"AND HE WAS I N THE WILDER~SS FORTY D YS TEMPTED OF SATAN AND ¥'AS WITH THE WILD BEASTS". rARK 1: 13

"IN THE WILDERNESS"

OF ONE THI G WE ARE SURE : TP~T WHEN JESUS BE­GA IJ HI S MINISTRY , HIS PROGRAM HAD BEEN FORMULATED AND HIS METHOD OF ATTACK DECIDED. WE DO NOT KNm WHAT HAD PASSED THROUGH HIS MIND DURING LONG YEARS AT CARPENTER ' S BENCH I N NAZARETH. BUT HE HAD BZEN OBSERVANT. NAZARE TH NOT THE LITTLE SECLUDED VIL-LAGE WE USUALLY THINK OF. BUSY PLACE WHERE ROADS MET IN THOSE DAYS. CONSTANT COMING AND GOING OF ~o L'l:: CARA VA S OF TRAD"<'F.S; ~AST~R~T ~R'jP.ANTS AND

ROMAN SOLDIERS JOSTLED IN RKET PLACE. LEGIONS OF ROM.~ PASSED THROUGH OR NEARBY .

AND JESUS HAD OBSERVED MUCH THROUGH 'INDO W OF CARP • NTER' S SHOP. SA BLINDNESS AND BRUTALITY OF LIFE . DARK AND SOMBER THINGS I N STRE~TS. RELIGIO LEADERS GOING DOWN TO PRAYER AND SEEING NOT THE STARVING CHILDREN NOR HEARING THEIR CRY FOR BREAD. SA Vl PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET . CRUSHED BY BURDENSO T XES IMPOSE BY -:oME. POLL TAX ON EVERY PERSON; W TER TAX; CITY TAX; MEAT TAX; SALT T X; HOUSE TAX AND ROAD TAX. PAY UTTEID~OST LI IT.

AND J ESUS LOOKED ON WITH COMPASSION AND WITH INDIGNATION. vHEN SEVENTEEN THERE HAD BEEN REVOLT. NO DOUBT HE ~ RD THE WILD SPE'SCHES OF LEADERS AND RADICALS. HAD SEEN RAGGED MOB ARMED WITH PRUNING HOOKS AND BROKEN SWORDS. THEN HAD COME THE LEGIONS LIKE A MACHI NE • THERE HAD BEEN TERROR AND DE TH IN THE STREETS. TREMBLING PEOPLE SAW THEIR LEADERS FLOGGED A~m THEN DRAGGED AWAY TO CRUCIFIXION.

YES , JESUS HAD LIVE THROUGH STIRRING TIMES. HIS KEEN MIND HAD MISSED NOTHING. STE!.:EPED HIMS11LF IN SACRED LITERATURE OF HIS RACE. SPENDS NIGHTS IN MEDIT TION ON HILLS OF GALILEE. SOMETili.fES C T8HES 3LI1:PS'S OF ~IT~ITE~RANEAr; SEA A~m SE:?S SI IPS GO BY . AT LAST COMES THE DAY IHEN HE FEELS URGE OF GOD'S SPIR IT WITHI HIM. CERTAINTY AND URGENCY OF GOD'S SP IRIT COMPEL HIM TO GO DOWN TO JORDAN. THERE HE IS BAPTIZED. THERE HE CONSECRATES HIMSWLF TO T SK OF ESTABLISHING A ~W KINGDOM AND ORDER. AND AS

NSWERS THE C LL OF GOD TO THIS T SK, JESUS FEELS ITHIN HIM THE STIRRING OF A rHGHTY POWER - PO iVER

OF GOD HIMSELF. PO ~R FLOWS INTO HIM AS B PTIZED.

2 IN THE WILDERNESS THE QUESTION FACING JESUS NOW

IS THIS: HOW SHALL I USE THIS POVBR? W~T SHALL BE THE BASIS

OF MY APPEAL'? WHAT SHALL BE MY PROGRAM? THE AGONY ~ID CONFLICT OF THIS QUESTION DRIVES HIM DISTRACTED

INTO WILDERNESS. TO BE WITH GOD AND HIMSELF. THINK 1\1ATTER THROUGH . DECIDE ON HIS PROGRAM.

SEE JESUS THE:N, STRIDING AWAY INTO DESERT - A PLACE OF PRECIPIC E; AND BARE GORGE. A PlACE WHERE THERE IS NO TRACK OF 1~N AND NO SIGN OF LIFE UNTIL THE NIGHT FALLS . THEN WO ULD BE HEARD THE B RK OF JACKALS }..T]) THE LAUGHTER OF HYENAS. ACCOUNT S YS HE ' AS "WITH THE V ILD BEASTS". I GINE J SSUS RESTING ON SOME SHELF OF ROCK AND THE GAUNT, TAWNY SHAPES OF WILD BEASTS G THERING IN TB~ GLOOM. REPRESENTED UNHALLO WED POWER: UNCONTROLLED BY E ITHER REASON OR PITY. SYMBOL OF SELFISHNESS. AND RIGHT THERE IS THE VERY QUESTION JESUS IS FACING - SHALL HE USE HIS PO WER IN A HOLY OR IN N UNHOLY FASHION? SHALL HE BE LIKE GOD OR LIKE THESE WILD BEASTS?

