Dear one,
“And the angels were ministering to Him”: over the years I have both pondered and shared these words with many others. You might recognize them as Mark’s summation to his very cryptic account of Jesus’ temptation experience. In full they are:
“[Jesus] was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts; and the angels were ministering to Him” (Mark. 1:13).
For me this summary bespeaks Mark’s first audience: they might have been those of Nero’s Roman world, who were tempted to deny their Lord, lest, for the sake of Coliseum entertainment, they might be thrown to ravenous dogs or lions, or lit as “Roman candles.” Of course, such a prospect was and is grim; nonetheless, for those first believers to recall Jesus’ temptation might have been hopeful: as He received angelic ministrations, so might they. If so, and I recognize the nature of my supposition, this simple verse might have been of great encouragement.
Without question, my life hardly approaches those believers of 1st century Rome, or even those of East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan) of recent decades.[1] However, yesterday as I shared breakfast with a good friend, he encouraged me to take a moment to read or watch something for the sake of refreshment. I had noted that in the past week my efforts at writing had become dry and mechanical: I had no enthusiasm for them.
Admittedly, during the past week I had been in transit 46 hours from Uganda, and while there had taught for 10 days, 8 hours each day—even so, I was thinking, I should redeem the time. (Is there any doubt that I’m American?) And so my friend offered: enjoy a moment of refreshment. His was a simple suggestion, and perhaps obvious to anyone but me—thus prodding me to review:
My present season is one that allows for international travel three times annually; but within that season and because of that season, a healthy rhythm and routine should flourish, including a moment to refresh. Surely Ecclesiastes 3:1 remains true: “There is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
The angels served Jesus—I might not need their touch, but a moment might serve me equally well.
I wonder: Do you need a moment?
Join me,
Stan
[1] En route home, I read Immaculee Ilibagiza’s Left to Tell, her faith-filled retelling of the 1994 Rwanda genocide: one million were killed in three months.