The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us that before he began his ministry, Jesus was tested in the wilderness. Wilderness time was not, however, unique to Jesus. The ancient Israelites spent 40 years journeying from Egypt to the promised land through some pretty inhospitable territory.
And, at some time or another, we will all find ourselves in the wilderness — not necessarily the physical wilderness, but the spiritual one. These are times of pain, uncertainty and grave doubt.
St. John of the Cross spoke of such times as the “dark night of the soul.” During such times the temptation to despair, hopelessness and faithlessness can be overwhelming. Jesus must have felt that way in that ancient wilderness as he faced the prospect of what fulfilling God’s mission would mean for him: rejection, suffering and death on the cross.
How tempting it must have been to take what Satan was offering him —power and glory — and without any suffering. But Jesus resisted temptation and stayed the course.
By contrast, during their wilderness time, the Israelites succumbed to temptation, sought the easy way out, rejected God and worshipped false ones. The Israelites failed the test, and so do we.
But hear the Good News: Jesus succeeded where the rest of humanity failed, and for the sake of that same humanity. You don’t need to pretend to be perfect. Just know this: you are perfectly loved by the one who died and rose for you.
