Traditions Can Become Meaningless

Fasting can easily become a meaningless tradition—its significance lost in the ritual. We make the fast or any other principle of God of none effect by religious traditions that have lost their connection with God.
The Greek word translated as “of none effect” means to render void, deprive of force and authority. That's quite a charge against teaching and following the commandments of men rather than teaching and following the principles of Scripture.
To take the fast from being a meaningful interaction with God to becoming a meaningless ritual doesn't require much effort. It's very easy to gut the fast of its significance—just make it a ritual about your performance.

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those