1 Lent, Year B, February 18
Gen. 9:8-17 • Ps. 25:1-9 • 1 Pet. 3:18-22 • Mark 1:9-15
Human wickedness was washed away by a great primordial flood. A small human remnant and a company of animals floated on the face of the waters as the rains poured down for 40 days. Finally, “the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed, the rain from heaven was restrained, and the waters gradually receded from the earth” (Gen. 8:2-3). A new creation would come into being, established by a special covenant between God and humanity, God and the whole created order. “I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring the clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh” (Gen. 9:13-15).
This story prefigures baptism, our sacramental plunging into the waters for the forgiveness of and washing away of sin, our sacramental rising from the waters into a new and everlasting life, and our witnessing with the eyes of faith the heavens opened and God speaking a magnificent and magnanimous and irrevocable word. “You are my Son; the beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Because the members of Christ’s body are united to the head of the body, Christ Our Lord, what is said of Christ is said of us all. We are the beloved children of God. We have died in union with Christ, and we have risen in union with him to become a new creation.
Is the struggle over? By no means! “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ And the Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him” (Mark 1:9-13).
We are in the wilderness of this world, tempted by Satan, among wild beasts and ministering angels. We are in the midst of trial and, at the same time, sustained by a promised victory.
Let St. Augustine act as our teacher on this point. Christ “shows himself to be throughout all the nations in the whole world, in great glory, but in great tribulation. For our life in this sojourn cannot be without trial: because our advance is made through our trial, nor is anyone known to himself unless tested, nor can he be crowned unless he will have conquered, nor can he conquer unless he will have striven, nor can he strive except he will have experienced an enemy, and temptations. Humanity is vexed from the ends of the earth crying, but we are not forsaken” (Sermon on Psalm 60:2-3, my translation).
Those last words are of utmost importance. We are not forsaken! It is also important to realize that St. Augustine has more in mind than “moral” temptation. Tentatio includes the idea of a proof, a test, or even an attack. It includes the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.
We may hold all this together in one short phrase from the mouth of Jesus. “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, RSV).
Look It Up: The Collect
Think About It: Let each one find you mighty to save.