First Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2025
Luke 4:1-13

“Then the devil led Jesus up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to Jesus, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours’” (Luke 4:5-7).

There is part of me, I admit, that wishes Jesus had said, “Yes.” Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus was in charge? I mean, look around. Since that moment, since Jesus was tempted on that mountain by the devil, the kingdoms of this world have suffered through more tyrants, warlords, dictators, and buffoons than you can count. Yes, there have been some standout leaders. But they are the exception that proves the rule. And you’re telling me, that we could have had Jesus? 

Now, I think that Jesus turns down this offer of authority for one simple reason. Jesus does not want to be the ruler of the kingdoms of this world because he is going after something even more important. Because Jesus wants to be the ruler of your heart. That’s the difference, that is what is going on here. Your heart, your soul, your body – you are worth far more than the kingdoms of this world that come and go. Jesus turns down the devil’s offer because of you.

So, say yes. In a weird way, you could give the same offer to Jesus. And he will say yes. During this holy season of Lent, use these forty days to open your heart, more and more. Commit to repenting, commit to praying, commit to a holy life – commit to crowning Jesus as the Lord of your life. You will be tempted, as we each are day by day. We are tempted to put other things on the throne that is our heart. But only One is worthy of that position – and it is the Lord God Almighty. That is what Lent is all about. By prayer, by reading God’s holy word, by self-examination and repentance, we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts. If you want to fast and give up something for Lent, great. If you want to take something on for Lent, great. If you commit to coming to church every Sunday during Lent, great. What really matters though, is that you are working on putting Jesus in charge, right here. In your heart, in your soul, in your mind. Jesus turned down all the kingdoms of the world, for you. 

Now, before I’m labeled as some evangelical who just wants you to accept Jesus  Christ as your personal Lord and Savior – I have something else to say.

See, I believe that a people whose hearts are truly set on God make the world a better place. That was the Old Testament lesson we heard today, that the people of Israel, when they follow the ways of God, will be an example to the nations of the world. And that when they bow down to the Lord, life will be better both for them and for the foreigners living among them (Deuteronomy 26:1-11). Paul picks this up in the letter to the Romans. By confessing that Jesus is Lord, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Romans 10:8b-13). The peoples of the earth are brought together and made one, not by treaties or alliances or by political parties, but only through the Lord Jesus. Jesus renounces the devil’s temptation to have authority over the kingdoms of the world, because Jesus wants to live in every human heart. 

Now this whole thing hints at that old, uncomfortable question. How should religion and politics mix? Should they mix? This is where you groan.

Because here we have Jesus explicitly denying the opportunity for authority over the kingdoms of the world. And yet, judging from everything that has happened since then, we know that religion and politics always get mixed up. Religious institutions use politics to advance their own agendas; political institutions use religion to entice potential supporters. And let’s be honest – this is not just an issue in Christianity. Humans are humans, after all. It’s been a thing in every world religion.

So, it’s not that the devil only tempted Jesus. The devil tempts each of us with those opportunities to take control. And the offer looks too good to us. We’re the sinners who take the devil’s offer; and we’re the fools for thinking we can get away with it.

That, that is the problem. The problem isn’t religion. The problem isn’t politics. The problem is the human heart. We want to crown other things as king of our hearts. We want to be right. And when given the opportunity, we’ll use whatever means we have to make it so. That’s what makes this work of Jesus so radical. He doesn’t want the kingdoms of the world, he wants to be the ruler of every single human heart. He wants to get at the root of the problem, which is here. 

And that, that is how the world is going to change for the better. We have all been tricked into believing that if we just get the “right” people in charge, then things will be better. But every human project is bound to fail. The way to make the world better is to start with your own heart. 

I know, this is not your standard First Sunday of Lent sermon. During which the priest just tells you to spend the next forty days reading the Bible and giving up chocolate and trying to be a better person. You should do whatever you’re going to do for Lent – but it must be for a reason. It’s because the world needs people whose hearts are set on God, not on themselves. The world needs people who are willing to undergo this spiritual heart transplant. The world needs people like you who are also willing to reject the offers of authority for authority’s sake, money for money’s sake, fame for fame’s sake. Jesus showed us where that temptation comes from. What the world needs right now, for the next forty days and for long after that, is a people whose hearts are ruled by God – a people who live for the public good because they are living for Jesus. 

This takes us right back to where we began. Wishing that Jesus was in charge of everybody else. One of the things I’ve noticed in my own spiritual journey, is that I really want Jesus to be in charge of other people. Yet, that always means that there is something off in my life. Because if I want Jesus over there, it means I don’t want Jesus right here. Usually because I’m hiding something, something I don’t want God to mess with. All I can do then, is return, and offer my heart again. Praying that the Lord Jesus would have mercy on me, and that Jesus would find a home in every human heart, including my own. And that his words back to the devil would also be my words, that I worship the Lord God, and serve only Jesus. 

See also

Christianity and Social Order by William Temple