Driven

No sooner has Jesus received heavenly approbation in this morning's lectionary reading (Mark 1:9-15) than he's sent out -- "driven" according to the NRSV -- into the wilderness. What gives? Why is Jesus sent out to the middle of nowhere to be tempted? He's God's beloved, the one with whom God's well pleased. Why not treat him a little more, well, gently? Let him bask in the approval, perhaps?

Because being chosen by God isn't meant to be a free pass. It means being invested with the confidence of the Creator, of knowing that God believes one is able to serve God's people. And that takes preparation. And alertness. And prayer. Jesus, like Israel before him, reminds us that being God's chosen can be a call to sacrifice, to setting aside our needs for those of others, to surrendering our priorities for those of God. Doing that isn't always easy. It requires time, it requires patience, it requires prayer -- sometimes 40 days worth -- or a lifetime's.

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