13:1 Now in the church that was
at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon
who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and
fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for
the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed,
and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Five men were
leading the church in Antioch. These five men were no ordinary men.
Ordinary men make their own plans and then ask God to bless those plans.
These men were not like that. They saw God as their leader, not their
assistant. They fasted. People who fast are either trying to prove their
own "holiness" or are keenly aware they have none. These men are
humble. They are doing everything they know to do. They are "ministering
before the Lord" but at the same time fasting to seek Him more deeply
to make sure they are in tune with what He wants.
When Jesus was
here His critics came to Him one day and said "Why don't your disciples
fast?" Jesus' response was quick and firm. "Why would they fast when I
am with them? The time will come when I am not with them. Then they will
fast."
Fasting has a purpose. It is a seeking after God. When
Daniel couldn't understand the message God was trying to convey he
fasted. Fasting is not a religious exercise to prove how "holy" we are.
It is a literal act that symbolizes an emptying of ourselves to make
room for Him.
Here is what's amazing about this insight into what
the leadership were doing in Antioch. There was no crisis. They weren't
fasting to solve a "riddle" like Daniel was. They weren't fasting to
seek an answer to any specific needs or problems even though that would
have been perfectly healthy and good. They were just fasting to ensure
they were in tune with the will of God.
As a result God by His
Spirit instructed them to send Barnabas and Saul off in a new direction.
Imagine how painful those instructions must have been. It's not easy to
leave when you love your church. It leaves a void in the Body and an
ache in the heart. Notice that after the instruction came they continued
to fast and pray to be certain the Word came from Him.
Then the
Bible tells us they laid hands on them and sent them away. Last summer
my church wrestled with the question of ordaining women. What they
should have wrestled with was the approach we are taking to ordination
in general. The laying on of hands is a theme that runs through the new
testament. However there is a huge disconnect between why they did it
and what we do. They laid hands on people when they were being given a
specific task. We lay hands on people to give them a title. Theirs was
for a function. Ours is for a position.
Truthfully these few
verses make me sad. They underscore a huge disconnect in the Body of
Christ today. We are self sufficient. We don't seek His leading, we do
our own thing and seek His blessing and approval. Rarely do we speak of
fasting because we feel no deep need of His leading. As a result we
largely tread water, have little impact, and are so accustomed to it
that we think it's normal.
"Father do whatever it takes to wake up your church and see our need of You as our leader."
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