Lent 1 – Sunday 22^nd February 2015

Mark 1:9-15

Jesus in the Wilderness

In today’s Gospel, Mark tells us that, after his baptism and before his public ministry, Jesus is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness.

At his baptism, Jesus was affirmed by God as God’s Son, the beloved, with whom God is pleased. The Spirit descends on him. But, as God’s beloved Son, led by God’s Spirit, he is driven to face the challenge of the wilderness. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark doesn’t flesh out the story. We are given few details: he was tempted – or tested – by Satan, vulnerable to wild beasts, but ministered to by angels.

• Matthew and Luke tell us that Jesus fasted for forty days and that he was hungry. Unsurprisingly, he is tempted to look after his own immediate needs, by turning stone to bread. But Jesus resists, saying that it is more important to look to God than to put himself first and satisfy his own physical hunger (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).
• Jesus is tempted to throw himself from the pinnacle of the Temple, to see if God will protect him from harm. Again, Jesus resists, saying that God should not be put to the test (Matthew 4:7; Deuteronomy 8:16).
• Jesus is shown the kingdoms of the world and told that these will all be his, if he worships Satan. Jesus counters by saying that it is God alone that he must serve (Matthew 4:10; Deuteronomy 6:13).

This period in the wilderness is one in which Jesus confirms his vision: as God’s Son, he will serve God, rather than seek his own wellbeing; he will trust God, rather than seek constant reassurance; he will worship God, rather than take any shortcut to power. In the Hebrew bible, God’s people spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Their experience was one of failure and rebellion (Numbers 14:26-38); but Jesus succeeds where they had failed, by remaining obedient to God, staying true to his calling.

Lent

Christians have often seen Lent as a time to take stock, to confirm our vision of what God is calling us to be. We might set ourselves challenges – to fast, by giving up luxuries like chocolate or alcohol; to develop our spiritual life by attending church or giving time to reading and praying; to put our faith into practice by supporting a charity or other cause.

But as well as seeking our own spiritual development, what vision do we have of the church in our parish at this time? Some feel that the church in our day is in the wilderness. The Church of England is considering a number of reports that highlight the challenges we face:

• Dwindling numbers and aging congregations
• A shortage of clergy; and the fact that the number of clergy approaching retirement outweighs the number coming forward for ordination.
• The burden of caring for our buildings.
• The pressure of finance to support the mission and ministry of our churches.

Supporting the Vision

At St Matthew’s we have a vision statement:

Sharing the love of Jesus, with all, through friendship, prayer and service.

At Cross we are adopting a new vision statement:

Reaching out in God’s love and friendship.

How can we support that vision today? How can we remain true to our calling to serve God in our parish?

One thing everyone knows about church: they are always after your money! It’s difficult to get in and out of church without being asked to buy a ticket for this fundraising event, donate to that worthy cause, or purchase something in order to support the church. And that’s before the collection plate comes round! The danger of this is that we see the church as needy: begging us to cough up something. Motivated by guilt, we rummage in our purses or pockets and find something to salve our conscience. We don’t want the church to die, do we? So we find the money somehow. But does God really need my money? Is God a poor beggar?

How much better would it be to say: we have a vision for the life of the church in this parish – a growing congregation; a comfortable and welcoming building, fit for purpose; a programme of loving outreach to our neighbours, at home and in the four corners of the world. That is our vision. How can I be a part of that? By investing in it. Buying in to it. That’s why I give – to invest in the church’s mission.

Our church needs finance, of course. We are struggling to pay our bills. But we believe that God is calling us to grow, to reach out beyond our own little circles. That is the vision. Is that something that you feel called to be a part of? How can you play your part in that?

Conclusion

In the wilderness, Jesus confirms his commitment to live his life in obedience to God’s calling. In Lent, we are invited to re-affirm our commitment to a life of discipleship. As part of that, we have the opportunity to renew our vision of what God is calling the church to in our parish and to consider what we can do to support that vision.