Mark: The Devil Tempting
[Index] [Introduction]
Wednesday, March 5, 2003
1. Additional Scriptural readings suggested: Luke 4:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13
2. A short reading:
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"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)
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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.
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