Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.
- John 4:1-2
Kids often ask me how Jesus survived in the desert for 40 days without any food. We begin wondering together what it must have felt like to be that hungry while being alone and vulnerable in the wilderness. Very rarely is the answer that we come up with an answer I would have given them at first. Sometimes we don't ever figure out how something did, or didn't, happen in the stories.
Occasionally we may find ourselves reading the Bible and taking the stories with a grain of salt, just accepting the story for what it is and refusing to dig deeper for fear of where it might take us. It is in our human nature to avoid the things that can cause us trouble - so why wouldn't that same defense mechanism apply when reading the fantastical events detailed throughout our scriptures?
Maybe stories like the temptation of Christ are reminders that the Bible is not a static thing. On the contrary, it is a very active, breathing, and inviting thing - a story that calls us to come closer to the narrative and wrestle with it. We see many people in the Bible wrestling with their understanding of faith - so why should we shy away from doing the same?
As we dig deeper into our sacred stories we may find ourselves going toward newer levels in our faith. Maybe this was the reason why the writers of our sacred text left things vague sometimes - for they too were working through what it all meant.
However you encounter scripture in your life I pray that it continues to unfold before you. I pray it continues to challenge you and stretch you. I pray it invites you to get down on your hands and knees and dig deeper into what it is saying to you at the very moment. The good news is that although we may not always find the answer to the questions, we can rest assured that Christ is kneeling right alongside us, with his hands also in the dirt, and inviting us to keep digging and searching for the buried treasure below.
Musical Offering Libera - Air, J.S. Bach
Lord, may our eyes and spirits be opened to the mysterious ways you work through our sacred texts. May we continue to be inspired and venture on, all for the purpose of coming closer to you. Amen.
