Biblical Answer

Jesus' teaching on fasting is found in Matthew 6:16-18. In this passage, Jesus does not say that his disciples should not fast, but rather that they should fast in secret. He says, "And 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." (Matthew 6:16). Jesus is not forbidding fasting, but rather warning against the practice of fasting as a means of self-righteousness or to impress others.

Jesus uses an analogy to explain why his disciples should fast in secret. He says, "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. But when you pray, your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:3-4). In this analogy, Jesus is saying that when we do good deeds, we should do them in secret, not to draw attention to ourselves, but to please God. He is making the same point with fasting. Fasting is not about impressing others with our piety, but about drawing near to God in secret.

In the future, Jesus says that his disciples will fast, but not in the same way that the Pharisees fast. He says, "The days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast." (Matthew 9:15). This refers to the time when Jesus will be taken away from his disciples, and they will fast in response. But for now, Jesus is saying that his disciples should fast in secret, not to draw attention to themselves, but to please God. This is in line with Jesus' emphasis on humility and not seeking to impress others with our spiritual practices.