Churches With Heart

Moody First United Methodist Church

Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV)

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 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. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 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. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Last Thursday night we were at a cover-dish supper. It was an Emmaus gathering at First church in Waco. There must have been over 100 folks there that night. The food was everywhere. Lots of fried chicken, barbequed sausage, yummy looking meat loaf, bowl after bowl of pinto beans cooked with ham hocks. That and much more was on several tables strung together. Then on the table closest to my eating table were the desserts. There was this wonderful looking banana pudding. It was obviously a store bought coconut cake, but boy it looked good. Brownies and cookies filled pans and plates. Pies were all over the place. I tried not to look at the pies. On the other hand the cobblers got my attention. If there had been ice cream to go on top, I probably would not have been able to resist. It all looked sooo good. I’ll confess. The temptation was too much. I blew the diet Thursday night.

It was a week or two ago that we went to the movie theater. These days most movie houses have a dozen or so screens. There are different movies on each screen with show times that differ somewhat. Well, we went down the hall we were shown. At the end of that hall we could go right or left. There were movies in both directions. “There. There was theater number 7. That one is ours.” We walked into the dark, found our seats, and enjoyed a funny flick. As we were leaving, I couldn’t help but notice the movie right next to ours was about to start. People came down those same halls we had been down 2 hours earlier, entering theater number 6. We had considered watching that show. It’s right there. Who would ever notice if we slipped in to make it a double feature. It seemed like it would be easy to do. No one would ever know. Now some folks would have been tempted. Tempted! I have no doubt it’s been done.

Cheating on the big test, driving 80 in a 70 mph speed zone, walking off with too much change after a purchase, some folks find these tempting.

A secretary were I worked in Dallas went shopping at a mall one evening. On her way to her car, this young man came running by her, grabbed the purse hanging from her shoulder and kept going. Well the strap didn’t slip right off. Instead, she was pulled down to the pavement and dragged for a few feet before the guy got away with her purse. Now Jasper, he wouldn’t be tempted to steal a woman’s purse in the middle of the parking lot, but report the damage from a previous accident along with the current insurance claim…well that would be tempting.

Jack wouldn’t dream of robbing a convenience store, but cheating the IRS is a temptation he just can’t resist.

According to Mark, Jesus was tempted by Satan. Mark doesn’t tell us much more than that. He certainly doesn’t offer the details we find in Matthew and Luke’s gospel. They both give the same details that are missing from Mark. Mark’s message is not about those details. Mark tells us all he needs to say about Jesus’ temptation in 2 verses, 33 words in the New Revised Standard Version.

This brief account by Mark is given quiet a punch by the vigor of the language. The Spirit “drove him out,” (literally threw or cast him out). Jesus is led by the spirit in the other reports. Jesus was “tempted” (tested, put through trials). The temptation is from Satan (the adversary, the opposing one). Mark is the only gospel writer to mention the “wild beasts.” Finally, angels wait on Jesus not after it’s all over but during the tempting.

The language Mark uses, as brief as it is, speaks volumes. This language describes something that is both serious and personal. To be tempted by Satan is serious. To be tempted by the one who opposes God! You can’t get much more serious than that.

Mark tells us “immediately” the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. “Immediately” is strong. No time to bask in the sunlight shining through the heavens that have been ripped open following his baptism. No time to bask in the light of God’s words, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness. He is not led. He is driven. He is immediately in the wilderness. Sounds serious to me. Richard Donovan reminds us that throughout Israel’s history, the wilderness has been where the Israelites have been tested, but it is also where they have been deepened spiritually.

It is in this wilderness that Jesus is with the wild beasts. Being with wild beasts sounds serious. Just ask the Christians who were torn to pieces by ferocious animals during Emperor Nero’s reign. That would be during the 60’s, which is the time Mark writes this gospel. Maybe Mark was promising those Christians the same attention the angels gave Jesus. Endnote

Jesus was in this wilderness for 40 days. Forty days is always associated with intense spiritual experiences. Forty days does not so much describe a length of time as a quality of time. This is a serious, personal, spiritual time.

Mark tells us that it is Satan who tempts Jesus. Matthew and Luke refer to the devil, but it is that word Satan which means “the adversary.” It is the one opposed to God’s will who tempts Jesus. This is a personal encounter, a personal confrontation.

Mark also tells us that the angels are present through this trial waiting on Jesus. Angels are God’s personal messengers. God’s very own messengers are caring for Jesus, being of comfort and support.

We’re not talking about eating a piece of coconut cake, slipping into a second movie, speeding, or cheating on a test. Mark is not talking about purse snatching, cheating the IRS or our insurance company. No, this tempting of Jesus is far more serious, personal, and spiritual than that.

It is so serious, personal, and spiritual Mark sees no need to offer the details. Maybe that’s the reason Mark immediately follows this account with Jesus in Galilee proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Jesus said, “Repent and believe.” Those verbs in the Greek do not speak of momentary acts, but rather living in a constant state of repentance and belief. Endnote It was all about living in relationship with God. You do know that God’s kingdom can be found wherever people embrace God as king of their lives. Endnote

Fred Craddock in a sermon he preached to a little country church in the mountains of north Georgia, the Cherry Log Christian Church, suggests the following: “Jesus’ temptation was this: What am I going to do with my life?” Endnote

Could it be our greatest temptation is: “What am I going to do with my life in relation to Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?” The good news is it’s never too late to repent and believe until it’s too late.