Cape Town – A Mozambican pastor reportedly died after attempting to fast for 40 days like Jesus Christ did, as mentioned in the Bible.
Pastor Francisco Barajah was confirmed dead on February 15, reports said.
Reports said he was the founder of the Santa Trindade Evangelical Church.
The 39-year-old pastor died in a hospital in the city of Beira, where he was taken in a critical condition, BBC reported.
The report said that Barajah had lost a lot of weight and was not able to stand on his own after going for 25 days without food or water.
Concerned church and family members insisted that he was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with acute anaemia and failure of his digestive organs, the report said.
A 39-year-old Mozambican pastor identified as Pastor Francisco Barajah reportedly died trying to fast for 40 days in emulation of Jesus after going without food or water for 25 days. pic.twitter.com/6jqxwc4VEc
— The Voice Of Port Harcourt (@TheVoiceOfPHC) February 17, 2023
Members of his church said that they would fast with the pastor but never for such an extended period, Christian Post reported.
The pastor’s brother Marques Manuel Barajah dismissed the medical diagnosis claiming his brother suffered from low blood pressure, the report said.
According to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in the Bible, Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights after He was baptised by John the Baptist, the report said
The report said that this was not the first time that a person has attempted the 40-day Jesus fast and eventually died.
A 73-year-old Christian man from Zimbabwe left his home on June 15, 2015, to embark on a spiritual journey in the wilderness, just like Jesus did, the report said.
According to the report, the man hoped the fast would redirect his mind away from earthly things and toward God.
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Picture: Twitter/ @TheVoiceOfPHC
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
