Mark 1:12–15
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. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Commentary
Today’s Gospel reading marks the first Sunday of Lent. The short opening of the reading signifies the beginning of the Lent. During the season of Lent, which lasts 40 days, we perform penance and are at war against our evil inclination. But the reading reminds us that we are not alone in this war with Satan. It is because Jesus waged a similar war in the desert for 40 days as well. What we are doing now is an imitation of the 40-day struggle of Jesus against Satan.
Our attention should be drawn to the fact that the Holy Spirit here is the same Holy Spirit that descended on Jesus when he was baptized in the Jordon. This time the Holy Spirit moved Jesus to join battle with Satan in the desert. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark did not mention Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, but Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days.
Why 40 days? It was mentioned in several places in the Old Testament. Before receiving the Old Law on Mount Sinai, Moses fasted for 40 days (Exodus 34:28). The first of the great prophets, Elijah fasted 40 days on his journey to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:5) when he was sent to Israel. Now, Christ, who is both the law giver of the new covenant and prophet of God’s mercy and love, spent 40 days in the wilderness or desert before the beginning of his mission of redemption. Mark used the word “drove” seems to imply some compulsion, but Matthew and Luke in parallel places used “led”. In either case, Jesus did not run away from the Holy Spirit. He simply followed the Holy Spirit. It is probably he recognized the Holy Spirit that consoled him when he came out from the water in Jordon. Therefore, he trusted the Holy Spirit.
Knowing his days were numbered with coming of Jesus, Satan tried to tempt Jesus with local wins. However, Jesus knew that Satan’s day of tyranny over mankind was ended because of his coming.
The sign of Christ’s victory over Satan is “he was with the wild beasts”. This sign represents the restoration of the harmony of God’s creation as we are told in several books in the Old Testament: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6)”,
“I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety (Hosea 2:18)”, and
“I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely. I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. The trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase. They shall be secure on their soil; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and save them from the hands of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be plunder for the nations, nor shall the animals of the land devour them; they shall live in safety, and no one shall make them afraid (Ezekiel 34:25-28).”
Not only Jesus was with the wild beasts, the angels also waited on him. The angels implied the gates of paradise were about to reopen. The cherubim with the flaming sword have become the assistants of Christ the Messiah (Genesis 3:24).
Jesus’ public ministry began only at the time when the herald of the Messiah had left the stage. Armed the good news of God’s eternal plan that is his redemption plan for all human being, Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God on earth, which is a kingdom would end in heaven, have been decreed by God himself.
Finally, Jesus reminded all that the first step to be saved by this plan is o turn from sin and return to God. He urges us to change our outlook on life and our conducts. A repented person is a person to accept the good news of God’s plan for him.
The season of Lent has begun. Lent originally meant “springtime” and so we can view it as a spring-time for the spirit. It is a time also to spring-clean the cave of our hearts! In the season of Lent, the main issue is whether it helps me to become more aware how I stand in relation to God and my neighbour.
The ancient practices designed to achieve these goals were fasting, almsgiving and prayer. The call to fast makes me focus on the affairs of the spirit rather than of the body. The call to almsgiving makes me more alert to my neighbour’s needs. The call to prayer nourishes my bond with God, especially with Jesus in his Passion, who spent 40 hours on the Cross. Amen.