Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT)
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’" Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Lonely. Desolate. Harsh. Unforgiving.
The wilderness brings a variety of emotions to mind. Anybody who has spent any time there- whether in a literal, physical area or in a metaphorical, spiritual place can attest to the gut-wrenching difficulties. It breaks most people, paralyzing them with doubt and fear until they fold, pack up camp, and return to the comfort of their former life. For us, times of growth reflect periods in the wilderness. Our issues are the lack of water and overwhelming heat. But we don’t have to see the desert that way. When we change our perception of the wilderness, our lives will change also.
The Scripture uses the images of a literal and symbolic wilderness numerous times. Perhaps none so powerful as the Gospel account of Jesus and his time there. Allow me to put the story into perspective briefly.
Jesus had just come off a spiritual high. He had been announced as the Savior by John (the Baptist not the Pastor), humbled himself in baptism, and been affirmed by God the Father. Refusing to be content with the one experience, he focused further through 40 days of prayer and fasting. Then came the wilderness.
Little water. Heat. Sweat. Uncomfortable conditions. Tricks of the mind. Wild animals. Flies. Rashes. Satan shows up, offers easy ways out. Does all this sound familiar?
Sounds like us. We decide to buy into the Refuge vision. We’re high on the Holy Spirit. Then comes our wilderness, our opportunity to trust God and grow.
We tend to be our weakest in this environment. Vulnerable to relapse. Jesus was no different from us- except that he refused to stay the same. He refused to be satisfied with an initial encounter with God. In his weakness, he reverted back to what he had put in his heart. The Word of God. When he was unable to face the wilderness on his own, he allowed God to move on his behalf. And he emerged from the wilderness stronger than ever before.
This is the vision John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) speaks of, a passionate pursuit of Christ. We can go through the wilderness and come out unchanged. And go right back to the comfort of the world. Or you can be like the Savior, Jesus Christ, who held the faith and used the wilderness experience as a time of incomparable growth.
The choice is yours- be pruned and grow…or stay the same and die.
