LENT IS A DESERT EXPERIENCE

Homily for the First Sunday in Lent, Year B

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Scripture Reading: Genesis 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15

Each year, the gospel reading for the first Sunday of Lent is about the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Mark’s account of Jesus’ temptation which is today’s gospel reading does not give us details about Jesus’ temptation. Mark only tells us that the spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him (Mark 1:12).

The forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness in preparation for his mission is symbolic of the forty years that the Israelites roamed in the desert (Numbers 14:34; Joshua 5:2-8) and the forty days of Lent in preparation for the resurrection of Jesus. As we begin this sacred season of Lent, we are called to journey into the desert with Jesus, to confront our own temptations, struggles, weaknesses, and to deepen our relationship with God. The desert is a place of struggle and spiritual testing, where our faith is put to the test and our vulnerabilities are exposed. Yet, it is also a place of solitude, purification, and encounter with God, where we can experience God’s presence in a profound, intimate, and transformative way.

Seeing Jesus going through temptation helps us understand his full humanity. The Spirit drove the Son out into the desert to be tempted by the devil so that we will better understand and relate with the Son who shares our human nature. Just like Jesus, each of us struggles with temptation daily, and it is standard to often feel alone in that battle. The fact that Jesus, our master and model faced the same difficulties is a comforting reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. From Jesus’ own temptation, we notice that the wilderness is not simply a place to be feared, but one of great hope. It is a place of encounter, of revelation, of rebirth, and of intimacy. It is true that while in the desert, Jesus was all by himself among wild beasts, exhausted from battling Satan’s temptations, but at the same time, the angels ministered to him. In other words, God was on his side, and for this reason, Jesus emerged victorious from the wilderness.

The “wilderness” and “beasts” as mentioned in the passage, are metaphorical representations of the chaos and obstacles which impede on us as we stumble through life, bearing our burdens. In those our darkest moments, when we feel alone and most in need of God, God sends his angels in different forms to minister to us. God reaches out to us in intimacy, yearning to create, heal and nourish his personal relationship with each of us, especially within our darkest moments. Let us bear in mind that temptation is a fact of life, and just like Christ, we too must endure the various temptations we face so we can arrive at our own “time of fulfilment” and play our role in realizing the Kingdom of God.

Lastly, just as Noah and his sons triumphed after the destructive flood, so too do we move from trial/temptation to triumph, renewal, and rebirth (Genesis 9:8-15). Temptations often come to test the resolve of our faith and when we emerge triumphant, our faith becomes stronger. Let us make effort to find out the areas of temptation in our life, our personal struggles that make us feel alone in the wilderness, and our own beasts. As we journey through this desert of Lent, let us be mindful of the temptations that surround us and rely on the grace of God to overcome them. And let us emerge from this desert experience renewed in faith, strengthened in spirit, and ready to embrace the joy of Easter.