And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him
Mark 1:9–13
How many small Bible stories mirror life, our lives? Writ large or small, cannot we see the larger themes that affect us?
Jesus, “born again” in his baptism by John the Baptist, now truly begins his life. Our lives take us away from those who know us (John), and we move into the greater world (the wilderness). Forty days, forty years—a lifetime. While we are there, being alive, are we not tempted, are we not surrounded by wild beasts who are likely to harm us? (It’s all relative, the beasts in your circles may be perhaps less ravenous than the ones in mine, but they’ll eat you up all the same).
But, wait. There’s hope. In our time in the wilderness, we have those who minister to us, our own angels. Perhaps they’re in the guise of family, of friends, of total strangers who pass through our lives, seen once and never again. And we have Christ, who ministers to us; so that we might come through our time in the wilderness, and come safe from out of the wilderness.
Christ doesn’t come out of the wilderness all dressed up in rich robes, leading an army to seize a kingdom, trumpets blaring. No. He comes out, probably looking a little worse for wear, but looking pretty much as he went in. As do we, who end our lives taking none of our trappings with us, but having God minister to us at the end.
Beverly Fahlstrom
