Mark 1:1-13 (NRSV)

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,"' John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  He proclaimed, 'The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'  In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.  And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'  And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

As our Lenten fast continues past the first Sunday, we enter the first chapter of the Gospel according to Mark.  Strangely enough, part of this was the Eucharistic reading on the First Sunday in Lent (beginning with verse 9 but continuing through verse 15).  The word that jumps out today is wilderness.  I have always been intrigued by wildness places, but in the ancient world they were places of evil and death.

Mark’s gospel story opens abruptly with John, the baptizer, baptizing in the wilderness proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  People were drawn to his message (and probably his strange manner of dress).  John announced the coming of the one more powerful than he is (Jesus) who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.  The story goes directly to the introduction and baptism of Jesus and his trip to the wilderness.

The message sound almost “advent-ish,” and is used within the season of Advent, but we are in the season of Lent.  I feel that the part that makes it appropriate is the part considering the wilderness.  Our journey through Lent is meant to reenact Jesus journey of 40 days when he was tempted by Satan, when he was with wild beasts, and when angels waited on him.  Our journey, of course, was far less strenuous than His.

I feel that the call to us today is similar to my homily on Sunday.  We are to be content with our time in the wilderness, as we participate with Christ in his preparatory journey before beginning his ministry.  We all have responsibilities as baptized persons, and we are bombarded every day with challenges that want to trip us up and get us off course.  We prepare during this season by embarking on our own journey through the wilderness, abstaining in order to focus a little closer, and taking on in order to gain more depth.  We are not alone in the wilderness.  As the angels waited on Jesus and looked after His needs, we know God is there with us loving us and taking care of us because we are God’s own (assured by our baptism).