The Gospel according to Mark 1:9-13

The Baptism of Jesus

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

The Temptation of Jesus

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

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He is in the catbird seat.  He’s God’s Beloved, the apple of God’s eye.  So, what wonderful things, what fun, rewarding, exhilarating, exciting, impressive experiences will God have in store for The Beloved on this, his first day of work? 

“And the Spirit immediately “drove” him, not “led” him sweetly like in Matthew and Luke: “Come on now, follow me.”  No!  Drove him! Got behind him pushing, prodding, shoving —  “drove him, drove him out into the wilderness.”  

The wilderness.  The desert.  People die in the wilderness.  Away from people, away from shelter, away from food, away from water.  Soil dry as talcum; plants that draw blood.  Away from all support and comfort — and distraction.  Alone.  Forty days, alone.  Alone with wild beasts. Alone with  Angels.  Alone with God.  Alone with his thoughts.  Alone with Satan. 

Jesus is a Jew, and Jews know something about the wilderness.  They know from the story of the Exodus that between Egypt, the land of slavery, and the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey, lies the wilderness.  Jews know from their story that they have to go through the wilderness to get to the Promised Land.  And they know from their story of not forty days but forty years in the wilderness that when God drives us into the wilderness, God is not so interested in helping us find the shortest way out.  God is interested in us staying in the wilderness until we have learned what the wilderness has to teach us. 

Wilderness is a place of being cut off, and deprived, and upset, and tempted.  But it is also a place of growth. 

Brian Stoffregen tells this story:

A seeker after truth came to a saint for guidance.

"Tell me, wise one, how did you become holy?"

"Two words."

"And what are they, please?"

"Right choices."

The seeker was fascinated. "How does one learn to choose rightly?"

"One word."

"One word! May I have it, please?" the seeker asked.

"Growth."

The seeker was thrilled. "How does one grow?"

"Two words."

"What are they, pray tell?"

"Wrong choices."

I don’t know about you, but the Great Litany drives me into my wilderness where I am acutely, painfully aware of my shortcomings and my wrong choices. 

But the wilderness itself presents us with choices.  We can look for the shortest way out and bide our time until we’re back safely in the bosom of comfort and convention.  Or we can become filled with despair and die there.  Die physically, perhaps, but also die emotionally, die spiritually.  Death is an option.

But so is life.  We can face the temptations so well presented by the Great Litany and be willing to stand in the wilderness until we know, know, what God wants for us as beloved children of God.

My challenge to you is to make part of your Lenten discipline to be three things.  If you gave us chocolate like I did, keep giving it up.  But add these three things:

1. Pray and reflect on where your wilderness is.  It may be a place, but more likely, it’s a place in you.  And you’ll know it because you won’t want to go there.  Maybe your wilderness is called Anger, or Resentment, or Despair, or Hopelessness, or Loneliness, or Addiction, or Shame, or Unforgiving, or Unloving, or Unlovable.  Maybe it’s somewhere else, but as you pray about where it is, if there’s a tiny voice in you saying, “Dear God, don’t let it be there; don’t make me go there,” that’s the voice of God saying, “It’s right there.” 

2. Have the courage to go there and stay in your wilderness until you have learned the lesson God has for you there, and

3. Show it in your life.

Jesus came back from the wilderness proclaiming, “Time’s up!  It’s time for God to reign!  Change!  Believe the good news!”  Allow the Great Litany to call you into your Lenten wilderness, and let God teach you, change you, there.  And then come back, and let us hear your proclamation. 

The Rev. James H. Pritchett, Jr.  St. John’s Episcopal Church, College Park, GA

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