Jesus in the Wilderness

Dear Friends at CCA,

Let me begin by saying how much Cindy and I miss being with you. I’ve only been on staff at CCA since the beginning of the year, and yet the CCA family has become part of our family. Families spend time together and yet the reality is that because of the virus, one of the best ways we can love our families is to remain apart. This paradox is what makes this time so difficult. We long to worship together, to pray together, just to be together, and yet we must stay apart in order to save lives. Just as technology has allowed us to come together virtually, the Holy Spirit allows us to be together spiritually. Please know that you are in our prayers and hearts.

Christ in the Wilderness – Moretto da Brescia, c. 1515. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

“At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”    Mark 1: 12-13

Most of you will quickly recognize that this passage is about the event in our Lord’s life from which we derive Lent. So many of the spiritual disciplines we associate with Lent come from this time in Christ’s life. For Jesus, this was a time of solitude, silence, fasting, and prayer. While many of us practice these disciplines during Lent, this year our disciplines have been deeper and more pronounced because of the coronavirus. What has been the most difficult has been the isolation or forced solitude. Mark gives us a very bare-bones version of this period. Yet, in its simplicity and brevity, some things become more pronounced. It was clear that Jesus practiced solitude over these forty days, but it is interesting to note he was far from alone.

It was the Spirit that sent him into the wilderness. We need to note that even during times of trial and temptation our God is still sovereign and on his throne. The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness so that he would have the opportunity to succeed in defeating the temptation of Satan where Adam and Israel had so miserably failed. In the end, Jesus remained obedient to the will of his Father and in so doing used the temptations of Satan to bring glory to God. I believe during this time of trial for our country and the world, we should look at how we can turn this trial into an opportunity to draw closer to our heavenly Father and to seek to bring him glory through lives of holy obedience. We may feel alone, but he is with us. The Spirit is with us. Yeah though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we should fear no evil, for he is with us, his rod and staff are there to comfort us.

Just as Satan showed up when Jesus was in the wilderness, we can count on the evil one showing up to keep us company and tempt us in this time of trial. He will tempt us to be selfish and hoard so that others must do without. He will tempt us to be selfish and give in to idols for entertainment or distraction. He will tempt us to forget that God is with us and still very much in control. He will want us to give in to our fears, and anxiety and behave in ways that bring him glory, while not trusting in the provision of the Father.

As the Lord rebuked Satan with Scripture, we would do well to be in the Word and to use it to repel Satan’s taunts.

While no people were with Jesus in the wilderness it is clear that he was surrounded by wild animals. The animals of the desert are fearsome and dangerous. One only needs to hear coyotes howling at night to understand fear. I do not think the wild animals comforted Jesus in his solitude, but they did remind him he was not alone. There are tales of animals helping those in the wilderness. For example, the ravens feeding Elijah come to mind. This time of solitude has drawn me closer to nature. It is a time that nature has been used to help me marvel at God’s creation. I have watched bunnies and quail come to our feeder beneath the window. There is nothing cuter than a covey of quail and their chirping to each other as the plumes on their head bob up and down. This season is a time to invite our dogs and cats onto our laps. Their love is a great comfort. I understand it is a time of trial for animals in pounds across the country. Perhaps it is a good time to alleviate our loneliness by adopting a pet.

Finally, Mark informs us that the angels attended to our Lord. The Father had not forgotten the Son. The Father does not and will not forget us. His timing may not be what we want, but he will provide for our needs. We are never alone. I believe his angels watch over us. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses; angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. Those who are with us are greater and more numerous than those who are against us. Let us never forget that we are more than conquerors through Christ.

No, even in Lent, even in the wilderness, even in the age of the coronavirus, we are not alone. Jesus is with us and understands perfectly what we are going through. I pray that as he triumphed in the wilderness, we too will use this opportunity to bring glory to the Father.

Yours in Christ,

+Mark