image 20.
reflection.
the halfway point. 20 days in. 20 more to go.
i wonder if after 20 days in the desert Jesus knew he was at the halfway point. i wonder if he even knew what day it actually was. days blending into nights. extreme heat and light transitioning into cool darkness. alone with only his thoughts and the ground beneath him, Jesus, at some point, experienced great temptation, common to all men.
hungry. thirsty. dirty. exhausted. did he still have a sense of wonder? was it hard for him to focus? did his yearning for water get in the way of his focus on God the Father and His divine plan for all humanity? were his senses heightened? did the birds sing for him? bring him comfort and solace? was he feeling high or feeling low?
at the halfway point, was he tempted to call it a day and leave before it was time?
perhaps there is a foreshadowing here - to his impending death on a cross. his ministry began in isolation. and it ended the same way. i wonder if he felt some of the same emotions on the cross. hunger. thirst. temptation.
but he was prepared. perhaps the desert prepared him.
thank goodness he didn't give in. 40 days was what was needed - he didn't take the easy road, but stayed til the end... endured the temptations, and was perhaps better equipped to face what he would face during the events leading up to the cross.
questions.
when have you been tempted to take the easy road? when have you wanted to call it a day and not stick with it? what plan might God have for you that might mean enduring and overcoming great struggle and/or temptation - so that God may be glorified?
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