IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICTS AND TEMPTATIONS

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT (B) 26 February 2012

Mark 1, 12-15

At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,  and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan.  He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

After John  was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe  the good news!” (NIV)

IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICTS AND TEMPTATIONS

José Antonio Pagola

Before beginning to tell the story of the prophetic activity of Jesus, Mark writes these short verses: “The Spirit sent him out into the desert,  and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan.  He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”These few lines are a summary of the basic experiences Jesus had until his execution on the cross.

   Jesus did not have an easy and untroubled life. He was driven by the Spirit, but he experienced the forces of evil in his own flesh. His passionate commitment to the project of God led him to live an existence torn apart by conflicts and tensions. We, his followers, have to learn from him to live in times of trial.

   ”The Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert.” It’s not a comfortable life he leads him out to. He puts him through trials, risks and temptations. It’s always fraught with risks to seek the kingdom of God and his justice, to make God known without distorting his image, to work for a more humane world. It was so for Jesus and it will be so for his followers.

   “He was in the desert forty days.” The desert will be the setting in which the life of Jesus will unfold. This inhospitable and scarcely homely place is a symbol of trial and purification. It is the best place to learn to live stripped to essentials, but also the most threatening for those left to their own strength.

   “Tempted by Satan.” Satan means the “adversary”, the power hostile to God and to those working for his kingdom. Through temptation we discover how much there is of truth or lies in us, of light or darkness, of fidelity to God or complicity with injustice.

   Throughout his life, Jesus will remain alert to discern the activity of Satan in the most unexpected circumstances. One day he will reject Peter with these words: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” We have to go through testing times as he did, being wary about whatever can turn us away from God.

   “He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” Wild  beasts, the most violent creatures on the earth, evoke the dangers that will threaten Jesus. Angels, the best beings in creation, suggest the nearness of God who blesses, cares for, and sustains him. In this way will Jesus live: defending himself against Herod Antipas whom he calls a “fox” and seeking strength from the Father in nights of prayer.

   We must live in these difficult times with eyes fixed on Jesus. It is the Spirit of God that is driving us into the desert. A Church more humble and more faithful to her Lord will one day emerge from this crisis.

Spread the example of Jesus 

Source: URL of José Antonio Pagola's Buenas Noticias Web site: 

Website for Spanish text and translations: www.eclesalia.net

Jose Antonio Pagola,  vgentza@euskalnet.net , San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain.

English Translation by  Valentine de Souza S.J.  Mandal, Gujarat , India.394650

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