1 Because of Christ and the Church
f
irst, we fast because Jesus clearly expected us to. As innumerable commentators over the centuries have pointed out, the text mentioned in the introduction (Matt. 6:16, which provides the title of this book), says when, not if. Our Lord clearly expected that His disciples would continue the Jewish practice of fasting. The second reason is that the Church commands us to fast. It’s easy to miss how countercultural that statement is. It stands in complete opposition to contemporary American religiosity or spirituality. That someone might change his lifestyle or alter her eating habits if told to do so by their doctor is accepted. However, 15
Sample pages only. Purchase the full book at http://store.ancientfaith.com/when-you-fast/
