RMC member Phil Jackson preached on the temptation of Christ in the wilderness as told in Mark 1: 9-15. Although this relation of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is very brief, we should not be fooled into reading too quickly past Mark’s description of this pivotal event. In it we can see how Jesus is being set up as the new embodiment of Adam and Eve, who will not falter under temptation and hardship unlike those first people, or God’s people wandering in the desert for 40 years, or us. At the core of our faltering resides the persistent doubts that tear us down, sown by the accuser into our thoughts since the beginning…is God good, trustworthy, or even good for us? Are we worth saving? As the reflective and repentant season of Lent begins, Phil reminds us that the Gospel doesn’t solely provide advice on how to live righteously. It also brings the good news of God’s steadfast love for us as well as his son, shown through the example of God’s sustaining presence during Christ’s suffering and testing. As we submit ourselves to the testing and instruction of the Spirit during Lent, let us remember and reflect upon the humility, the obedience, and the good news of Christ as he walked into the wilderness.
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