Another extreme sport

Jesus, help me remember that extremely cool things take extreme practice! Amen.

After He was baptized, Jesus went out into the desert for 40 days. Wild animals and other temptations were there, but angels came and helped Him. After that, Jesus went to the town of Galilee, telling people there, "The kingdom of God is near. Come back to God."

"Extreme" sports are really popular. People love to watch athletes ride dirt bikes through wild courses, do complicated skateboarding or climb mountains with their bare hands. The danger of it gets fans excited and cheering.

Athletes aren't the only ones who do extreme things, though. What Jesus did in this week's Gospel (Mark 1:12-15) was pretty extreme: He spent 40 days in the desert, confronted by extremely bad things and trying to choose an extremely good path for His life!

Extreme athletes don't start out doing stunts. They train for hours every day, and the good ones wear padding and helmets to keep them safe. Even stunts that seem dangerous are planned and practiced.

That's what Jesus was doing in the Gospel story. He knew the teaching He was about to start would be dangerous, that He'd be asking people to change their lives in big ways and even break some laws to follow Him. He needed a lot of practice to feel confident!

Extreme sports impress us because they're unusual and daring. To get in shape for His "extreme" life, Jesus went into the desert and confronted all kinds of temptations, including wild animals.

An extreme athlete who didn't practice or think about safety wouldn't last long. That's why Jesus made good choices. He could have picked an extremely bad life, giving in to temptations, but He chose a safer path, staying close to God the Father and the angels who helped Him.

Then Jesus could bravely start saying extreme things like, "The kingdom of God is near!"