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Gospel: Mark 1: 12-15
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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All week, I’ve wrestled with the question, why?
Why do we celebrate Lent year after year? Is there wisdom in praying, fasting, and giving alms for forty straight days?
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Of course.
But in order to have a fruitful Lent, we should dig deeper into why we do what we do.
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Think of these forty days as a type of training.
Just as soldiers train before going into battle or athletes train before going into competition, Christians should train themselves before the floods of temptation or trial come rushing in.
Consider Noah’s ark in our first reading.
Noah built his ark while it was still bright and sunny outside; he prepared himself before the flood waters came. He was saved from the storm only because he was already inside the boat, teaching us an important lesson in faith:
Build the ark now.
Prepare for the floods before they come. Nobody foresees dryness in prayer; a door closed; an addiction; an extended hospital stay; a broken relationship. Unfortunately, these things can happen, which is why we are learning how to rely upon the Lord now.
As the Psalmist wisely notes, “Every person should pray to you in time of distress. Though the flood waters may reach high, you [the person of faith] they shall not overcome. You, Lord, are our shelter and strength.”
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Jesus is building his own type of “ark” in today’s Gospel.
Immediately after he is baptized by John in the Jordan River, the Spirit “drives” him into the desert. This was not a path Jesus chose for himself; he was literally compelled; pressed; urged by the Spirit.
God allows his Son to endure these forty days in order to empower him for the many trials he will face in ministry. Like Noah, Jesus must build his ark before the floods come.
Think of the different trials he will face, including the scribes and Pharisees’ hardness of heart; rejection from his hometown – even by some of his own family members; the testing in Gethsemane; the betrayal of Judas; the abandonment of the Apostles; even death itself.
This time in the desert is meant to strengthen the Lord’s resolve.
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So, what was the desert like?
Away from all human contact, Jesus became hungry. He was bored. He prayed. He wept. He thirsted. He wrestled with temptation. He was hot by day and cold at night, sleeping on sand and rock, while eerie sounds echoed in the darkness.
His days were difficult. But Mark adds a beautiful detail: “angels ministered to him.”
I doubt winged creatures came rushing down from heaven. This was a test of the Lord’s character, his humanity, his trust in God’s divine love, his strength of spirit.
It seems to me, the “angels” were likely gentle reminders of God’s presence:
A cool breeze by day; a bright constellation of stars at night; an oasis of water sent to quench his parched throat; peace in prayer; even the grace of memory, as Jesus recalled what happened at his baptism, when his Father affirmed, “This is my beloved Son.”
What Luke said of the Christ-child all those years before, we could also say of Jesus in the desert, “He advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.”
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Isn’t that what we all hope for during Lent?
To, “advance in wisdom and age and favor before God.”
In what ways am I building my “ark”? How am I strengthening my spirit during this sacred time?
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Whatever our plans are, may the “angels” minister to us on our journeys, strengthening our resolve, reminding us that – even in the desert – God is near.
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Image credits: (1) Diocese of Covington, Jesus in the Desert, WordPress (2) Freepik (3) Diocese of Norwich
