At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him (Mark 1:12-13)
This Sunday, the Gospel will detail the temptations of Jesus by Satan. In the Gospel of Mark, the above words come right after Jesus is baptized in the Jordan river by His cousin John. So here’s the timeline:
Jesus is baptized; Jesus departs for the wilderness and is tempted by the devil; Jesus comes back and finds out John’s been arrested; Jesus proclaims his message of repentance; Jesus calls his first disciples.
When you think about it, that’s a pretty quick turnaround. 40 days. But then again, wouldn’t we all like to spend 40 days away from EVERYTHING and create a plan that will have a profound effect on the world and everyone in it?
That’s EXACTLY what we’re called to do during Lent.
It’s 40 days long (and if you count the days on the calendar, that doesn’t include Sundays). So when you really think about it, it’s not necessarily a time of giving things up…it’s a time to plan a new life without those things that held you back from having this new life.
It’s a time to plan what you’re going to have to give up to live a new life, a better life, after Easter.
Jesus had to give up being at home with his mother, being a carpenter, interacting with their community members and doing all those things he did as a carpenter. He needed time away to get ready for the three years of preaching the good news, allowing God’s power to be manifested through the miracles he performed, and to have people both ready to crown him king one minute, then kill him the next.
Jesus’ new earthly life he lives after emerging from the wilderness experience then prepares him, and us, for the eternal life as promised to us through Baptism.
Repent means to “Rethink,” or “Think differently” so that we can “Do something different.”
And if you’ve been watching the news lately, there are lots of things we need to think about differently and do differently.
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