Mark: The Devil Tempting

1. Additional Scriptural readings suggested: Luke 4:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13

2. A short reading:

"The first thing to keep in mind is never in any respect to rely on yourself. The warfare that now lies before you is extraordinarily hard, and your own human powers are altogether insufficient to carry it on." (Way of the Ascetics. 4)

3. Text for meditation:

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." ¹² And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³ He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

4. Reflections:

There was no rest for Jesus after His baptism. "Immediately," Mark says, the Lord was driven into the wilderness to face the dangers that were there. In the Old Testament we read that Israel was tested in their journey through the wilderness (Psalm 95:7-11). Some of the people failed, others were faithful. The wilderness was inhabited by demons (Isaiah 34:14; Deuteronomy 32:17). It is not far-fetched to say that for Israel the wilderness was a cursed place. Note that the wild beasts are linked with Satan. That means they were a threatening presence. Our brothers and sisters who died in the Roman coliseum understood this passage all too well.

At the same time, "the angels waited on" Jesus in the desert. Forty days He was there. No one knows what He was undergoing during that time. One thing is clear, even He had to have the assistance of God's messengers to make it. The clash between Jesus and the negative powers of the wilderness highlight one of Mark's major themes: the struggle or warfare between Jesus and evil. We will see it many times in our study. We should not take the appearance of angels to mean that Jesus did not suffer privation and hardship in the wilderness (sometimes associated with the desert). The devil attacked Him all the way to Calvary and yet was stopped cold in his tracks there and again at the open tomb. Note that Elijah's experience was similar to that of our Lord (1 Kings 19:5-7).

Temptation and the wilderness go together. As long as we stays in the wilderness (of a world that denies Christ) temptation will raise its ugly head. It was because of temptation that Eden became a cursed earth (Genesis 3). Yet, as Paul the Apostle says, God can make a way for us through temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Jesus fought His own battle in the wilderness, after which the angels came to him. We cannot do that; we are too weak. But He, the Lord, will come to our aid in our wilderness and bring us through. Maybe even the angels help, at least John Wesley thought so.

5. Questions raised today for personal reflection.

Do we live in "the wilderness" today? Yes, we do, when the wilderness is thought of as that place where God is not valued, where evil shows its face freely, and where the people of God must remain steadfast in spite of danger.

Will the Spirit force us to go -where we do not want to go? If the experience of Jesus is our pattern, the Spirit did thrust Him into the wilderness to face trouble, but there is nothing to suggest Jesus was opposed to it. We must not put more on this strong action of the Spirit than is warranted. But suppose we love God with all our heart; can God place us where we would rather not be? If God places us there, is it not the place of blessing? Are we not willing to be rich or poor for Him, lifted up or cast down for Him?

6. Suggestions for prayer:

The church lifts its heart on behalf of the world and its peoples, many of whom live under the authority of evil. We need to pray for those innocent ones in prisons, both far away and at home. We can praise God that His love through Jesus will bring an end to evil. We need the Spirit to strengthen us in the face of great evil. The church in op- pressive lands needs our prayers, that it will be faithful and joyous in spite of difficulty. Finally, let us pray for ourselves, that we will look to God for our strength in the spiritual conflict we face. The devil makes life difficult, but not impossible.