And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the
wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels
waited on him.
Mark 1:12-13
Jesus may have been in isolation
from other people, but he wasn’t alone.
There were wild animals there.
Now it appears that they weren’t
necessarily poised to attack him. They
were with him, around him, watching this two legged creature who ate nothing
and simply existed in their space. Here’s the thing about wild beasts of all
sizes, assuming that they don’t see you as prey. If you don’t approach them aggressively, and
if you sit down where you are, they may allow you to observe them. You may learn something from them.
In addition, there was benevolent
presence (angels) that met him in his wilderness time with the support that was
most critical to his survival. Perhaps
it was the angels who centered his mind upon the words with which he would meet
Satan’s taunting jabs. Perhaps they
soothed and shielded his heart and body so that he could actually remain intact
regardless of atmospheric adversity.
Reflect
and write:
Are
there wild beasts around you or within you?
Perhaps they have been imposed upon you or they may even be of your own
making. In this moment you are safe, so
what happens if you sit down with the wildness and simply observe it?
Who
has functioned as a benevolent presence for you? Sometimes we are so caught up in anxiety that
we fail to see the support or the life line that is available to us.
A
heightened awareness of your wild beasts will equip you in limitless ways as
you walk through Lent. Likewise, be
assured that because you are walking closely with Jesus, there will be angels
waiting upon you as well!
I like that name "benevolent presence." Sometimes all it takes to get me to calm down is a moment of true benevolence-- listening, understanding, compassion. . . it just happened about 30 minutes ago as we were walking the dog. . . Jeff said, "Your shoulders are in your ears, you're so tense. Relax." A benevolent observation that changed my mood and outlook immediately. Thanks for this today! (And everyday!)
ReplyDeleteAs I wander around my church building or out in society, I know that there are dear ones, kindred spirits, who notice when I am over loaded with care--including the burden of taking myself too seriously. I have learned who those people are, and I have frequently asked them to say something to me (kindly, please) if they notice that am tightly wound or disproportionately stooped over. They pray for me regularly and especially when I send out a "throw me a life line" call! Interesting, these benevolent ones have no need (or specific desire) to know all the details of what is going on. They simple are there (like the angels) to wait upon me and minister to me in God's name.
ReplyDeleteThe "benevolent presence" takes on new meaning for me in this scripture because we are told that the Spirit "drove him out into the wilderness." Is that the way God sometimes acts with us? I know I have been reluctant to take on new challenges, or face the unknown of a new phase of my life. But maybe God drives us, or at least nudges us, to step out and deal with our fears and hesitations. This pivotal time for Jesus, right after his baptism, forced him, in a sense, to deal with who he really was and was called to do. I pray that the Spirit will drive me out of my comfort zone to become clear about my direction, and stay close to me.
ReplyDelete