Tempted

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 for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Mark 1:1-13

We humans are all tempted. We are tempted by money, power, food and all sorts of other things that weaken our faith and turn us away from God. We are also tempted, at our lowest moments in life, when we have been overwhelmed by pain, loss and isolation, to give up on life entirely. We think in our moments of greatest temptation that our Creator has abandoned us. Yet, just the opposite is true. Jesus know temptation, all assaults were thrown at him, and he abides with us in our deepest sorrows and temptation times. May we remember today, when pain and the temptation to give up overwhelms us, that God is with us and holding us in the darkest places.

Loving Creator, you know our pain and sorrow

you were alone in the wilderness of human life

you knew the depth of hunger and isolation

and you abide with us in our deepest despair.

When we feel anxious and abandoned

we think you have stopped loving us

we believe we are not worthy of your love

and we give up on having faith in you.

Yet you never give up on any of us

so help us today to know you are with us

let us find you again in our sorrows and fears

and give us your love to lift others with today. Amen.