Lent 1C

Wet and washed, Jesus walked out of the river, full of God, full of God’s Spirit. That Holy Spirit led him into the wild land west of the Jordan River. He headed for the wilderness out of which his cousin John had come, preaching and calling people to come to God and be cleansed in…

Today’s Gospel passage begins with an incredible contrast. Luke tells us that Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit, and then he is led into the emptiness of the wilderness. Remember, in Luke’s account, Jesus has just been baptized. We read that this Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice from heaven…

If you ever want to find out how much you don’t know about something, take a walk in the park with a real birdwatcher. As you make your way down the path, you will notice that your birdwatcher friend pauses now and again, as definitely as if someone had called her name. She stops, her…