1st Sunday in Lent – Gen 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness.
The wilderness is a place or a state of aloneness, silence and being with oneself. Satan doesn’t like silence because a person might hear God in it, might get sight of His love, or touch Him. This is why he initiates a battle, hitting at our defects and tempting us to give up and abandon our chosen road. He does everything to make us return to old, established patterns, to the hustle and bustle. To be continually lacking the time for what is most important.
The wilderness makes us aware that temptation is an inherent part of life. As a man, even Jesus was not free from it – the Son of God. However, He shows how it can be defeated. In the wilderness He is not alone, He is accompanied by not only Satan but also angels. God never abandons a person even during the greatest trial. You only need to turn to Him, to be aware of His presence. The wilderness to which the Church invites me is the best way to do this. However, I need to turn off the TV, the computer, the smart phone and loud music. To stop checking every few minutes for messages or sending texts, or even liking photos. For a while suspend looking at social media and – shock, horror – pick up the Bible, so as to truly meet God and in the silence hear His voice.