“all this can be yours”
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry He goes into the wilderness to be tempted and reveals a crucial choice for those who identify themselves with Him.
“The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor…”
From that height, everything is visible: power, authority, wealth.
And then comes the offer:
“All of it can be yours.”
No humiliation.
No suffering.
No cross.
In the wilderness, the temptation offered was not pleasure. It was not comfort.
It was power.
But it was offered with a condition:
“If you will bow…”
too good to be true
The offer is tempting because it offers something worthwhile – the kingdoms of the world. But without the obedience. Without the waiting. Without the sacrifice.
It promises a similar result of what Jesus wanted, just without the surrender.
The question for the adversary (and for Jesus) was not whether Jesus would rule.
It was how. It was when. It was in service to whom.
Will he take the kingdoms?
Or will he usher in the Kingdom?
The difference in the choice changes everything.
today’s mountains of influence
Now imagine that mountain overlooking a modern empire.
Glass skyscrapers.
Stone courthouses, government halls, and cathedrals.
Industrial and tech complexes.
Military installations.
Stadiums, venues, and entertainment districts.
Flags flying high in the wind.
The offer might be slightly different, and could begin to sound reasonable:
You can shape policy.
You can win elections.
You can garner influence.
You can be wealthy.
You can secure moral victories.
Maybe even that you can save the nation.
And if you save the nation, maybe you can save God’s people?
And you can do it all without weakness.
You can have it all without losing.
But isn’t that the same offer of the wilderness?
What happens when we stand beside the empire and choose power in exchange for allegiance?
What happens when we believe that monetary or political influence is the way to ensure the gospel will not fail?
“If you will bow…”
The conditions today are rarely that obvious.
Maybe they simply require your silence.
Your compromise.
Your vote.
But once bowing in subtle ways becomes normalized, it no longer feels like bowing.
It feels like winning.
ashes or allegiances
Lent begins with ashes.
These ashes remind us that we are dust – not kings, not saviors, not political victors, and certainly not indispensable to history.
Jesus refused the kingdoms of the world because he already belonged to a different Kingdom.
The cross was not a detour. It was the way.
And that is why we must ask hard questions of ourselves this Lent:
Do we still know the difference between the Kingdom of God and the empires of the world?
When we seek power for the sake of preserving our faith, who are we bowing to?
When we pledge allegiance, which kingdom are we aligning ourselves with?
the invitation of the wilderness
Sit with the wilderness story.
Sit with the offer.
Just as it was made to Jesus, it continues to be made to us today.
- Where am I tempted to equate Christian faithfulness with national allegiance?
- How have I bought into the idea that the Kingdom of God needs political power to survive or to thrive?
- Where have I been asked to compromise my Christian ethics in order to garner influence or political power?
This series is not about abandoning our country. It is certainly not about hating our nation. But it is about being honest about the difference between human empires and a heavenly Kingdom. It is about which one is actually deserving of our allegiance and of our worship.
This week, reflect upon the strong but quiet response of Jesus to the adversary:
“Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
*This blog is a part of a series of Lenten reflections. I encourage you to go back and read the Ash Wednesday reflection for context.
Add Comment