Into The Desert: Hope Has Come And Hope Has Past The Test

It was a long two weeks without my hubby! While Kyle was trekking through Jerusalem, swimming in the Dead Sea, and eating Shawarma (a delicious middle eastern treat of meat tucked into a yummy pita), I was waking up at the crack of dawn with our 2 year old (who is too much of a morning person), trying to keep the coffee flowing in my veins, and hauling both kids back and forth to Pennsylvania BY PLANE. 

I was a little jealous. Ok, a lot jealous. But I did actually love that he had the opportunity to learn and grow in Israel and I have learned quite a bit too just by what I have gleaned from him! (And by "Google-ing" his itinerary lot!) I hope to share a couple of those things with you in the next two posts. This first one features Kyle on the byline as a co-author since I used the lesson he prepared for the group he was traveling with. 

Years ago when I was in college, I studied communications abroad in Peru, while (unbeknownst to me) being a Guinea pig in my college professor's study on the short comings of short term missions (which we also did while I was there.) Amidst the month long visit, we took two days to visit Ica, an oasis in the dessert of Peru. I had never been to a desert, so as the mountains of sand rose up around me, a feeling of awe took over that I wouldn't expect. I mean, you know, it's a desert. It's not pretty. It's all tan and well, sandy. It's dry. Hot. And that's it. Desert. The most exciting thing is something you probably don't want to encounter: scorpions. 

Ok, maybe not the most exciting thing. The rip roaring ride on the dune buggy was wild (and utterly dangerous) and it made getting out into the middle of the dessert pretty awesome (couldn't keep my eyeballs focused long enough to take in the "beauty" of all the sand.) And sand boarding may have been the first extreme sport I've mildly enjoyed. Imagine snow boarding but on sand dunes (I had never heard of it before either!)

I imagine, nope, I know that Jesus did not have a buggy to take him into the desert of the Judean wilderness. His journey there would be hot, dry and boring. Coming directly off the heels of his baptism, Jesus quickly ran into spiritually deep waters of a forty day fast and temptation by the devil. (Matthew 3:13-4:2) 

Why?  There's a Talmudic saying, "If you want to get rich go North, if you want to get wise go South." In Israel, the north is filled with fertile soil perfect for the growing of lush gardens and olive groves (pass the EVOO please!). Not to mention the Sea of Galilee where fishermen pull in nets of tilapia. If you want to get rich in Israel that's where all of your resources lie. But in the south is the Judean wilderness. But it's not the woods or the timber (for all you Iowans!). It's the desert. And after his baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus heads south. Presumably for wisdom. 

                                                  The place of Jesus' temptation. 

Often we think of Jesus' 40 day fast as a time of weakening of our Savior. But in reality it was the place where he was drawing wisdom and strength to overcome the devil and pursue his mission to save humanity which he had become a part of.  Christ's overcoming of these temptations was also a forshadowing of Satan's ultimate defeat at the cross. Additionally it serves as a sequel to a battle humanity had already lost. In the garden of Eden long ago, Eve and Adam were tempted by Satan and failed, choosing their own glory over God's. 

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? You will not surely die," the serpent said, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God..." 

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her and he ate it." (Genesis 3:1, 4-6)

Adam and Eve failed the test. But Jesus did not. 

"After fasting forty days and forty nights, he (Jesus) was hungry." (Matthew 4:2)

I need to pause there only because the humanity of Jesus, is so evident here. He was HUNGRY. Actually I'm pretty sure he was probably HANGRY (You know, hungry plus angry=HANGRY. That place where anything tastes good and you can't think, and your sole focus is getting to a sandwich, quick?) If Jesus felt THAT, he had to of felt the full weight of the temptations about to come his way and every other human inadequacy. His full divinity synchronized with his full humanity is mind blowing. 

"The temptor came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God tell these stones to become bread." (Vs. 3)

                

 

Cruel. But not unusual. Satan presses Jesus' divinity against his humanity. God called him on a mission to be human, to save humans and now Satan tells him to forget his mission, forget those he came to save, give in and do what he tells him to do instead. Choose himself. Don't live sacrificially, don't obey God's call on your life. Choose comfort. EAT! 

But Jesus didn't indulge, he "took captive every thought to make it obedient." (2 Corinthians 10:5b) "Eat? Who needs to eat? I thrive on the God," He tells him. Two more times, Christ is tested with the opportunity to choose himself over God's mission and glory. 

This is the same test that Adam failed so long ago, and we too have failed it. Adam chose his own glory over God’s. In that moment, static filled the space between man and God and it became increasingly hard to know how the Father wanted him to live. And so, there needed to be a solution. That solution would be one who could pass the test and offer new life once and for all. Jesus is that one and he is our hope. Because Hope is on the scene life doesn't have to be the same and we can live in open communication with God. Hope has come and Hope has passed the test. 

A desert is often used to describe a time in one's life that feels devoid of meaning, yet full of strife. Because Jesus came and Jesus not only past the tests in the desert but ultimately conquered over sin and death, we have hope in our own deserts, whether that be health problems, marriage tensions, death of loved ones, or job losses. You could be in a season of life that feels purposeless, or just more difficult than you imagined. Whatever desert you are in, be in it and know that there is hope because Jesus has overcome it all. Also, realize that the desert is a place for gaining wisdom and strength.

"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverance; perserverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirirt, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:3-5) 

HOPE does not disappoint. Jesus does not disappoint. Our deserts are fruitful for gaining wisdom if we embrace them, and persevere through them so that our character looks more and more like Jesus, our Hope. They don't feel good, but it's there that we too we will be strengthened in our walk with God so that we may complete the purpose for which God has placed us here: to love him and to love others. 

Matt Chandler said that there are two types of people in the world, those that are suffering and those that are going to encounter suffering in the future. Everyone goes into the desert of life at some point or another. And in that place and time, will you succumb to the devil's temptation to live hopelessly for yourself, your own comfort and your own glory? No. Rejoice, following Jesus' example trust God for your purpose and mission in life even in the desert. Be comforted and guided by His truth in scripture and give Him glory when you come out of it wiser, looking evermore like Jesus.