An Expert Breakdown of Matthew 6:16-18: Fast in Secret

Context and Meaning of Matthew 6:16-18

Jesus gives this teaching on fasting as part of the Sermon on the Mount, where He shows what true faith looks like from the heart.

He previously taught that giving to the needy and praying in private should be done without seeking attention. Now He applies the same principle to fasting: don’t look sad or dirty to prove you’re fasting, because that’s what hypocrites do to get noticed.

Instead, Jesus says to wash your face and comb your hair so only God knows you’re fasting. He sees what no one else can, and He will reward you - not with praise from people, but with His blessing.

What Fasting Meant in Jesus' Time - and Why Anointing Your Head Was Radical

To understand Jesus’ words fully, we need to see how fasting was practiced in Jewish culture - and why His instructions to wash your face and anoint your head would have sounded surprising.

Fasting then was more than abstaining from food; it signaled sorrow, repentance, or deep spiritual need, and some expressed it by wearing rough clothes, covering their heads in dust, or leaving their faces unwashed, as described in Jeremiah 4:23-31. These outward signs were culturally recognized, almost like a public badge of piety. Jesus isn’t impressed by that kind of performance. He says those who fast to be seen have already received their reward in the attention they get.

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The phrase 'anoint your head' would have stood out because anointing with oil was something people did on happy occasions, like feasts or celebrations - not during mourning or fasting. By telling His followers to wash their face and anoint their head, Jesus flips the script: your spiritual life isn’t a performance for others, even if culture expects drama and visible grief. What matters is the quiet faithfulness God sees when no one else does.

Fasting in Secret: Why God Cares More About the Heart

Jesus includes this teaching in Matthew’s Gospel because He’s showing what real kingdom living looks like - honest, humble, and lived before God, not performed for people.

Matthew often highlights how Jesus calls His followers to a deeper righteousness than the religious leaders of the day, one that’s not about outward appearances but inner faith. Jeremiah 4:23-31 shows people mourning with disfigured faces and sackcloth, but God sees the heart, not the dirt on our faces.

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The timeless truth is this: what you do when no one is watching matters most to God, and He will never overlook your quiet faithfulness.

Fasting That Pleases God: Connecting Jesus’ Teaching to the Heart of the Prophets

Jesus’ call to fast in private isn’t new - it’s the fulfillment of what God has always wanted: hearts turned to Him, not performances for people.

Centuries earlier, God spoke through Isaiah, saying to His people, 'Why have we fasted, and you see it not?' But God replied, 'Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure... Is such the fast that I choose?' Then He revealed His heart: 'Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke... to share your bread with the hungry?' (Isaiah 58:3-7). The prophet Joel urged, 'Rend your hearts and not your garments' (Joel 2:12-13), meaning you should not merely tear your clothes in sorrow; let your heart truly turn to God.

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Jesus isn’t starting a new rule. He is restoring the true heart of worship that God always desired - humble, sincere, and lived out before Him alone.

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