Mark 1:9-13
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[g] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
John 10:10 tells us that while
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
But sometimes I think that we are “selling a version of Jesus” which reduces Jesus to a way of solving our problems. Following Jesus is about making life better, more enjoyable, for ourselves.
The life that Jesus come to bring, what we could call abundant life is rooted in his grace, knowing that we are secure in God’s love for us. And this enables us to love God and love our neighbor. All of this is his grace and is only possible by and through Him. In the end, following Jesus is not at all “about us”.
When we read scripture
- we read in small pieces - we dig into the details;
- we read the larger story - we see how the whole text flows.
Mark, here links Jesus’ baptism and temptation. The baptism was a moment, the temptations were in a desert for 40 days.
Mark 1:9-13 are rarely preached or taught on together. It's often a message about Jesus’ baptism, or Jesus’ temptation. But Mark doesn't let us separate these two. Verse 12 begins "at once". Jesus' baptism and temptation are connected.
When Jesus comes up out of the waters of baptism, the Father speaks, and the Spirit descends. Jesus is called the beloved Son. It is an amazing scene. Jesus is is secure in knowing the Father’s love.
But before we have time to reflect on that, Mark says, "at once" or immediately, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to face Satan’s temptations.
Matthew and Luke tell us more about these temptations and how Jesus handled them. Mark, on the other hand does not. He simply says
he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.
Mark is showing us God’s love and acceptance of Jesus and Satan’s immediate reaction.
The same dynamic is true for us. There is a spiritual battle between good and evil into which we are drawn as disciples of Jesus. We survive by resting in God's love and walking with God being sustained in worship, community, prayer, and sacrament.
Mark doesn't want us to “sell the wrong sort of Jesus”. He wants people who are aware of and prepared to follow Him into the inevitable battle as Lord. Discipleship is more about following God than about feeling good.
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