In today’s excerpt from the Gospel of Luke, we encounter Jesus: filled with the Spirit after his baptism in the Jordan, led by that same Spirit “into the wilderness”. Alone, hungry, and vulnerable, Jesus confronts temptation: to satisfy his spiritual hunger with material possessions; to expect “command performances” from God rather than trusting in his presence and protection; to worship the idols of worldly power and prestige rather than the living God who says, “You are my beloved child: in you I am well pleased.” Through it all, Jesus remembers who He is: though tempted, he remains without sin.

Oscar Wilde famously quipped: “I can resist everything, except temptation!” All of us struggle with temptation. Even Jesus did. Conventional spiritual wisdom recommends that we should avoid temptation, flee “the near occasion of sin”. For the most part, it’s very good advice. We should not knowingly place ourselves in situations where we are likely to fall into sin. Yet at the same time, our lives must be based not on fear of sin, but on trust in God. God can work through anything – even our sinfulness – to bring about his purposes. This work of God is a great mystery indeed!

Each year, Lent is God’s way of calling us to enter into our own desert. In the wilderness of our inner lives, we experience temptation, but we also encounter the mystery of God, his revelation: “The wilderness will lead you to your heart, where I will speak.” The Gospel of Ash Wednesday invites us to go into our room, our “inner space”, that secret place only God can see. So inspired by the example of Jesus, let us follow the lead of the Spirit into the wilderness. It will be scary at times, and we may well feel hungry, vulnerable, and alone. But we will not be alone. As we walk the Lenten journey together, we can count on the friendship and prayers of our fellow travelers to sustain us. Most importantly, we will meet Jesus there: the Merciful One in whom we have placed our trust.