SO J ESUS PASSES DAY AFTER BURNING DAY AND NIGHT AFT~R CHILLY NIGHT , IN THIS PROLONGED PERIOD AND STRUGGL TO SETTLE THE QUESTION AS TO THE USE OF HIS PO I'ER , AND THE ADOPTION OF A PROGRAM. A LONG PERIOD OF MENTAL CONFLICT AND SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE .

HE R3ALIZES THE EXPE CT TION OF HIS PEOPLE . HE KNOWS THE PERVERTED VL .. WS OF THE COMING ME SSIAH. THZY WERE LOOKING FOR A KING TO RIGHT THEIR WRONGS AND LIFT THEM HIGH. WERE LOOKING FOR A KINGDOM OF A C~RTAIN KIND: N AGE OF PLENTY IN WH ICH THE VERY STONES OULD BE CHANGED INTO BRE D; N AGE OF MIR-ACtE WHEN BY DIVINE INTERVENTION GOD 1 S PEOPLE WOULD BE PROTECTED AND BLESS~D; AN AGE OF JEWISH H'IPERIAL ISM WHEN SON OF DAVID WOULD RULE ALL WORLD FROM THE CITY OF JERUSALEM AND LL THE WORLD WOULD PAY TRIB­UTE AND HO GE TO ISRAEL.

QUESTION: SHOULD HE BE TRUE TO HIMSELF OR YI'"'LD TO POPULAR EXPECTATION? HE KNE W WHA T PEOPLE

ANTED; KNEW •HAT SYNAGOGUE WANTED; KNEW WHA T NAZ­ARETH WANTED - AND ANOTHER HUNDRED PLACES LIKE NAZ­ARETH SE~THING WITH FIERCE UNREST BENEATH DROWSY 0 LM. C N HE ITHST ND HIS OWN PEOPLE? C N HE BEAR ~l'HEIR SCORN AND HATRED? CAN HE STAND BEING FOR SAKEN? CAN HE B~AR CRUCIFIXION? SHOULD HE YIELD TO POPULAR D SIRE AND EXPECTATION IN THE USE OF HIS PO WER? H0 1 SHALL HE USE THAT PO WER? DILEMMA HERE !

3 THREEFOLD T.S ,':PTAT IO r SOMS SAY THIS STORY IS THE

IMAGINARY CONSTRUCTION OF A DISCIPLE . !\TEVERTHELESS, IT

REPRESENTS AN NALYSIS OF T!E IDEAS AND ATTITUDES OF J ESUS VHICH IS BORNE OUT BY ALL Wli.: KNo''N OF HIS LIFE . IT AS THUS HE FACED THE WORLD ; IT W: S THUS HE DIED. ON THESE PRINCIPLES HE STAKED EVERYTHING .

FIRST TEMPTATION -ROSE OUT OF CHRIST 1 S HUNGER . ABSORBED IN STRUGGLJ:: FOR MANY DAYS . A WAKE S TO FACT OF HUNG~R. DESPERATELY HUNGRY. IMAGINE J ESUS LOOK ­ING AROUND AND EYES ALIGHT I NG ON FLAT SCATTERED STONES AT FEET . SO MUCH LIKE MOTHER 1 S CAKES. WOULD THEY WERE m:R CAKE S. THEN COMES INSIDIOUS TEMP TA ­TION - "VVHY DON'T YOU TURN THEM INTO BREAD . NOT FOR OWN -us ALONB;, BUT FOR OYiN PEOPLE . GIVS THEM BREAD"

J ESUS SURROUNDED AT THAT M01'f_E NT BY ALL HUNGRY PEOPL"'"' OF' THill WORLD . SAW MOTHERS CLASPING HUNGRY AND PUNY CHILDREN TO THEIR BREASTS. SAW FATHERS IN DESPERATION T~ARING OPEN RAGGED SH IRTS TO SHO W THE GAUNT BONES BENEATH . HE HEARD THE UNIVERSAL CRY -"WE 'l NT BREAD . GIVE US BREAD . BREAD! 11 IN THAT NA

RE TH HOME BREAD HAD BEEN A PROBLE • HAD SE~N B~G­G RS OUTSIDE CARPENTER ' S SHOP TE RING LO F WITH HAND S AND ZATING RAVENOUSLY LIKS ANIMALS . BREAD !

