“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’
John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, ‘After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 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 when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’ The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him” (Mark 1:1-13 ESV).
While exploring the Mojave Desert, I recently experienced the extremes between Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Death Valley National Park. Ash Meadows is the largest remaining oasis in the Mojave Desert. Fossil water originating from the last ice age springs up from below the desert floor to sustain an abundance of life. At the other extreme, Death Valley’s Bad Water Basin has a floor elevation of 282 feet below sea level – making it the lowest point of elevation in North America. It is also one of hottest places on the entire Earth during the summer months.
My recent experience causes me to ponder what it must have been like for Jesus to be baptized in the river Jordan and then immediately tempted in the desert wilderness. The gospel reading according to Mark cited above also causes me to ponder what it must have been like for Jesus to briefly hear the voice of his heavenly Father and then for forty days to repeatedly hear the voice of the father of lies (John 8:44). Beginning this Ash Wednesday, and throughout the next forty days, may you experience the exemplary hope and strength of Jesus in your own Lenten journey.
~ Boethius ~
