BRETT J. ANDERSON
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Lenten Reflection SEries

Trial by Desert

2/18/2018

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Picture
Mark 1:12-15 (NRSVCE)
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Today’s Gospel reading is interesting for two major reasons. Firstly, there is the curiousness of the selection of the verses themselves. Why do we have seemingly unrelated stories next to each other, and why use them both for the daily reading? What do John’s arrest, Jesus’s preaching of the Kingdom, and Jesus’s temptation in the desert have to do with each other? Surely it would make more sense to only select one of those for a daily reading, so we can focus our attention on, say, the temptation.

To understand this, let’s look at the second interesting thing about this reading. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert. But who brought him to the desert in the first place? “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” Recall that this “immediately” is right after the baptism of Jesus. We have just heard the voice of the Father booming from the heavens, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” (Mk. 1:11) Mark doesn’t give us much backstory for Jesus. He chooses to instead jump right into his public ministry. But even without that backstory, we as the readers assume that this baptism event marks the beginning of something important. The Father has announced the Son, and the Spirit has descended on him! But then the Son is driven into the wilderness to be tested. Why?

Think of some of the other moments of testing in Scripture for a moment. Abraham was chosen by God, having been promised to be the father of many nations. But before this promise is fulfilled, Abraham is tested when God asks him to sacrifice Isaac. (Genesis 22:1-19) Paul, having studied for years under Gamaliel the Elder (Acts 22:3), is thrust into the wilds of Arabia for three years before he joined the apostles and began his ministry (Galations 1:17-24). God gives purpose to all His chosen people, but before that purpose can be fulfilled, their faith is tested and they undergo a period of purification. For Abraham, that meant proving that he loved God above all else, trusting in Him unconditionally. For Paul, that meant leaving behind the wisdom of men so that he could be filled with the divine wisdom.

For Jesus, that meant being tempted by Satan himself. Think back to the Garden in the opening pages of Genesis. Adam was also tempted by Satan, but he was not able to resist. He was given a purpose by God, he underwent a trial, and he failed. Jesus is the New Adam, who when he faces that same test is able to overcome it. Mark includes this story immediately before the public ministry of Jesus begins precisely to make the point that where others have failed, Jesus succeeds. He is making the point that Jesus is indeed the “beloved Son”, and this gives credence to Jesus’s proclamation that “the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

We have all been given a purpose by God. To preach the good news, to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and to live the Gospel every day. We all face trials and tribulations in our lives. Lent is a special time when we as the Church welcome those trials, for we know that with the help of Christ we will overcome.
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    Day 10: The Body Of Christ
    Day 11: Love Your Enemies
    Day 12: "Listen To Him!"
    Day 13: The Golden Rule In Practice
    Day 14: The Way Of Humility
    Day 15: Saved By Service
    Day 16: Lazarus And The Rich Man
    Day 17: Producing Fruits For The Kingdom
    Day 18: Pangs Of Guilt
    Day 19 - Righteous Anger
    Day 1 - Where Is Their God?
    Day 20: Faith In Times Of Doubt
    Day 21: Forgiveness Has Consequences
    Day 22: "Do" So You Can "Teach"
    Day 23: Dividing The Kingdom Of God
    Day 24: Repentance Forgiveness And Faithfulness
    Day 25: What Happens In Lent Should Not Stay In Lent
    Day 26: The Light Drives Out Darkness
    Day 27: Tears For The Damned
    Day 28: The Waters In Ezekiel
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    Day 2 - Make Way For The King
    Day 30: Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places
    Day 31: Jesus Is Offensive
    Day 32: The Ecounter With Christ
    Day 33: Dying To Self To Live For God
    Day 34: The Faith And Love Of St. Joseph
    Day 35: Justice And Honor
    Day 36: Rack Shack And Benny
    Day 37: I Am
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    Day 39: The Divided Kingdoms
    Day 3 - Living The Gospel
    Day 40: The Passion Of The Christ
    Day 41: Mary's Love For Christ
    Day 42: Dance Of Love
    Day 43: Surely Not I
    Day 44: Judas Gets His Feet Washed
    Day 45: The Power Of Fear
    Day 46: The Story Of Salvation
    Day 4: "Follow Me"
    Day 5: Trial By Desert
    Day 6: Responding To The Least Of These
    Day 7: An Empty Disposition
    Day 8: Spending Lent In Ninevah
    Day 9: The Good Shepherd

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