'lvOULD NOT DO IT . 1/ 0ULD NOT USE HIS POVv'ER FOR OWN P3:RSONAL USE . P~OPLE COULC NOT SAY, 11 AH , WHEN YOU WERE UP AGAINST IT YOU USED YOUR PO WER AND GO T YOURSELF OUT OF A TIGHT CORNER BY A PRIV TE IRACLE THAT 1 S HO V YOU DID IT . 11 WOULD NOT DO IT BECAUSE HE KNE W THAT MEN DO NOT REALLY LIVE BY PHYSICAL BRE D. JESUS RE LIZED THAT TO KE BREAD CHEAP BY MIRACLE WAS NO GUARANTEE OF' THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM . IN A WORLD WHERE SOME ROTTED FROM WE LTH WHILE OTHERS STARVED, JESUS SAW THAT MORE THAN BREAD WAS N PEDED. WHAT ·~ AS NEEDED VAS A SPIRIT OF LOVE AND GENEROS I TY AND SHARING . WHEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD VIAS ESTABLISH­ED, THEN POVERTY WOULD BE ABOLISHED AND THERE WOULD BE ENOUGH AND TO SPARE •

JESUS SAW THAT TO CENTER HIS WORK HIS WORK ON FEEDING THE MULTITUDE , WOULD BE TO ACKNOVrrEDGE THAT MAN PRING IPALLY LIVED BY BREAD ALONE . AND TO MAKE THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WOULD BE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MAN IS NO DIFFERENT TO ANY OTHER ANIMAL .

SECOND TEMPTATION. LEG=ND THAT MESSIAH WOULD

COME FLOATING DOWN FROM CLOUDS OF HEAVEN . J ESUS IS ASKING HOW TO ATTRACT THE IDLY-BUSY PEOPLE OF P.LESTINE. S3ES HIMS~LF STANDING ON TOPMOST PIN­NACLE OF TEMPLE. PEOPLE GATHERING FOR WORSHIP. IN CENSE RI SI NG . MURMUR OF PRAYERS FLOAT UP TO HIM. AND TEMPTER SPEAKS - "CAST THYSELF DOWN". ANSWER THE I R EXPECTATIONS. MAKE ONE BOLD MIRACLE . THEY WILL ALL FOLLOW THEE. WILL ACCLAIM THEE AS THEIR ME SSIAH. KINGDOM WILL BE ESTABLISHED.

BUT JESUS REJECTS INSIDIOUS TEMPTATION. WILL NOT BE A MERE WONDER- WORKER . PURVEYOR OF MAGIC. HE KNEW PEOPLE WOULD BE IMPRESSED BY DISPLAY OF UNCANNY PO'L .. R. BUT THE SUGGESTION WAS CHEAP AND VULGAR. HE WILL NOT SINK TO THAT LEVEL. KI NGDOM CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED ON SUCH A BASIS: BY PLAYING ON HUMAN WEAKNESS AND CREDULITY. "HOW LONG ~OULD THEY FOLLO ME ON THAT BASIS. CONTINUALLY CLAMOR FOR MORE MIRACLES. GET THEE BEHIND ME S "TA"N!"

THIRD TEMPTATION . FROM HILLTOP J ESUS SEES FAR-STRETCHING DISTANCH:S OF LAND HE LOVES. GREAT SURGE OF' LONGING FOR IT ND T~ PEOPLE HO ARE SUFFERING AND TI RED AND DOWNTRODDEN. REMEMBER THE HOT BLOOD OF DAVID THE "WARRIOR KI NG" FLOWS IN HI VEINS . THINKS OF INSOLENT TYRANNY OF ROME . WORLD SE7MS TO WAITING FOR HIM TO DO SOME THING.

HE SEE S GLORY OF WORLD . LITTLE VILLAGES NEST LING; LANDS ACROSS THE SEA. DAZZLING VISION. HAS THE FEELING THAT HE HAS POWER TO STIR HEARTS OF A MILLION MEN . WHY NOT FULFIL THE EXPECTATION OF IS RAEL ND SWEEP LEGIONS OF ROME INTO SEA? WHY NOT? "WORSHIP ME AND IT SHALL ALL BE THINE!" BECOME A DICTATOR. 1~KE THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD PROVINC ES OF GOD . WHOLE LAND AWAITS YOU. YOU C N MAKE A B~TTER KINGDOM THAN ROME. TAKS UP THE SWORD.

BUT JESUS SAW THAT E RTHLY KINGDOMS WERE FOUNDED ON FORCE. AND HE KNE W THAT EVERY EMPIRE BUILT ON THAT FOUNDATION CARRIED WITHIN ITSELF THE SEEDS OF ITS OWN DESTRUCTION. JESUS COULD NOT TAKE HIS PLACE BESIDE THE ALEXANDERS ND CAESARS. HE REJECTS THE WAY OF THE SWORD. IE KNOWS THAT ISN'T ENOUGH TO MERELY CONQUER THE BODIES OF MEN HE MUST WIN THEIR LOYALTIES AND THEIR SOULS.

" WORLD WANTS BREAD - GIVE IT THEM AND WIN THEM THAT WAY. WORLD WANTS SPECTACULAR - GIVE IT TEM AND BRING IT TO ITS KNEES. WORLD YIELDS TO PO WER - THEN TAKE IT BY FORCE AND RULE IT BY THE SWORD FOR GOD". BUT JESUS WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT.