fasting involves giving up certain comforts that can distract us from focusing on God. Things that we quickly turn to whenever we feel empty and weak. Fasting is a way of CREATING SPACE FOR GOD.

Esther fasted. But she didn’t fast for herself. She fasted in a time of crisis, when she needed to take a decisive action for her people.

Esther was a queen in the Persian Empire. King Xerxes found her beautiful and adored her. But what the king and no one else knew was that she was a Jew. Her cousin, Mordecai, found out that Haman, one of the king’s top officials, planned to wipe out all the Jews in the country. Mordecai had made him angry by not bowing down to him. Mordecai knew that the only way to prevent this from happening was by having Esther ask the king not to carry out Haman’s plan. This put Esther in a very difficult position.

All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.

Esther 4:11

Esther either had to go to the king on her own, or not at all. If she didn’t, all her people would eventually be killed. If she did, she would also risk being killed by the king. Even though it was hard and difficult, Mordecai wanted her to do the right thing. He believed that she was the queen at that time for a reason.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

Esther 4:14

Esther didn’t just think about herself. She didn’t take the easy way out by remaining silent. She decided to fast for three days. She also asked others to fast with her. In other words, she put aside her own needs and wants. She made space for God during that time. She looked to God so that she can do the good thing and save her people. Listen to her words she sent to Mordecai—

When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.

Esther 4:16

If I die, I die. These aren’t the words of someone who has given up. They are the words of someone who is willing to give themselves for something greater than themselves. They are the words of a person who put their complete confidence and trust in God.

Esther was a brave and courageous woman. She was a wise and selfless leader. I admire her very much. Not because she was a brilliant individual, but because she looked to God when she was in a difficult situation.

Whenever we feel empty, anxious and afraid, what do we do? We distract ourselves. We try to get rid of the negative feelings. We try to fill the empty space with whatever we can find. Our phones usually give us the instant comfort that we need. We withdraw into ourselves more and more.

But does that help us? Soon enough, we feel empty again. We thought we solved the problem. Nothing changed. We don’t know what to do.

Whenever you are tested and challenged, practice looking to God. Fill the empty space with God’s presence. We often know what we should do. But we lack the courage and the strength to do it. Just because you see your own weakness, don’t be discouraged.

Like Esther, simply look to God. Put aside your own thoughts, needs and wants. Seek God’s wisdom, power and strength. God will show you what to do.

We are in the first Sunday of Lent. I shared before how during Lent, we remember the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness. Gospels tell us that Jesus was without food for the 40 days before he faced his first temptation. It may have convenient for him to turn stones into bread. He was hungry and weak. Instead, he trusted in God. He looked to God’s word as his source of strength. In the end, Matthew tells us that the angels came and attended him.

That, I believe, is the spirit of Lent. Fasting from the things of this world, and trusting in God. Journeying with God every moment. People of faith look not to themselves, but to God. They seek God’s will in all situations. No matter what kind of challenges we face, it is in God that we ultimately find our blessing and satisfaction.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12