Read: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11
As Matthew 4 begins, Jesus has just been baptized. The Holy Spirit had descended upon him like a dove and the voice of the Father declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” I always thought this would be the perfect time for Jesus to start his ministry. He just received the endorsement of one of the most popular preachers in the world. There were already crowds gathered. Strike while the iron’s hot!
Not so fast! Matthew 4:1, Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The first thing Jesus does is head to the wilderness. For forty days and nights, Jesus fasts and prays and meets with God in a desolate, deserted, solitary place: The wilderness.
Traditionally, the season of Lent gets its structure and themes from Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness where he fasted, prayed, and faced Satan’s temptations. The wilderness was not punishment. Jesus was just declared God’s beloved son. Instead, God had a purpose and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Jesus goes.
2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came… Isn’t that just like Satan? He waits until we are weak and then attacks! He waits until Jesus is most vulnerable and then he pounces!
But I think that’s backwards. Jesus may be physically weak, but spiritually he’s at his strongest. His time in the wilderness is a time of preparation for the ministry before him. Like all who serve as ministers of the gospel, Jesus will be tempted to trust in things other than God for his security and survival. He will be tempted to seek his approval, power, and control in human things.
“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread…If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down…All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Richard Rohr observes, “These three…are…temptations that all humans must face…they are temptations to misuse power for purposes that are less than God’s purpose.” Jesus passes all three tests. The wilderness, the lonely place, was his place of preparation and strengthening.
During Lent, we often experience the evil one’s temptations for us to save ourselves through our own human strength and strategy instead of trusting God to be enough to meet what we need. We must ask ourselves,
- Where am I tempted to ‘turn these stones to bread’ in my life?
- Where am I tempted to use the gifts and power God has given me to bring security and control in my life?
- Where am I putting God to the test and disregarding my human limitations to try to prove something to others and then expecting God to come to my rescue again and again?
- When, where, and how am I tempted to worship the outward trappings of success rather than seeking the inner joy, peace, and authority that come from worshiping God and serving Him only?
We often think the wilderness is a harsh place. We think of it as a place God banishes us to when we fall short. Lent invites us to see it as a place of preparation; a place where we find clarity, inner strength, and salvation that comes from God alone. We find it is the place we find God’s steadfast love.
Henri Nouwen writes, “We have to fashion our own desert where we can withdraw every day, shake off our compulsions and dwell in the gentle healing presence of the Lord. Without such a desert we will lose our own soul while preaching the gospel to others.”
For Reflection:
- In what ways am I trusting something or someone other than God for security and survival, affirmation and approval, power and control?
- During Lent, how will I fashion my own wilderness – creating space for solitude and stillness – so I can on God and experience his steadfast love as my true salvation?
Readings this week:
February 27: 1 Kings 19:1-8; Hebrews 2:10-18
February 28: Genesis 4:1-16; Hebrews 4:14-5:10
March 1: Exodus 34:1-9, 27-28; Matthew 18:10-14
March 2: Isaiah 51:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:3-7
March 3: Micah 7:18-20; Romans 3:21-31
March 4: Isaiah 51:4-8; Luke 7:1-10
March 5: Genesis 12:1-4a; John 3:1-17