Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come
Matthew 6:10; 26:29
March 3, 1999
“The kingdom of God.” What is it? The psalmist speaks of God’s kingdom this way, “His kingdom rules over all” (Ps 103:19); Thus we recognize the kingdom of God as authority and domain over everything. Is this the kingdom for which we pray in the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer?
Kingdom of God’s Grace. When asked, “What is the kingdom of God?” Luther said: “Simply what we learned in the Creed, namely, that God sent his Son, Christ our Lord, into the world to redeem and deliver us from the power of the devil and to bring us to himself and rule us as a king of righteousness, life, and salvation against sin, death, and an evil conscience” (LC III, 51). Luther probably had Colossians 1 (vv 13-14) in mind: “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Luther continues, “God’s kingdom comes to us in two ways: first, it comes here, in time, through the Word and faith, and secondly, in eternity, it comes through the final revelation. Now, we pray for both of these, that it may come to those who are not yet in it, and that it may come by daily growth here and in eternal life hereafter to those who have attained it” (LC III, 53). Luther perceives God’s mission in this petition. All Christian mission has to do with the coming of the kingdom of God for which we pray. The kingdom coming to those who need to grow up in it, and to those who need to be brought into it.
Congregations must decide whether they want only to maintain themselves or to reach out with the Word of truth. A cartoon pictures white-robed Christians meeting together in the underground catacombs of Rome. Candles are burning; manuscripts are piled up. The leader addresses the group, “We have a decision to make. Shall we carpet the catacombs, or shall we send a missionary to Ephesus?” Regarding this, it is interesting to note that only two of the seven churches John speaks of in the book of Revelation are still in existence. One held to the truth of the Word over-against falsehood. The other held out the truth of the Word in mission outreach through a door the Lord himself had opened and no one could shut.
The Kingdom of Glory. The Lenten reading recounts the kingdom yet to come. We refer to this aspect of the kingdom as the kingdom of glory. At the Last Supper, Jesus promises the disciples, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in the kingdom of my Father” (Mt 26:29). “I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Lk 22:29-30).
When Jesus says to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place” he is speaking of the kingdom in which His Glory reigns (Jn 18:36).
One of the two criminals who was crucified with our Lord also spoke of the kingdom: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus responded, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:42-43). The penitent criminal admits that he deserves punishment and rebukes the criminal who mocked the Savior. Of Jesus, he only asks to be remembered. He gets much more: “Today—with me—in paradise.” Paul would later echo this: “To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). What an incentive to pray! But the account also suggests the questions: Will everyone go to heaven? If not, who will and who won’t?
Phil Donahue once interviewed a prominent New York City minister on his show. When asked, “Do you believe that only Christians will get to heaven?” the minister answered without hesitation: “Everyone will be there. God is so great, so big, so forgiving. You’ll be there, too, Donahue!”
Donahue then asked his live audience, “How many of you believe you are going to heaven?” Most of the audience raised a hand. He then asked, “And how many of you believe you are not going to heaven?” Three or four hands went up. Pointing to one of those persons, he said, “Why don’t you think you are going to heaven?” The lady answered, “Because there will only be 144,000 in heaven, and I’m not one of them.” (This is a teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses.) Donahue continued with, “Why do you want to belong to a religious group that teaches you won’t have a chance to get to heaven?” Others expressed their opinion that a non church goer could be as good as a person who goes to church and that a Christian is a person who is kind to everyone.
But, this is not so according to what Jesus said of himself, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. … Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (Jn 3:16, 18). Not everybody will go to heaven. Only those to whom the Father reveals the Son and the Son the Father. And that revelation brings us into a living hope as people born again of God.
Living in Hope. As such, the apostle urges us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col 3:2). He even declares, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith: (Phil 3:8-9). He then directs us to join with others who follow his example and reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). This new life in Christ not only begets us into a living hope, but also into a place where anxiety can be left behind.
Living without Anxiety. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus admonishes, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.” He concludes this section with, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Mt 6:25, 32-34). We are to “seek,” which may be translated “go on seeking,” first, “the kingdom,” namely our goal of heaven to which we have been called by the gospel; and second, “his righteousness,” the comforting knowledge that God in Christ has declared us righteous. Then he bids us unload worry about “tomorrow,” as “tomorrow” is always just beyond us.
Of course the eternal life we already have does not mean we presently experience the joy that is yet to come. Paul says of himself, “I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Phil 1:23-24). This eagerness of being with the Lord in heaven is spoken of also in the Psalms, “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Ps 16:11).
God’s people have been called “the restless righteous.” Often we lower our sights and pursue goals that we think will satisfy: “when I graduate,” “when I retire.” But when those goals are achieved, we are not satisfied. Our Lord knows this. And, he knows that in the kingdom he has taught us to pray will come, we will find eternal satisfaction. That is why Jesus prays for us this way, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me, because you loved me before the creation of the world” (Jn 17:24).
How very appropriate that John closes God’s written word to us with the petition, “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20). Indeed, Lord, let your kingdom come. Amen.