LENT 1

“Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.”
In the Season of Lent the Gospel of Mark will take us on an exploration of Jesus’ life, as he does battle with the forces of evil and darkness. Koinonia will follow and comment on the Gospel, so that I can preach on the Old Testament Scriptures. Today, Jesus is tested in the wilderness by Satan. It is his identity as the incarnate Son of God that Satan will test. Who does he think he is, the high and mighty one showing up in rags and poverty? Satan will test Jesus’ ability to persevere in the face of sin. In the weeks ahead, Satan will take the form of friends, like Peter, religious peddlers, “the world”, and death itself. How will Jesus, divine and human, respond to the satanic forces that surround him, plot against him, tempt him, attempt to control him, and work to kill him?
In Mark’s gospel the temptation in the wilderness is an ongoing experience of Jesus’ life on earth. Unlike the other Gospels, in which Jesus clearly outwits the devil and avoids temptation, Mark’s testing is open-ended. There is no clear conclusion to the test. Does Jesus defeat Satan in the wilderness or not? It is unclear at the conclusion of today’s gospel. Why?
Jesus’ life in the wilderness of sin only begins post-baptism and continues until He is raised from the dead. His entire adult ministry is wilderness ministry. Only in His death are sin, death, and the devil ultimately defeated.
Are you baptized? Welcome to the wilderness. If you ever feel like you’re in the wilderness---lost, without God’s clear and visible help or guidance---then you are with Jesus. If you ever feel like you’re unsure how the end will turn out, you are with Jesus. If you’re enduring suffering because of love for someone, you are with Jesus. If you are struggling to cope with the broad and deep realities of injustice that surround us, i.e., poverty, war, hunger, greed, lust for power; then you are with Jesus. If you are questioning the purpose of a religious institution that is more concerned about survival than Gospel mission, you are with Jesus. If you are concerned for people who are nameless, voiceless, weak, imprisoned, and/or cast out of healthy society, then you are with Jesus. If you have discovered that the only one in whom you can put your trust is God, you are with Jesus.
In Baptism, we are joined to Jesus. The Spirit casts us out into the world with His eyes and heart. Your home, your work, your school, your neighborhood are your wilderness. You’ve been driven out with a mission, too. Perhaps this Lent you will seek it and find it---or it will find you…
with love, PM