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Read:  Luke 5:33-39
Listen: Luke 5

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Luke 5:33

When John the Baptist’s disciples approach Jesus with a question about fasting, there is palpable confusion. Both John’s apprentices and the Pharisees have good reasons for fasting. They want to show God how serious they are about their faith. Like Daniel in the Old Testament, who studied God’s Word and responded through prayer and fasting, these men fast because they want God to return to set up his kingdom (Daniel 9:3). So, when they see Jesus and his disciples celebrating and feasting, they are bewildered. “They must not be desperate for God’s kingdom to come,” they think. Yet, in that accusation, they miss who Jesus really is. The kingdom has come, and it is in him. He doesn’t fit their expectations. While committed to their faith, they miss the object of their devotion.

We, too, can be serious about our devotion to God and completely miss him. Regular church attendance, prayer, engagement with the Word, service, and generosity are all good things. And yet, when we do them to get God’s attention or to maintain the appearance of being a good Christian, we miss the heart of Jesus himself. He came to change us from the inside out, not only our outward actions. Spiritual practices are meant to bring us close to Jesus. They are meant to shape our lives to look like him.

TODAY:  As you read your Bible and pray today, ask God to use these practices to draw you nearer to him. “Father, let the rhythms of my faith bring me closer to you. And as you draw near, shape me to look more like you. Amen.”