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"But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days." (Mark 2:20).
In the Bible, fasting signifies coming before God with a heart that is broken and humble. Fasting is identified with repentance. God speaks in the Old Testament of the nature of fasting:
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? " (Isaiah 58:6,7).
As believers go into all the world with the gospel as commissioned, we feed the hungry in a spiritual sense:
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. " (John 6:35-37).
Also, we clothe the spiritually naked:
"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." (Zechariah 3:1-4).
Spiritually, we fast today by bringing forth the gospel:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18,19).
Jesus in Mark 2:20 is speaking of this type of fasting, that being in the sense of spreading the message of salvation. When bringing the gospel to the world the Christian should present the whole gospel. While it is true that there are many passages that speak of God as a God of love, on the other hand there are many passages that are quite terrifying which speak of the wrath and judgement of God. A faithful witness must present the gospel as it is, both in truth and balance. The spiritual meaning of fasting is to spread the gospel and part of this message declares that unless one becomes saved they are under the judgement of God.
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