Midrashing with Mark

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Whew...there are so many small places in-between these words.  So many stories tucked neatly at the end of sentences just calling, crying out to be written.

First, notice how wilderness now is not a place of liberation but temptation.  Wilderness isn't either/or, wilderness is always both/and.  Wilderness is both the place where our soul can be free and we can feel free.  Wilderness is the place where we might touch the soil that is embedded in our soul, but also the place where there are creepy, crawling things that would prefer we not pay a visit to where they call, "home."  You reflected on wilderness last week...return to those thoughts.  How is wilderness both a place that engages you and can cause your heart to beat a bit fast when you think about the dangers out there?  I remember on our honeymoon, we were canoeing in Northern Minnesota.  It was a perfect day.  My wife and I were navigating the water in concert.  Stroke.  Stroke.  Stroke.  Cutting through smooth surface with a soft wake.  Then, we saw a bear.  At first we were all like, "Awww, a bear.  How cute."  We snapped a few pictures.  We even made a joke about Yogi Bear always wanting a picnic basket."  Funny stuff.

Then, we saw the bear wasn't alone, she had a cub.  Momma bears are very protective of her cubs.  And we were interrupting and intruding on her space.  We didn't have bear spray (not that I think that does any good).  We didn't have any defense besides a couple of metal water bottles, which I don't think would have deterred or made a dent in that bear if she had gotten mad.

Obviously, the story ends well.  I am here writing a blog.  But for a few moments, fear crept and crawled into the back of my throat.  For a few moments, my heart raced even though I had stopped paddling.  For a few moments we were faced with both the joy of creation as well as the danger. 

See how wilderness can be both/and?  Or think about being in a tent when a sudden rain storm comes up.  Or think about times you have hurt yourself out hiking and there is no hospital at the corner of Oak Tree and Maple Ave where you are standing out in the wilderness.  Wilderness is both beauty and vulnerability.  Jesus encounters and experiences that truth.  From the beauty of the Jordan River claimed as God's beloved to now a wilderness where he is tempted by voices that what to define and contain him.

There is another place for midrash ~ what is it that wants to define and contain you?  Maybe it is this feeling that you have to drive the right car or live in the right neighborhood or take the right vacation or post the right things to Facebook or write a blog post that goes viral.  There are all these voices outside us trying to define and distinguish who we are and what we should do. 

Finally, Jesus comes back and says that the realm of God is near.  Out of a moment of difficulty, Jesus says God is near.  Let that settle in.  Usually, when I come out of a difficult place, I don't always feel God's closer than my next breath.  But here, Jesus, seems to think that the connection and culmination of baptism and wilderness is what God is up to in the world today.  Let that sink, settle, and stir something with you. 

May your midrash-ing on these few verses open you to traces of God's grace.

Blessings ~~