God is present
By the Rev. Tony Hazen, Lebo United Methodist Church
Friday, February 27, 2009
One thing is certain about the author of the Gospel of Mark; the rule of writing was to not waste words. The author kept the writing short and to the point. And this text is only one of many that serve as an example of this thinking. The baptism of Jesus takes only a few short concise verses and then Jesus is led to the wilderness by the spirit. It only takes two verses for Mark to say that Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness and he was protected by the angels. The next verse is about the arrest of John the Baptist. But we should not take the fact of only seeing a few verses about Jesus’ baptism and temptations as meaning that there is not something very important for us to know about these events.
I think the most important lesson for us is to know that God walks through the wilderness with Jesus and provides protection from evil for him, and as we walk through life and face the evils of our world, God is walking with us.
Did Jesus know of the dangers of the wilderness journey? Probably some of them, but maybe not all. Yet he followed the spirit to where God wanted to take him. Was it a test for Jesus or was it God’s way of showing him that no matter how difficult life can be God will continue to be there?
I can be confident that where I go God will be present, and in this I have hope that my journey in my faith life there will be protection from the things I fear; that all along the way where I go God will supply all the things I need to continue.
One of my fears is the unknown of the decisions I will make when confronted or tempted by the evils that make every attempt to pull me away from my relationship with God. Will I make the proper choices and will I be able to stand firm against the desires I struggle with. I know one thing for certain is that it can be done only with God’s help and I know that God will be there wherever I may go.
This Lenten season is a time of remembering that we are human with temptations to face. Jesus faced temptation of the same magnitude, also as a human, and now his struggles are lessons for us that we are to trust God.
So few words from the writer of Mark’s Gospel, yet so substantial is the lesson in God’s saving work for each of us.
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Tony Hazen of Lebo/Olivet United Methodist Church.