I Will Lead Her Into the Desert
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 (NAB, Mark 1: 12 – 13).
Here we are again. Another year, another Lent. Why does Lent invoke apprehension within our family and friends around us? Why does Lent invoke a little bit of resistance within ourselves? It seems to me that we tend to focus on the ‘negative’ aspects of Lent such as fasting and penance. Jesus catches our eye in this Scripture passage as he “remained in the desert for forty days tempted by Satan”. We don’t want to be stuck in the desert for even one day with Satan, not to mention the wild beasts.
While this part of the Scripture passage is essential for relating with the humanity of Jesus, we also can’t forget that Jesus is divine. We need to open our eyes and hearts so we do not gloss over the rest of the passage. Jesus was stuck with Satan, but He was not alone. Neither are we. Just as the Father, the Holy Spirit, and even the angels were with Jesus in his trials, they are with us too.
It was the Holy Spirit who sent Jesus into the desert. Jesus remained in the desert not just because he ‘had to’ but by choice. Do you remember Satan tempting Jesus to turn a stone into a piece of bread or throw himself off of the Temple building? Surely Jesus had the power to turn a stone into a piece of bread or jump and have angels catch Him. Jesus could have chosen to leave the desert at any time, but that was not the Father’s will. Jesus remained.
During Lent, the Holy Spirit drives us also into the desert. Maybe we should say that the Holy Spirit invites us into the desert. It is in our own personal desert where we try to sweep away anything that can keep us from Christ. Being with Christ is our joy. Just as Jesus was able to grow deeper in prayer with the Father in the desert, we can too. Let us refine our focus this Lent on the joy of spending this season growing in our relationship with Christ in the deserts of our own lives.
