What Does It Mean to Pray “Your Kingdom Come?”
Some views of the world describe history as an outworking of fundamental forces and chance happenings without purpose or foresight.
The beginning had no purpose.
The end will have no purpose.
So the middle has no objective purpose either.
We create whatever meaning we can grab a hold of knowing that the grave will extinguish it and the memory of all our good deeds will be wiped away sooner or later.
We make our peace with no ultimate purpose.
Others view history as an endless cycle of seasons.
The goal of human existence is to sync- up with the cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth, life, death, rebirth etc.
History is not progressing anywhere, it is just going around the cul-de-sac.
Not for the Hebrew people…
In scripture history is moving forward toward a goal.
There are ups and downs along the way, certain patterns repeat, and fits and starts occur, but God is drawing history toward an appointed end.
History is progressing toward the Kingdom of God.
“The kingdom of God refers to the dynamic reality of God acting as the King. The Hebrew prophets longed for the day when God would finally impose and establish His kingly-rule over the entire world. They longed for the day when God would intervene once and for all, and rule without rival.”
Two thousand years ago, Jesus arrived and announced that the kingdom of God was breaking into history, it was present in his person, it was bursting onto the scene — the time had come.
And Jesus taught his followers to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.”
He invited us to share in the long-standing, prophetic longing for a new day; God’s rule without rival.
Why long for God’s rule to break into history?
Because God’s rule will mean the end of injustice.
God’s rule will mean the end of oppression.
God’s rule will mean the end of shame and hate and racism and pride.
God’s rule will mean the end of mass shootings.
God’s rule will mean the end of cyberbullying.
God’s rule will mean the end of chaos.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, our culture longs for the kingdom. Our society shares the longings of the Hebrew prophets without the same hope that a King will come.
Thankfully, there is good news.
King Jesus has come. And he has brought with him the reign of God; a rule that doesn’t oppress us, but sets us free to become who God has created us to be!
Not only that, Jesus will come again bringing with him the kingdom in its fullness. Until then we pray, “may your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
When you read the Gospels, Jesus’ miracles, or signs, demonstrate that God’s kingdom is breaking into history and they give us a picture of what God’s kingdom is like.
Jesus heals blind eyes and deaf ears.
He delivers people from demonic oppression.
He forgives sins.
He exercises authority over the natural world.
These are signs of God’s kingdom.
They continue today.
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