But you, when you are fasting, anoint your head and wash your face.
In these words Jesus teaches that fasting must be an act of humility of heart and spiritual cleansing before God, not a display before people’s eyes. The phrase “anoint your head and wash your face” symbolizes that the one who fasts should keep a natural appearance and a joyful state of soul, without trying to show holiness through an outward look. Christ urges that true fasting must be inward: a work of repentance and humility of heart, which a person does only for God. Thus He reveals the mystery of real fasting: it is not outward sorrow, but spiritual joy by which the believer draws near to God.