My Favorite Verses - Vol V (Feb 17 to Jun 17)

Fifth, note that the angels waited upon Jesus after he had transcended the
three great temptations – that angels cannot by their nature wait upon anyone who
succumbs to the same; that succumbing to temptation actually prevents angels
from reaching the Hearts of those so afflicted … Sixth, note that this dramatic &
Faith-filled time of testing, purification, and strengthening of Self was sandwiched
between Jesus‟ baptism (when he first felt called to begin a public ministry) and the
commencement of his preaching the “Good News” (see Mark 1:14-15) – and
thereby note that if we are to truly “follow him” (Matthew 16:28 et al) it would be
wise to do something similar; to immerse ourselves in solitude, to divest ourselves
from all physical addictions & emotional attachments, and to strengthen our
resolve in thereafter setting forth to live as a servant of humanity instead of a slave
to safety & self. Indeed, we all must “go into the wilderness” to transcend the ego
(akin to Elijah‟s journey in 1 Kings 9) – maybe via an actual immersion into the
outback, and yet more often than not by confronting fears and dismissing desires
in any consciously radical (i.e. culturally unconventional & self-sacrificially
courageous) fashion … Seventh, note in closing that “the wilderness” was actually
the Greek eremo, a word that simply meant “a desert” or “a deserted place”
(Strong‟s #2048) -- a reference not at all ominous to an Essene like Jesus, seeing as
how the Essenes considered “the wilderness” their Home. Yes, Jesus chose
extreme austerity while he was there, and yet by all indications he returned
“Home” to engage the same.
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