Sunday,
February 17 Luke
4:1-13
Moe
Hill
Before "wilderness experiences"
became so much in vogue, Jesus had his own. It sounds like it must have been
pretty tough: forty days and nights without food, and the devil following him
around everywhere. Knowing Jesus was famished, the devil first tempted him with
food, but instead of turning the stone to bread, Jesus told him that man does
not live on bread alone, but on the word of God. Next, he took Jesus to the
mountaintop, where there was a panoramic view of all the kingdoms of the world.
"If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be
thine!" Jesus tells him to back off and that he'll only
worship the one true God. Before giving up completely, the devil brings
him to Jerusalem to the pinnacle of the temple and tries tempting him
to jump, but Jesus says it is not wise to tempt God.
I
guess I'd always thought of the wilderness as a dark and desolate place,
without all of those wonderful views. But maybe it's any place where our faith
is put to the test. When we experience lows, when loved-ones are sick, or
we feel there's little to hope for, are we more likely then to blame God? And
are we also more susceptible to temptation when we have a mountaintop moment,
when everything is going our way and we feel bulletproof, almost god-like? Even
Jesus was afraid of tempting God.
I've come to think that the
wilderness is all around us, and there will always be highs and lows. My
prayer during this season of Lent is to cherish the ordinary time and
try to remember God and give thanks for all the mundane moments that make up
most of my days. Maybe the highs and lows will be more navigable if I'm
grounded in prayer and gratitude. The culture we live in can lead us a
long way from God, but if we are filled with the spirit--as Jesus was when he
entered the wilderness-- God can transform our lives.
Prayer:
Lord, Help me keep my mind and heart
on matters of the Spirit.
Daily
challenge: Daily
events of this world can get in the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment