Matthew 4:1-11 1 Lent - Year A
St. George’s – 2005
Wilderness Experiences: Opportunities to Grow in New Ways
On the first Sunday in Lent we always hear about Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness. Have you ever been to the wilderness? I went to the Wilderness of Judea each time I took courses at St. George’s College in Jerusalem. We left the college early in the morning so we could arrive at what is called the Wadi Qelt at dawn. After disembarking from the bus, we found places where we could meditate as dawn turned into daylight.
The wilderness is both alluring and repelling. It is full of hills and valleys, shadows and light. It can be very cold at night and very hot at day. Most of the time it is very dry and barren, except for an occasional desert flower. There are few distractions in the wilderness, but one never knows what might be lurking behind the next turn in the road. Whether one chooses to sit in quiet reflection or walk the dusty old Roman roads, the wilderness is a place to turn inward and ask questions that touch the deepest parts of our being. Questions like:
Who am I?
With whom am I rooted?
What is my purpose, my calling in life?
* * *
The gospels all tell us that shortly after his baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Why was this so important, so necessary? Well, the time had come for a major change in Jesus' life. It was time for him to leave behind his life as a small town carpenter and begin his work as the Messiah. Before he could begin, however, God wanted to make sure Jesus knew what that meant. What it meant to be the beloved Son of God. God wanted to be sure that the bond between him and Jesus was secure; that Jesus could be counted on to hold fast to God's plan for his life.
And so, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness for a period of testing and discernment. For 40 days Jesus fasted, a method of preparing the heart and body and soul to receive God more fully. Unfortunately it is also the way to make room for the devil. And the work of the devil is to pull us off the path which God has laid out for us. To keep us from becoming all that God wants us to become. To lure us off the path of health and wholeness and onto a false course.
* * *
The ways of the devil are very seductive. The devil tempted Jesus with things that would be good, not only for Jesus, but for others. "I'll make it possible for you to feed the whole world," the devil said. "I'll put you in charge of the political realm.” I'll impress people with your power so they will follow you."
Wow! What temptations! All of them good things. The only trouble was, that wasn't the path God wanted Jesus to take. If he did, he would always be less than what he was meant to be. And God's work in the world would be hindered.
In order for Jesus to be the Christ, he had to develop the will to stand up against the worst kind of adversary. So the Spirit led him into the wilderness to make sure that the bond of trust between Jesus and God was strong. So strong that when the going really got tough, Jesus wouldn't run from the task at hand. Jesus wouldn't put his own desires -- or his disciples desires for comfort, security, power and fame, above the life and ministry to which God was calling him.
The time in the wilderness was a time for Jesus to revise his map of reality. To re-adjust his thinking from being Jesus of Nazareth to being Jesus the Christ. And in order to do that he had to be strong in his ability to hold off Satan. And that, of course, demanded an uncanny trust in God.
* * *
Most of us have experienced wilderness times in our lives. Although we may not like them, on hindsight we often find that they were the times of greatest growth - opportunities to become more the person God intends for us to be, more the community God intends for us to be.
Think of times when you or someone you love has faced a serious illness, one that threatened life. Such times are often accompanied by difficult periods of adjustment. As such they can indeed be wilderness experiences. We have to re-visit our lives and ask deep and penetrating questions of ourselves:
• Who am I now that this illness is part of my life?
• Whom can I count on?
• How does this change the purpose of my life?
• Am I carrying baggage that I need to let go?
• Are there relationships that need healing?
• Am I willing to do the things that open a new future, or will I hold on to old ways regardless of their value, regardless of the harm they do?
All the while we are asking these questions, the devil is present, doing his best to lure us off the path. To tell us we don't have to change. To help us deny the experience for what it is, or tempt us to live only for ourselves. “If your days are numbered,” he says, “do whatever you want. Forget God. What has God done for you anyway? Take care of yourself. The rest of the world is no longer yours to worry about.”
* * *
Illness can lead us into the wilderness. So can events like divorce, the loss of a job, retirement, the death of a loved one, family strife, ....or maybe even the loss of a beloved rector....
Sometimes seemingly lesser things like boredom or turning 40 can lead us into the wilderness. Such times often cause us to seek professional help. We turn to doctors, counselors, psychiatrists, consultants, ....interim rectors - people who can guide us through the often treacherous journey of figuring out
Who we are
With whom we are rooted and
What our purpose now is.
Getting professional help is often a good thing. When one turns inward we usually need someone to journey with us. But what I want to say is that the most important resource we have is God. If we really want to find a way through the wilderness - a way that leads to new life, we need to travel with God.
God is the one who knows the secrets of our hearts. God is the one who will guide us in the right path if we just trust enough and listen enough. God is the one who will stand by us no matter what. God is the one who can help us ward off the temptations of the devil; the temptations to take the easy way, the fast way, or the way that has nothing to do with God and everything to do with self. God is the one who will keep us from getting lost. God is the one who will protect us from the heat of the sun and cold of the night.
* * *
In the wilderness Jesus of Nazareth learned what it meant to be Jesus the Christ. He learned that he could trust God implicitly: not only from outside forces but from forces within himself. He learned that in order to become all that he was meant to become, he would have to endure pain and suffering. But he also learned that if he held fast, he would be kind of Messiah God needed him to be. The kind that would demonstrate God’s true vision for the world.
* * *
Now I’m sure that for some of you this period between settled rectors feels like being in the wilderness. If you find yourself feeling discouraged, just remember that such times are often times of growth. That is, if we take the time to ask those great questions:
Who we are?
With whom we are rooted?
What is our purpose, our calling?