“What’s In the Wilderness?”
Scripture – Matthew 4: 1-11
A year ago, I moved from the heart of Minneapolis to the mountains of Colorado. This move has given me new perspective on Jesus’ time in the wilderness and the temptations the devil tested him with. Here are some reflections on that:
“If you are the Son of God, turn these stones to bread.” This isn’t such a temptation if you have spent time watching mushrooms appear out of nowhere, birds gathering berries, or stumbled across a grove of wild fruit trees. I’ve read that hunter-gatherers only spend about fifteen hours a week securing food for themselves. “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God;” every gift from God the Creator.
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” If you have been backpacking, you know you don’t want to do stupid things. It’s true the wilderness is a place of abundance, but if you are there alone, you feel it. I think, “what if…” What if I broke a leg? What if I got lost? What if the sun went down before I got back to the car? Observation, awareness, and decision-making constantly come into play. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
The devil took him to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor… “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” After about a week of living in the mountains – a week of staring up at the night sky, of watching the most amazing sunsets, of being surrounded by awe-inspiring beauty, I found myself reflecting on my city living, thinking, “it’s all B.S.” There are so many things that occupy our lives that really don’t amount to a much, and we as people end up obsessing over these stupid things. Being out in nature has a way of bringing us back to our senses. It teaches us about what really matters. Jesus said, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.’”
Closing Thought:
As I think about this, my hope for all of us this Lent is that the Spirit might lead us out into the wilderness. And not metaphorically, but literally – that we might end up in the wilderness, that we might learn from the orders that God has put in place; that we might experience the nurture and nourishment that God’s creation provides for us; and that we might develop our powers of observation, awareness, judgment and decision-making. And that by this, we would be able to see our way through any test that might come our way and do so with a profound sense of reverence and awe for the God that made it all. Amen.
Donald Hanna is the pastor at Alamosa Presbyterian Church. He recently moved with his family to a small ranch on the outskirts of the San Luis Valley.
