I teach Sunday School. The Scripture for the first Sunday in Lent was Mark 1:12-13. "At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him."
I was having a hard time thinking about how I could make Lent understandable for 2 and 3 year olds, but that week, Eamon wanted me to sing, "Oh be careful little hands..." and "I open my Bible Book..." Those songs gave me an idea.
Jesus went into the wilderness to pray, as a time of preparation to serve, those he came to save. When we put our hands together, we have praying hands. When we open them up, we have hands ready to give and serve. So our lesson was about using our hands to pray and using our hands to serve, just like Jesus.
It was not easy for Jesus to be in the wilderness with the wild animals and being tempted by Satan. And it is not easy for us to pray and to serve others. But Jesus did it out of love for us. And like him, we pray and serve out of love for him and love for others.
When love becomes our motivation, our focus is not on the discomfort or the difficulty. It isn't on what we give up or leave behind. It is on the joy we are bringing to those we love.
Last night's verse seems quite appropriate. Hebrews 12:2 - "...fixing our eyes on Jesus...who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the throne of God..."
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