Why Should I Keep My Fast Private?

Fasting is perhaps the most extreme example of using spiritual means to acquire personal acclaim.

Whereas with giving and prayer, there could be some question as to whether a person was performing religious actions for selfish reasons, Jesus is clear that fasting like the hypocrites requires real work and a level of intentionality.

As Jesus describes in Matthew 6:16, the hypocrites "look gloomy" and "disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others."

The Pharisees commonly put ash and dirt on their faces when fasting, while some would even go so far as to wear makeup in order to make themselves look more haggardly.

They also made it a point to fast on the second and fifth days of the week, claiming that they did so because those were the days Moses made his trips to receive the Law from God on Mt. Sinai (Luke 18:12). However, those also happened to be the days when the Jewish market was usually busiest, and they would be seen by the most people.

Christ's reply was essentially, when fasting, to just go about your day as you normally would.

Whether you were fasting or eating, the only people that should know are you and the Lord.

If others find out that you’re fasting because they see you skip a meal or because you are part of a group that has pledged to fast for a specific purpose, then that's different.

But we must choose from whom we want to receive our reward, a fact Jesus spells out even more clearly when he next discusses treasures in heaven: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Take Jesus’ words to heart: “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (vv. 17–18).