Signs of God's Love

Yesterday’s lectionary readings for our service were the story of Noah, God and His rainbow from Genesis, (9:8-17) and Jesus’ temptation in Mark (1:9-13). I wondered, as I often do, whether these two scriptures could possibly be related to each other. Organizer that I am, I want a theme. I want an overriding idea or thesis statement. Sometimes lectionary readings don’t provide that link.

Joe’s sermon brought forth the idea that we should look for signs of God’s love around us. These signs were there yesterday – the children dressed in their rainbow colored outfits to sing “Noah,” and the beads which were still strung around the sanctuary. I saw signs of God’s love when the nursery worker brought in the preschoolers to hear the children’s moment (a nursery worker who had said “yes” when asked to cover child care that Sunday). God’s love was evidenced when another volunteer and her husband took the older children out of the service for Treasure Seekers’ Children’s Church. I guess I’m just a sucker for those wonderful people who say “yes” when asked. They are signs of God’s love.

But what about the Mark passage? Where is there a sign of God’s love in the story of Jesus’ temptation? Consider how the passage begins. Jesus is baptized by John, and God says, “You are my Son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” After that, God send Jesus out into the desert.

Now, I ask you, what kind of parent would send his son into the desert for 40 days with no food, no water, and Satan as a companion? Where’s the sign of God’s love in that?

Setting that aside for just a moment, consider the question – Did Jesus experience temptation? I’ve asked this question of people before, and sometimes I get unsure answers. Some of us don’t like to think that Jesus was actually tempted.

My answer? I am comforted by the idea that Jesus felt temptation. I pray that he felt temptation. If one of the roles of Jesus is to act as an advocate for us – speaking for us to God – then I want him to have felt the sting of temptation. I need to know that he KNOWS what it is like to be human. Deep down KNOWS. I can believe that Jesus remained obedient to God, and did not give into temptation, but I think – I hope – that as a human, he experienced it.

So, go back to my original question. What kind of father sends his son into the wilderness to experience temptation? The same kind of father who sends his son to a cross to die for our sins. Is there a parallel between the 40-day temptation and the crucifixion? Is it possible that God sent his son into the wilderness so that he could come to understand temptation? Could he have said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” if he hadn’t walked in our shoes? Could it be that we led the way into the desert, and Jesus had to follow?

Could it be that both the temptation and the crucifixion are signs of God’s love? Not God’s love for his son, Jesus, but sign’s of God’s love for us? You? Me?