Mark 1:12-15 - Jesus Temptation in the Desert (1st Sunday of Lent, February 22, 2015)

Gospel:

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Gospel Trivia:

The gospel account of the temptation of Jesus is found in Matthew, Mark and Luke.  But in Mark's account, there is no mention that Jesus fasted in the desert.  Mark did not forget to mention it, nor did he simply assume that since Jesus was in the desert, he must have not eaten anything.  He excluded it because Mark wished to convey a different message from the other two evangelists.  

Firstly, this account should be regarded as a teaching story instead of a historical story.  This story became a source of inspiration for the early Christians because Mark presents Jesus as the "new Adam".

- The desert is generally regarded as Satan's territory.  Where the first Adam failed the test, Jesus overcomes Satan in his own territory.

- Jesus "was among wild beasts."  This connotes Jesus' friendly co-existence with nature; whereas Adam disrupted the harmonious relationship between humanity and nature.

- There is no fasting by Jesus, instead the angels ministered to him.  This is in contrast to Genesis 3:17 where the angels tell Adam: "Curse is the ground because of you.  In toil you shall eat its yield all the days of your life."

Finally, note that this episode immediately follows the baptism of Jesus.  In the New American Bible translation, it adds the phrase "At once" in the first verse, as in: "At once, the Spirit drove him out into the desert."

The early baptized Christians were to be prepared for their faith to be immediately tested.  But they should not fear because Jesus, their Lord, is the new Adam who restores the relationship between God and humanity.


Reference:

- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), pp. 11-13.