Last week we were up a mountain, but as we have entered into Lent, today we will hear of the start of a journey: for those coming out of exile, finding a new land; of Jesus starting on his journey to Jerusalem. They have been in what is described as a wilderness: how might we describe this today? It could well be a place of trial: deserts, or polar landscapes, or a diagnosis, or unemployment: and you want me to go there Lord? This isn’t the land of milk and honey God promised!
Christians across the world enter into Lent – our Lenten Prayer Calendar is here, this 6 week journey into a spiritual wilderness, where austerity and simplicity is something to be strived for. For many of us that is day-to-day living. This doesn’t sound like something to willingly enter into, does it? Our world seems to be moving into a period of wilderness itself: war, increasing costs in terms of energy and food – why would we want to do likewise? Jesus was expecting to ultimately be on a journey to his death – but there was hope waiting at the end.
Jesus is tempted in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13)
This passage is something common to all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Mark packs this all into just 2 verses in his first Chapter.
There are some key phrases here: 40 days indicates a long time, not necessarily that exact period of time; Jesus is in the desert – in the Greek, that word eremia means solitude, loneliness, to keep alone – not necessarily the Sahara. It could well be where we are at mentally. Jesus is using this space and time to be with God.
Is Jesus alone in the wilderness? He is led by the Sprit, the pnuema.
It’s a contest: If you are …then do this. Jesus did what God wanted not what the opposer, the adversary, the accuser said – this is very different the red horned creature that has been put into artform. The Devil’s origins go well before Jesus’ time on Earth.
What exactly happens?
Food Glorious Food
Jesus is asked to make the stones into bread. Was it wrong, if starving, not to remain alive by ensuring sufficient food? Is feeding yourself a sin when you are in need? I wonder if this is why in Slimmer’s World, food is tallied as syns. Perhaps if you are in the desert, a physical wilderness, if you can, at will, create food from rocks etc, then you have a grand scheme here. Potentially, you could amass a fortune and exert great power over others. Is that what Jesus is seeking? In Deut 8:3 God fed the exiled with manna, so that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from God. So no milk and honey?
So Jesus passes on the temptation of appetite.
Ambition
Jesus was shown all the kingdoms of the world: quite incredible on a spherical earth. But hold it, did that understanding of a flat Earth exist at such a time? What we could see was the limit to most people’s understanding. Sailors trusted that their maps would replicate the earth’s surface. Moses climbed up Mount Nebo (Deut 32:49) where God shows him Jericho and Canaan. Perhaps the accuser pointed out where the major areas of note where, using compass directions: Rome that way, Alexandra that way. In the Book of Baruch, written by Jeremiah’s scribe, contained in the Apocrypha, there is a mountain from where all of the kingdoms of the Earth may be seen. Is this a metaphor?
If we were to climb, with all due care and attention, to the top of the church, what kingdoms might we see? At Partick , we could see the academic kingdom of the University to the east, the ship building kingdom immediately to the south, the various commercial kingdoms all around the church: would we see the kingdom of God? Perhaps if we look carefully, in every person, we may well see facets of God; perhaps the kingdom of God is already present but requires to be made alive within us? No milk and honey, eh?
So Jesus passes on the appetite of ambition.
Glory
Jesus is taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. Unlike the one in Wells, Somerset, following Storm Eunice a few weeks ago, this spire will not come down in the wind; however, the accuser wants Jesus to throw himself down, whereupon he will be saved. The Temple in Jerusalem was built by Herod the Great. Herod wasn’t exactly trying to expand the Jewish Temple for faith-based purposes, he was eventually looking to add Caesar’s Eagle emblem on the entrance for Caesar was the god that they would be encouraged to worship collectively as Herod’s people.
This Temple, paid for out of taxes on the people by Herod, in addition to the taxes requested by Rome, was the largest religious structure anywhere in the Roman empire. To the south of the Temple stood a square, capable of gathering thousands of people. High above this square was ‘The pinnacle’, a platform where, throughout the day at set times, a priest would blow a trumpet horn to capture everyone’s attention. This would remind people to pray. Not for milk and honey thou.
With Jesus standing on the Pinnacle, this platform, his jumping off would have made a spectacular scene. You can imagine it on YouTube, Vimeo, Insta and twitter. The news channels would have coverage immediately – but to what benefit to Jesus?
Would people have come to faith through an amazing stunt? Especially one which did not directly affect them?
So Jesus passes on instant online glory.
Journey
Jesus is on a journey, as we are. He is going to be navigating the back streets of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem, to be with us. Jesus seeks to walk along side us every step of the way. We can meet with Jesus, walk and talk, engage with Jesus. We can find guidance for our own walk in life, the temptations we face individually are ones that Jesus relate to: that of appetite and power; of ambition; and making it without much effort.
What Jesus is seeking for us is to flourish in God’s eyes.
As we wend our way through Lent this year, let us consider what we, like Jesus, actually need. A living relationship with God, one where we are in communication, where guidance is available. That’s what Jesus sought in that ‘wilderness’.
That’s the message from this passage: seek God, speak with God, let our lives flourish with God.
It was very interesting