Walking with Jesus: First Sunday in Lent B

Genesis 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15

We have started Lent. How are we doing so far? Lent is a time when we are called to deepen our life of faith. Is that my intention? It’s not necessarily a time to stop eating sweets or drinking beer or playing internet games or whatever else I give up. Some friends returned from a long cruise around the world and made an interesting observation: You know a cruise ship is one of the few places where you can, if you’re not careful, easily commit all seven capital sins. Now why is that so? It’s certainly a wonderland of activity, relaxation, enjoyment, and unabashed play, being pampered without accountability. Aren’t these things we all like to do? Today Jesus goes into the wilderness; actually the Spirit “drove Jesus into the desert, and He remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan.” [Mark 1:12] This is the shortest gospel account of Jesus’ temptation. So if we are concentrating on the ‘usual’ Lenten giving-up sacrifices without concentrating on Jesus’ advice, we are missing His point. His proclamation is simple: The promised reign of God, in which all will be ordered according to God’s will, is coming to pass. We keep saying, “When is God going to do something about the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic … racial discrimination … the frozen economy … inhumane treatment of refugees … the severe storms and suffering on our planet … the lack of peace and justice for all humanity?”

And Jesus says: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” [Mark 1:15]

The Genesis story of Noah provides God’s initial response to the fact of human wickedness. Afterward God accepts the fact that the flood did not solve the problem of the human heart, “since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start.” [Genesis 8:21] God promises Noah and his descendants that they will never have to fear another cleansing of the Earth like the one they had just experienced. What a wonderful sign as Noah later experiences the storm clouds he has the tendency to doubt. But then comes the rainbow with its brilliant colors standing out against the darker shades of the clouds. Noah and his descendants have been saved. Now, the purpose of rain is to bring life to the world. How may times has God already saved us in our lives? Think of the trials from which we have been delivered. Do we connect these experiences with deepening our trust in God?

Lent has not been changed this year. Its practices of fasting, prayer and almsgiving remain as the time-tested ways to keep us focused and reflecting on God, His interaction throughout Bible
History, and our absolute need for repentance for our waywardness. The purpose is the same for every Lent: that I can be renewed as a child of God, needing to show God’s love and care to my world. Peter brings this out in the second reading by looking at the Noah story from two perspectives. He intimates how sin enslaves us and leads us down the road to tragedy and disaster, ruining our relationship with others and God. But God rescues us. We have to keep mindful of God helping us. By the grace of God, we are saved.  As Noah is saved from the flood waters, we are saved through the waters of Baptism, making us a child of God to be God’s love to others.

We come to the time of fulfillment we are in now with God. This always fills me with hope because I know God is always with me. We live in a world that just doesn’t turn out beautiful. No matter how many of my candidates win in an election year, I never get the government I really want. I can make the same analogy for the Church and the pope. I can go back to all my relationships over the years and I’m positive I would eagerly edit my words and performances with others. I’ve said I’m sorry most of the time, but there still was more I could have done and would eagerly do, given the chance. But God’s time of fulfillment is different. This is where His will is done both on Earth and Heaven. It’s totally God’s way and I’m an important part of His plan. But it is God’s plan totally. Am I still hesitant and questioning how God wants it done? Am I too filled up with myself, preferring my own way and even the ‘nice sins’ I like to keep? Now the kingdom God describes is not the afterlife. In the words of spiritual writer Alice Camille, “It is the hour when God’s will is accomplished. How are you making Kingdom Come today?” This is not a wait till I get to heaven … it’s living Jesus’ teaching of love for all today, coupled with prayer, fasting and almsgiving … helping the needy in my life.

So I reflect on:

• Do I believe that God is my protector, that God will act on my behalf?
• What am I afraid of? Is it my power and ability that gets me through? Or is it God leading me to Him?

Sacred Space 2021 states:

“Only God could be so human as to endure temptation. Mark’s Gospel depicts Jesus as divine but also deeply human. He enters the wilderness for one purpose only: to find God, to seek God and belong to Him totally. Only then does He come into Galilee and proclaim good news.

“Lord, come with me into my wilderness. Speak to my preoccupied heart. Reveal to me where addiction to power, possession, and gratification choke my path. Only when I am free from these can I be good news to others. Only then do I become part of the solution to the world’s problems.”