“Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert …” Luke 4:1
We will hear these words as the opening line of the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent. The Gospel goes on to describe Jesus’ experience in the desert of fasting and grappling with temptation. We often look to Jesus’ 40 days as a model and metaphor for our own Lenten journey. This is an appropriate way to approach Lent, but too often we forget where the story begins: at the Jordan River. According to Luke’s Gospel account, Jesus’ Baptism directly preceded his Spirit-led excursion into the desert. In my own prayer with this passage, I imagine Jesus entering the silence of the wilderness with his Father’s voice still ringing in his ear, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). These words, spoken from heaven at Jesus’ Baptism, filled him with the assurance that he was beloved – treasured, cared for, held with tenderness and loved unconditionally. I imagine this knowledge of being beloved is what helped Jesus endure those 40 days in the desert.
Whenever we embark upon a spiritual journey, whether it be the Lenten season or the road of discernment, let us always begin with this truth: we are beloved. It may sound simple, but this truth can get lost, especially during difficult times in discernment. We may compare ourselves to others and feel inadequate for following a particular path. We may come up against our shadows and feel unworthy of God’s love. We may burden ourselves with guilt, admonishing ourselves that we should feel a certain way. In such times of struggle, stop and return to the primary and foundational truth: you are God’s beloved, and God is well pleased with you. This is always where the story begins.
