Fasting • Devotion 4: Anointing and Washing in Fasting
Pastor John Carter
Matthew 6:17-18 “But 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.”
As Jesus continued to teach about fasting, we see Him give this instruction regarding the anointing of your head and the washing of your face. There is another passage of Scripture that shows this in a practical sense. Let us look at what Jesus might be referring to in 2 Samuel 12:16, “David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.”
When the unfortunate news of the death of his child comes, we see David’s response in 2 Samuel 12:19-20, “But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, ‘Is the child dead?’ They said, ‘He is dead.’ Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.”
If you read the full chapter, you will see that David is fasting to plead with God for the life of his child. David falls to the ground and does not move, eat, or bathe for seven days. He earnestly pleads with God. According to God’s wisdom, for reasons we cannot understand, the child does not survive. When David understands this, the first thing he does is to go and clean up. He washes and anoints his head.
What can we glean from these two passages regarding the instruction Jesus gives us? It helps to look at David’s words to his servants who were confused by his actions. David tells them in 2 Samuel 12:22-23, “He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’”
David clearly communicated his motive for fasting and what he hoped for. Whatever the reason might be, God choose to bring the child to Himself. I love that David understood this and articulates that, one day, they will be together. He is aware of the fact that the child is with God and he will one day see his beloved child with God.
We see some incredible things in the example of David.
- He boldly approached the Father with his pleas.
- He accepted the answer that God gave him.
- He moved forward and was not loathing in self-pity.
I feel like David could have easily gotten up from those seven days and made a huge scene about how God did not listen to him, how he sacrificed so much, and yet, God did not allow things to happen the way he wanted them to. David could have walked before other people and said how he had fasted, made everyone aware of the situation and the sadness that took place, then easily turned it into a conversation about himself. As narcissistic as that would have been, we do not see David doing that. He got up, cleaned up, and anointed himself. He humbled himself before God, and accepted the will of the Father.
When Jesus instructs us to wash and anoint ourselves (Matthew 6), He is reaffirming the previous message that your reason for fasting is not for others to see. He wants it to be something we do out of earnestly seeking God. He wants it to be something we do out of a genuine heart of worship. When we go back and look at some of the reasons people fasted in the Bible (mourning, repentance, seeking God, desiring God’s protection, loving your neighbor, prayer), one thing becomes abundantly clear, God is the one with the authority and power. When we approach a God that has all the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of all situations, do we trust His decisions? Will we be obedient to His will? As Jesus teaches and instructs us on fasting, He keeps drawing us back to the character and power of the Father. He is the one who sees in secret. He is the one who knows and understands. He knows what we do not know. So as we fast, for whatever reason we are fasting, do we see it as a way to get what we want (an extra step to a genie in a bottle) or do we submit to God and trust Him for every possible answer or outcome?
The anointing and washing are other ways to show that we trust God and that His answer is the best one. It really comes back to an act of worship, even if the answer is not the one we desired. We choose to not make it about us, but lean back on the will of the Father. Just like we learned from the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
If this is our genuine and authentic desire in our prayer, it should also be our genuine and authentic desire when we fast. This is why you see the same warning when it comes to prayer as you do with fasting. Do not do it before men that can see for personal praise, but do it in secret before God who sees in secret. It is in the secret acknowledgment that we trust God’s decision over our own will so that the Father will reward us. This reward is not always given to us in the manner by which we expect or the answer we hope for.