Lent is an important part of our
journey each year. Every step we take has been walked at one time in the gospels. We know
that this journey leads us to the cross; to the tomb, and blessedly “ends” with Easter, (just as
our lives and journey begin again). In our readings for next Sunday, Matthew4 :1-11, the first Sunday in
Lent, we are told that “Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was
tempted by the devil.” What do challenges, temptations or tests mean to us
in our lives today?
I suppose we might, for the sake of
discussion, characterize someone on a journey, as being either a tourist or a traveler. The tourist rides the crest of the journey, not bothering to delve into the experience; he makes his way with all the comforts of home, ensuring that his
experiences are familiar and safe. After
his trip, the tourist returns home with photos, souvenirs, and pleasant superficial memories. But how much did he absorb? How has the journey changed his life?
On the other hand, a traveler is one who is on a journey to someplace new, even if he’s been there before! His journey into the unknown is embarked upon in hope that something new will be revealed. A traveler leaves his “comfort zone” and the attachments of his routine back home in search of something unfamiliar. Will he be in some way change or even transformed?
Perhaps our lesson as to how Jesus’ temptations relate to our
journey as a traveler is for us to leave our comfort zone and share that which we have learned during our time in the desert. The traveler on a quest to meet God, soon learns that he
will find Him in unexpected places, among people who are foreign to him. As an
act of faith, a traveler as with Jesus, places himself in the hands of God and
surrenders to his will and the power of the Holy Spirit.
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