He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan….
Mark 1:13
Through today’s verse we encounter a Jesus who is tired, hungry, and alone after spending forty days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. The forty days Jesus spent being tempted remind me of our own forty days of seeking and searching during this season of Lent…Amazingly, we find ourselves connected; connected to Jesus through the one thing that can weaken or strengthen our relationship with God, temptation.
The tempter knows the condition of Jesus; he knows His weaknesses (he’s hungry, tired, and alone) and he tries to take advantage of them. It’s as if the tempter is saying: “use your power to meet your own needs, use your power to meet the material needs of the world.” However, Jesus refuses and puts His trust in His Father. Jesus acknowledges the love His Father has for Him, thus enabling Him to overcome any temptation.
Like Jesus, we too, face temptations every day. How we respond to such temptations depends on whether or not we are willing to trust God and his love for us. So, this Lenten season let us spend more time recognizing our weaknesses and the places in which we are tempted, so that we may respond in ways that glorify God instead of ourselves. And may we be reminded that it is God who provides for our deepest needs and it is through His love that we are able to overcome any temptation we face.
The Rev. Amanda Knouse
