40 days fast

edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
hey guys, i hv a Q.

when jesus fasted in the wilderness did he used to drink water?

cos i think it was toooo hot for someone to stay without water that long he'd eventually get dehidrated within no longer than three days?????

plz help

Comments

  • [quote author=mnc_hnn link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=0#msg58176 date=1153942520]
    hey guys, i hv a Q.

    when jesus fasted in the wilderness did he used to drink water?

    cos i think it was toooo hot for someone to stay without water that long he'd eventually get dehidrated within no longer than three days?????

    plz help



    I think His fasting would have followed pretty much the same pattern as the fasting we perform during Lent - if kept strictly. That is, no food or water until sunset, eating only once per day.

    I don't think it means that the Lord went 40days and nights without anything at all. But I might be wrong.
  • well jesus isnt like us hes much stronger so he probably went without anything

    :) idk sry if im wrong ???
  • bling more or less gave the correct answer. In his On the Incarnation, St. Athanasius makes the point that Christ, by virtue of being the Incarnate Word, was able to experience human nature beyond what is humanly possible. The reason for this is that those laws of nature to which we are naturally subject to, and which are the cause of us growing old, catching sickness, cutting ourselves accidentally and bleeding etc. were all subject to the authority of the Divine Word who so hypostatised humanity unto Himself. St. Athanasius in fact mentions a few specific examples of what this meant for the Incarnate Word: it meant that He could prevent Himself from dying of old age, sickness, or starvation (an allusion to the 40 day fast); His manner of death (i.e. crucifixion) was not accidental, but rather voluntary and discerned - He chose to die in such a way to prove that He had authority over human weakness.
  • WOW, wonderful answer :o Iqbal, but you know because jesus felt the pain of the whipping n nails n the cross... so he used to have that bit of human weakness so how come when he was fasting he didn't feel that 'starvation' if that's what you mean?


    GBU
  • [quote author=mnc_hnn link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=0#msg58224 date=1154005080]
    WOW, wonderful answer :o Iqbal, but you know because jesus felt the pain of the whipping n nails n the cross... so he used to have that bit of human weakness so how come when he was fasting he didn't feel that 'starvation' if that's what you mean?


    fasting 40 days without food or water is not a human weekness as wide as you think. Christ wasn't the first one to fast 40 days. you have Moses before going up the mountain. you have Elijah to and a lot of other prophts who did fast all the time and more. i remeber there is a prophet in fact that faste more than 2 years (not sure). hw oul donly drink water everytime he would turn on his other side while sleeping. it's a story in the bible, i'll get more info about it.
  • Iqbal, but you know because jesus felt the pain of the whipping n nails n the cross... so he used to have that bit of human weakness so how come when he was fasting he didn't feel that 'starvation' if that's what you mean?

    Christ was fully human; he was a real man in every way possible, and as such He could feel true pain and experience true hunger. My point is, that since He is the God-man, and not just merely a man, He had direct control over how and to what extent He experienced these things. In the case of the 40 day fast for example, He felt true hunger for forty days, but in the end He still had control of His life, so that He could prevent Himself from dying of hunger/starvation.
  • [quote author=Iqbal link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=0#msg58271 date=1154036508]

    Iqbal, but you know because jesus felt the pain of the whipping n nails n the cross... so he used to have that bit of human weakness so how come when he was fasting he didn't feel that 'starvation' if that's what you mean?

    Christ was fully human; he was a real man in every way possible, and as such He could feel true pain and experience true hunger. My point is, that since He is the God-man, and not just merely a man, He had direct control over how and to what extent He experienced these things. In the case of the 40 day fast for example, He felt true hunger for forty days, but in the end He still had control of His life, so that He could prevent Himself from dying of hunger/starvation.


    definetly a great answer
  • Hi Igbal,
    given all the explanations and the fact that we as humans lack or are in no way near Christ powers and abilities, would you say this test can be endured by any man.
    In simple language, are we suppose to emulate Christ in this respect i.e. as practiced by him?
    I feel Orthodox explanation is within human endurance and that’s what I attempt.
    Now, notice that not only was he able to conquer hunger but all other temptations of this material world in the same period.
    Any there any man capable of performing a fraction of this feat?
  • [quote author=tk link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=0#msg58300 date=1154109042]
    Hi Igbal,
    given all the explanations and the fact that we as humans lack or are in no way near Christ powers and abilities, would you say this test can be endured by any man.
    In simple language, are we suppose to emulate Christ in this respect i.e. as practiced by him?
    I feel Orthodox explanation is within human endurance and that’s what I attempt.
    Now, notice that not only was he able to conquer hunger but all other temptations of this material world in the same period.
    Any there any man capable of performing a fraction of this feat?


