The Wilderness: A Place to Meet New Life
Lent 1st Sunday Sermon
On this sacred first Sunday of Lent, the Gospel of Luke brings us to Jesus’ time in the wilderness. After fasting for forty days, Jesus encountered three fundamental temptations. This story is not just a historical event or a moral lesson; it is a profound revelation of the essence of human life and the mystery of God’s kingdom. Through this story of the wilderness, we will explore the deeper meaning of our own wilderness experiences in life.
In Hebrew, the word for wilderness is Midbar (מִדְבָּר), which shares its root with the word for “speech” or “word.” In the Bible, the wilderness is an important place. Moses met God in the burning bush in the wilderness, the Israelites received the law there, and Elijah heard God’s gentle whisper in the wilderness. The wilderness is not merely a barren land; it is a place where we lay everything down to meet God. In today’s reading from Deuteronomy, the Israelites bring the first fruits and confess, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor.” This confession is not just a historical story; it acknowledges that their true identity lies in being wanderers—essentially empty and dependent. To be God’s people means living by God’s grace alone, not by what we possess or achieve. The emptiness of the wilderness creates space for God’s word and presence. Just as an empty cup can be filled, the emptiness in our lives becomes a place for experiencing God’s grace. When we rely not on our pride or achievements but solely on God’s grace, we find true abundance.
In our modern society, we continue to experience the wilderness. Loss, failure, illness, and broken relationships can all become wildernesses in our lives. One of my favorite Korean novelists is Park Wan-suh. She went through a deep and painful wilderness after suddenly losing her son when he was 25 years old. In her essay “Only Say the Word,” she reveals a sorrow that is raw and intense. Yet, in that pain, she came to understand the suffering of others more deeply. When her own desires, control, and self-centered worldview were shattered, she gained a new perspective. Our wilderness experiences can be similar. When everything we rely on seems to disappear, that empty space can become a place for a profound encounter with God. The wilderness is not just a place of suffering but a place to experience God’s transforming power.
The devil’s first temptation, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread,” was not merely about satisfying hunger. It was a test of Jesus’ identity: “Prove that you are truly valuable.” This question touches a deep anxiety in all of us—”Am I truly valuable?” or “Is my existence enough?” Jesus’ reply, “One does not live by bread alone,” is not just about prioritizing the spiritual over the material. It reveals a deep insight into human nature. We are not defined by what we possess or accomplish but by our relationship with God. There are moments in life when everything that supported our identity—success, relationships, health, security—seems meaningless. It is then we realize that our true self is not defined by these external things but by being loved by God. The wilderness is where we discover a new understanding of ourselves.
In the second temptation, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, saying, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority if you will worship me.” This was not just a temptation for power or fame. It was a question about how to change the world. The devil’s offer was to save the world by using force and domination—the way the world often works. Jesus’ response, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him,” was not a rejection of power itself but a complete transformation of what power means. The cross shows a different kind of power—one that saves the world not by force but by self-giving love. After experiencing deep pain, we often gain a new understanding of how to influence others and the world—not through control and achievement but through empathy and compassion. The wilderness is where we gain a new understanding of true power.
In the third temptation, the devil quotes Psalm 91 to tempt Jesus to prove God’s protection by throwing himself down from the temple. This was not just about testing God’s power; it was about reducing faith to a guarantee of safety and miracles, as if God must respond to our demands. Jesus’ reply, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test,” shows that the essence of faith is not controlling God but trusting God, even amid pain and uncertainty. On the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” yet also prayed, “Into your hands, I commend my spirit.” Faith is not an illusion that everything will be solved immediately but a trust that finds meaning and grace even in suffering. The wilderness is where we gain a deeper understanding of faith.
As we reflect further on these temptations, let us consider what they teach us about new life emerging from difficult places. Psalm 91 declares, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” This psalm, which the devil twisted in the temptations, actually teaches that God does not remove all pain but is present with us in it: “I will be with him in trouble” (Psalm 91:15). In the Book of Romans, Paul says, “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This confession—that “Jesus is Lord”—was a revolutionary declaration in the Roman Empire, where people were expected to proclaim, “The emperor is lord.” It was a bold statement that redefined all worldly values. When we confess Jesus as Lord, it means that all values in the world must be reevaluated in the light of the cross. The wilderness experience is not an ending but a new beginning. The wilderness is the place where everything we thought we knew—our identity, power, and faith—is reborn. Many people, after enduring profound pain and loss, come to possess a deeper understanding and wisdom. Just as a seed sprouts in the darkness, new life can begin to grow even in the darkness of suffering.
Now, as we journey through this season of Lent, we intentionally enter the wilderness. It is not just a season of fasting or self-denial but a time to deepen and renew our understanding of ourselves, the world, and God. The offering of first fruits in Deuteronomy was not just a religious ritual but a confession that all we have is a gift from God. It was a reminder that every part of life can be seen anew through God’s grace. In the silence and loneliness of the wilderness, we discover a deeper dimension of faith. Even when we do not find answers to our “why” questions, we find a mysterious strength to trust God’s providence that goes beyond our understanding.
We all encounter wilderness moments in life—loss, failure, illness, broken relationships, or crises of faith. These moments are painful, but they are not just trials or endings. In God’s hands, the wilderness becomes a place of grace where new life is born. Our best response to the wilderness is to acknowledge our weakness and trust in God’s transforming love. It is not about turning stones into bread but about seeing the stones differently. It is not about gaining power but about understanding power differently. Faith does not solve every problem but helps us find meaning in every situation. Just as Jesus overcame temptation in the wilderness, may we also discover new possibilities for life in our wilderness experiences this Lent. May we stand again before the simple yet life-changing truth: “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”
Amen.