As with the almsgiving and the praying by the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus also dismissed their fasting as meaningless: “When you are fasting, stop becoming sad - faced like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.
Jeesus kuulutas kirjatundjate ja variseride paastumise mõttetuks just samuti nagu nende almusteandmise ja palvetamise. Ta ütles: „Kui te paastute, siis ärge jääge kurvanäoliseks, nõnda nagu silmakirjatsejad; sest nad teevad oma palge näotuks, et rahvas näeks neid paastuvat.