    now your talking about temptation. when we as humans are tempted, we are tempted by the devil with the promission of God. and God would never give that promission without knowing that you can handle that situation. the best example is Jop. i personaly think that what happend to Jop is by far the most diffecult test ever. you losa your farms, animals, house, family including your children and their kids and their wives with your wife. also don't forget the sickness that came upon Jop. all of that and the devil could not touch Jop soul which always stayed with God and defeated the devil.
  • Job is sure a very good example of human endurance and steadfast in faith with God.
    And I am sure there may be a couple more even in our time.
    The temptation I mentioned was to stress the import and crucial timing with the fasting Christ observed for 40 days & night.
    The issue is the fasting and whether man can go without food for such a long period of time.
    I am no doctor but do believe it is medically not feasible. Please expert or Doctors in the house help out.
  • Elijah fasted for forty days and nights in the desert. It is not medically possible, but remember that with the strength of God man can do anything.
  • [quote author=minagir link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=0#msg58231 date=1154008535]
    [quote author=mnc_hnn link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=0#msg58224 date=1154005080]
    WOW, wonderful answer :o Iqbal, but you know because jesus felt the pain of the whipping n nails n the cross... so he used to have that bit of human weakness so how come when he was fasting he didn't feel that 'starvation' if that's what you mean?


    fasting 40 days without food or water is not a human weekness as wide as you think. Christ wasn't the first one to fast 40 days. you have Moses before going up the mountain. you have Elijah to and a lot of other prophts who did fast all the time and more. i remeber there is a prophet in fact that faste more than 2 years (not sure). hw oul donly drink water everytime he would turn on his other side while sleeping. it's a story in the bible, i'll get more info about it.


    well according to this, i don't think it's imposibble.
  • All the people mention are not ordinary people like you and I.
    These are men God had empowered spiritually.
    I do not contest those....I am saying can you or I attempt this feat today?
  • [quote author=tk link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=0#msg58307 date=1154114047]
    All the people mention are not ordinary people like you and I.
    These are men God had empowered spiritually.
    I do not contest those....I am saying can you or I attempt this feat today?


    St. Paul Syas:
    2Co 1:1 -
    Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:


    He called the people saints. We, without any pride, worth a lot. don't you know that you are worth the blood of Christ the Son of God who sacreficed himself for you. We have what Moses and all the people in the old testment didn't have and wished to see. we have the ulitimate sacrifice that brought us eternal life. all we have to do is have faith.

    Mt 19:26 -
    But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."


    all you have to do is have faith. there is a lot of people who are humans, who are like us, but have enough faith in God that they stay more than what you can think of with out food or drinks.
  • i read an article about a 29 year old lady who decided to fast 40 days of 'catholic time' lent and she drank water only and sat in her room reading the bible all the time and after 28 days she died and doctors didn't know why (recently in UK)

    i just cant believe how can some1 fast all that time does any one think he/she can by any means?
  • [quote author=mnc_hnn link=board=1;threadid=4188;start=15#msg58313 date=1154121210]
    i read an article about a 29 year old lady who decided to fast 40 days of 'catholic time' lent and she drank water only and sat in her room reading the bible all the time and after 28 days she died and doctors didn't know why (recently in UK)

    i just cant believe how can some1 fast all that time does any one think he/she can by any means?


    I remember David Blain sitting in a glass box over the Thames in London for over 40 days, drinking only water (although many people accused him of cheating). But still, that was with water - if Iqbal's explanation is correct, Christ did it without anything at all.
  • Hey,
    Um well jesus can do anything you know so i think that he can do that with water because he can do anything in the world. I mean he is Jesus what do you think people?

    Juliann
  • -This is not related to what the Lord could do, if He was able to fast 40 days because "He wanted it", then "He did Not fast on our behalf", He would have fasted for Himself, which means He did Not need to.

    -This has nothing to do with Nature of Christ, unlike what some of you mentioned. Because the bible spoke of those who fasted for 40 days and in regard to their nature, they are normal human being.

    -This is possible as we know, thru the strength of the spirit. Those who lived 30,40,50 and more years eating nothing but a piece of dry bread, didn't have any proper nutrition and lived for many years. It is for sure above what we can relate to.

    -With all Sincerety, I wish we can use reference whenever possible so we can all go back see, validate, verify and learn more from what others says.

    God bless.
  • i do not think that jesus drank water or ate anything, the drevil was tempting him to change a rock into a loaf of bread when he was fasting in the wilderness, (he did that beacsue that woulod have proved to hgim if God was the true God), but God did nto listen to the devil,m he could have but he would not
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