Jesus’s Journey Begins – Mark 1: 9-15

A text – Mark 1:9-15

1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
1:10 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.
1:11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
1:12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
1:13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
1:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,
1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

A reflection:

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. John was attracting crowds, and many people were baptized to show repentance of their sins. Jesus did so as well, as a first act in his ministry. And Mark’s description says that, at that very moment, Jesus saw the heavens torn apart, saw the Holy spirit descending like a dove upon him, and heard a voice from heaven say, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And immediately after that touching and powerful moment, the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. What a start to a ministry!

Mark’s gospel does not include the specifics of Satan’s wilderness temptation of Jesus (that story is in Matthew’s gospel). But it says his time in the wilderness lasted 40 days, among the wild beasts, with angels ministering to him. What must this time have been like for Jesus? 40 days with no human company, communing with God. It must have been a time when he learned to make a shift from leading a normal human life in Nazareth toward focus on the calling, the work God wanted him to do among the people of Israel. Perhaps Jesus even talked over with God the death and resurrection they would undergo.  But at the end of this wilderness time, Jesus came back to civilization ready to proclaim the Kingdom of God by his words, his deeds, and his very life.

Many of us have “wilderness periods” in our lives, enormous tasks or long times when things feel weird, when we seem to have little support and we struggle. These may be preparation times, as they were for Jesus. At the end, he was ready and energized and looking for the helpers he would call as his disciples. As far as we know, he was almost never alone after that. He built and grew community wherever he went. And those he chose to accompany him were in for a wild wandering period of their own.

God is with us, right beside us, whatever sort of time we are going through. We do not have to wander alone, even if our support system feels weak. Jesus has been there. Jesus has been isolated and prepared for hard things. Jesus can empathize. Our God has been human like us and loves us beyond measure. Lean on this amazing God and you will feel steadfast love and support.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being the God that was also human. Thank you for this story in the gospels of your wandering in the wilderness, being formed and shaped for your ministry of love and proclamation and healing.  Help us to remember that you have been through the shadows that we also go through. Help us to lean on you for support and love. Amen.