In Jesus Holy Name April 29, 2007
Text: Luke 11:1-4 Easter V - Redeemer
“Thy Kingdom Come….”
3rd in the Series: “Prayer: Connecting to Our Father”
When you and I pray: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” the word kingdom immediately brings to mind a geographical area where kings or nations rule. God’s kingdom is not limited to earthly boundaries or borders. Where ever God’s word and His Holy Spirit control the thinking and actions of a person, there is God’s kingdom.
One of the first things we should notice is the difference between Luke and Matthew. Luke simply reads: “your kingdom come”. Matthew reads: “Your kingdom come…and then adds: “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
John Reumann in his book: “Jesus in the Church’s Gospels” writes: “these additional words of Matthew, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” are meant to clarify the words: “thy kingdom come”. The kingdom of God comes as the will of God is done. Matthew clarifies something that is in briefer form in Luke. You will also see this clarification in the 6th petition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Luke writes: “And lead us not into temptation”.. Matthew clarifies and adds: “but deliver us from the evil one”. The question… Well, which one did Jesus really teach? This does not mean there is an error nor that Jesus taught two different prayers. If Matthew expands and clarifies the historical words of Jesus it is done under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We must remember the powerful force of the Holy Spirit which was at work to preserve what Jesus taught. The Easter event changed everything. Prior to his death and resurrection Jesus told his disciples that He would be handed over, crucified and on the third he would rise again. Jesus also told the disciples that God would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the God head, to “be with you forever…” “the Spirit of Truth….whom the Father will send in my name ….will teach you all things… and remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:17,26)
This is the experience of the Emmaus road disciples. (read Luke 24:13,17,27) Now, they already knew these O.T. bible passages. But after the resurrection they had a fuller understanding. (read v 32)
“Ask any hundred N.T. scholars around the world, Protestant, Roman Catholic, or non-Christian what the central message of Jesus of Nazareth was and they would agree that his message centered on the “kingdom of God.”
In Matthew 4:17 we find these words: “after the temptation in the wilderness…Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
What does the word “kingdom” mean for Jesus and for us who still pray, “thy kingdom come”? Is it something men and women build? Does it have geographical boundaries? The answer to both is NO. Does it have geopolitical ramifications? Yes. The message of Jesus was about God’s kingdom, His rule and authority.
The gospel of Mark begins: “No after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee preaching…”the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel.” (Mk 1:14-15)
All through the gospels we hear Jesus begin his parables with these words: “the kingdom of heaven is like...”
The miracles of Jesus were not magic tricks to make converts; they demonstrated God’s compassion and power. Last week we read Mk 1:21-25 and saw the clash of the kingdom of God challenging the earthly rule of Satan.
From Bethlehem to Calvary the battle raged. Satan’s desire was to seduce the 2nd Adam, the son of God, as he did the first. The spiritual battle happened in the wilderness. It happened when the scribes and Pharisees said Jesus was tricking people by casting out lesser demons by the power of Satan. (Matt. 12:24) The battle spiritual battle between the kingdom of God and Satan’s earthly kingdom reached incredible intensity in the garden of Gethsemane. Even on the cross Satan used the Pharisees to tempt Jesus one last time to give up his obedience to God the Father. “In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and elders mocked him. He saved others, they said, but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel? Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” (Matt. 27:41-42)
Satan was defeated at the cross and by the resurrection of Jesus, yet he continues his guerrilla warfare. Just this past Wed. evening at our bible study on prayer…everything was going great. Right in the middle of our prayers to our heavenly Father, the phone rings… the host has to leave the prayer time and answer the phone. But then the phone rings two more times in succession…. Two of them were wrong numbers. Satan was seeking to disrupt our prayers of praise to God.
When we pray “thy kingdom come” it is a call to God to act in our human history to save. We are not praying for a geographical kingdom like Great Britain or medieval France, rather the “kingdom of God” denotes kingship. God is king. He is all powerful…… Satan constantly challenges God’s rule on earth.
When biology students, or medical students first examine an unwashed hand under the microscope their first response is “surprise” and “shock”. Each day thousands of germs swarm on our skin, looking for openings through which they can attack our body. Only when we realize the destructive intention of our health enemies are we moved to do battle by using soap and water.
St. Paul gives us a similar view of the spiritual battle we face from unseen deadly forces. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, the world forces of darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness…” (Eph. 6:12)
As followers of Christ, we face fierce forces that are determined to destroy us and the message of salvation that we carry. Without God we are helpless against the devil. God rules everything by his word. When His word is preached the Holy Spirit carries that word of truth to the hearts and minds of men, women and children. Satan will do everything in his power to disrupt and obstruct it.
Jesus has not left us to fight the devil alone. In John 16:37 Jesus tells his disciples….”In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” Listen to the prayer of Jesus. “Father, I have given them your word and the world has hated them… my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:13-15)
Listen again to the words of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew… “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth ass it is in heaven….lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
This is why we pray the Lord’s Prayer. When Martin Luther was translating the bible from the original languages into the language of his people… Satan was opposing his work. Satan did not want the word of God to reach the hearts and minds of millions of Germans. Luther threw an ink well at the devil and told him to leave.
As Christians, who believe in Jesus Christ we are baptized and marked by the Holy Spirit. We belong in the household of God. As the same time god has sent us into the world with His saving message. In reality, our work, our ministry, our demonstrations of love and care, reclaims souls from Satan’s grasp and his influence.
We are involved in a spiritual warfare and we should expect opposition. We should expect our prayers to call God into action. You and I possess the word of God which defeats and exposes Satan as the Father of lies. Jesus said, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you.”
Jesus has given us this prayer so that we might be in full partnership with him. We are asking that God’s will become reality in our personal world space. May his reign over evil become reality in the space where I live, work and play.
As the Father sent Jesus, so he is sending us… and this prayer, protects us from the evil one, keeps our life obedient. May we pray this prayer with more diligence.
