Fasting food is a real struggle for the body. It survives from the nourishment of food.

It sends us signals when it gets the least bit deprived of such nourishment. The body stores food-reserves as fat. Should it be deprived of food for any prolonged time, it can call on those reserves and use them to keep itself alive.

But, it will complain with great vehemence. Fasting is very hard to do. As it brings the body under God’s control, the body makes us pay for the effort.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day wanted to do things that were very hard for the average person. But, they wanted the average person to see that they were doing them. So, they would go around with a depressed, starving look on their face so everyone would be aware that they were fasting.