In Mark’s account, our Lord was in a literal wilderness and fought the literal powers of Satan. But He did it so people in any wilderness might know the comforting power of God.
Discipleship involves listening to the Word of God. But discipleship is not only about listening to the Word of God. It also involves listening to the world.
In the kitchen of Jesus, God gathers individuals who live on the margins. Their lives do not fit the dress code of a five-star restaurant. Their language offends and their behavior dismays and, deep down, like the disciples, we may just want Jesus to send them away.