Thy Kingdom Come

Matthew 6:9-10, Jesus instructs us:

Pray like this:

Our Father who is in heaven,

uphold the holiness of your name.

Bring in your kingdom

so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.

 

For centuries, in churches and homes around the globe, followers of Christ have prayed The Lord’s Prayer, in keeping with Jesus’ sermon on the mount and the early church tradition.  I wonder how many times these words have been raised to God—spoken individually or corporately, aloud, or in silent meditation—"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Countless pleas have been lifted for the reign of Christ, for heaven to be known on earth.  The sheer magnitude both overwhelms and saddens me.  I cannot fathom it.  The knowledge that this prayer has been lifted perhaps more than any other is disheartening when I consider how history seems to repeat itself and how unlike heaven earth is.

When I look at the news and see stories of war, devastation, continued and escalating gun violence, and even the gospel message being perverted and used to justify the inhumane treatment of others, it sure doesn’t seem like this prayer is being answered.

Maybe the problem is that we’re doing too much talking and not enough listening.  Because if we’re paying attention, Jesus tells us the way to usher in the kingdom. 

In Matthew 20, when the mother of James and John asks Jesus if her sons can sit at his right and left when he comes into his kingdom, his response to them is this, “You don’t know what you are asking.  Can you drink from my cup?”   Later, when the other disciples learn about this request and become indignant, Jesus admonishes them and clarifies his response to the question of greatness.  He says, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus, in teaching about the kingdom, contradicts everything the world teaches about greatness.  In Jesus’ kingdom, greatness comes through surrender and humility.  Until we, as his followers, truly understand, embrace, and live out this teaching, we will not see God’s kingdom, God’s will, done on earth as it is in heaven.

 

Let us pray.

Lord, we confess to you that we want to see your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, but we don’t want to do the hard work of surrender that is necessary for transformation.  Only by your grace can we be changed, sanctified, and made instruments of your holy work.  Move within us to change our hearts, that we may become less and You become more.  Make us servants in the way of our brother, Jesus, in whose name we pray.  Amen.

Today’s devotional was written and read by Greta Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.