“Wilderness Sunday” a reflection
Joel 1:8–10
Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth.
The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord.
The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord.
The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns,
because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up,
the oil languishes.
Joel 1:17–20
The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate;
the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up.
How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed
because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer.
To you, O Lord, I call. For fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness, hand flame has burned
all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field ipant for you
because the water brooks are dried up, hand fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.
Romans 8:18–27
Future Glory
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we await for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Matthew 3:13–4:2
The Baptism of Jesus
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he vwas hungry.