Following Jesus Through the Wilderness

 

Ever since I was a little boy influenced by cartoons and movies, I have associated any variety of cactus plant with the desert. Even now, seeing a cactus turns my thoughts to sand, heat, rocky terrain and an all around inhospitable environment.

My childhood was also deeply influenced by Sunday School. In the Bible stories I learned there were many references to the desert and to the wilderness, and thus the action of these stories always unfolded in the desert imagery of my mind. Whether Moses and the wandering people or John the Baptizer thundering away at the Jordan River, there are cacti in my imagination.

So as I make my way through my neighborhood, upon seeing this cactus I always think of the story of Jesus in the wilderness being tempted. This story is the traditional text for worship on the first Sunday of the season of Lent. It also reminds me that the deserts and the wildernesses we encounter take many forms. Instead of sand, our wilderness may have nice sidewalks. Instead of burning heat, our desert may have air conditioning. Instead of rocky terrain, the setting of our story may be the manicured lawns of suburbia.

Whatever the environment in which our struggles play out, the story of Jesus being tempted shows us the way. Jesus came through his wilderness experience through prayer and fasting. Jesus was true to the way of life influenced by an honest understanding of the teaching of his scriptures. Jesus was true to himself and to who God was calling him to be. He came out on the other side of his desert experience ready to be about the life and ministry that would change the world. May we follow his example in this holy season.

Peace.