Moreover
when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18
Matthew 6 [14.] “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6 [16.] “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6 [19.] “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Meaning:
This is the third example in Jesus’ teaching about religious duties done for God rather than for people. After giving (Matthew 6:2) and prayer (Matthew 6:5), he turns to fasting. The pattern is the same: a warning against performing for an audience, and a promise that the Father who sees in secret will reward.
- “When you fast”
Jesus says “when,” not “if.” He assumes his followers will fast. Fasting, going without food for a time in order to seek God, was a familiar practice in Israel. People fasted in repentance, in grief, and when seeking God’s help. Through Joel God called, “Turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Tear your heart, and not your garments” (Joel 2:12-13). Esther and her people fasted before she risked her life to approach the king (Esther 4:16). Jesus himself fasted forty days in the wilderness, and when he was hungry and tempted he answered, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:2-4). Fasting teaches the same lesson: our deepest need is God himself.
- “Don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces”
Some Pharisees fasted twice a week; one boasted in prayer, “I fast twice a week” (Luke 18:12). Some made sure everyone knew it. They left their hair unwashed, looked gloomy and perhaps smeared ashes on their faces. The word “disfigure” means to make the face unrecognizable, or to make it disappear from view. The irony is sharp: they hid their faces in order to be seen.
Fasting can be a sincere act of humility, but when it is turned into a display it becomes a form of pride. God had long ago rebuked Israel for fasts that went with oppression and quarreling. He asked instead, “Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free?” (Isaiah 58:6).
- “Anoint your head, and wash your face”
Washing and anointing the head with oil were part of normal grooming and were associated with gladness. Jesus tells his disciples to look as they would on an ordinary day. Fasting is between the believer and God, and no one else needs to know.
- “Your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you”
God sees what others do not. He looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The reward is not earned payment but the Father’s gracious approval, deeper fellowship with him, and answers given in his time.
The Significance of Matthew 6:16-18
- Fasting today
Fasting can help believers humble themselves, focus on prayer, resist the pull of appetite and seek God’s guidance. It may mean skipping meals, or setting aside other comforts for a time.
- Hidden devotion
The heart of these verses is not the method but the motive. Whether we give, pray or fast, the question is whether we want God’s approval or people’s. Quiet, hidden devotion builds a genuine relationship with God and guards us from pride.
Cross-References:
Joel 2:12-13: "Turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning." Fasting from the heart.
Isaiah 58:6: "Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness," The fast God desires.
Luke 18:12: "I fast twice a week." Fasting turned into boasting.
Conclusion: In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus assumes that his followers will fast, but warns them not to make a show of it as the hypocrites did. They should look ordinary, wash and anoint their faces, and let their fasting be known only to God. The Father who sees in secret will reward such humble and sincere devotion.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible