This may be the most underrated line of the Lord’s Prayer. Three words usually shoved off into the distant future of the Second Coming. And while we, as Christians, will never openly say it, after two thousand years, the prospect of an imminent return has lost some of its luster, may God prove me wrong!!!
What is the Kingdom but all that is good and wonderful and loving and expected from our God for God’s creation? It is not yet complete, but it is already here.
A recent theological exposition got me thinking about this. The book of Revelation talks about a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the old will pass away. The Greek translates better “Renewed” Heaven and “Renewed” Earth. Thus the old passing away is NOT the complete destruction of what we have for something new.
Thy kingdom come is a call for the renewal of our world. Thy kingdom come is a prayer from our lips to God’s ears that the beauty and sanctity of God’s kingdom may be realized here and now. We are calling for the old to pass away in order to be renewed in God’s all encompassing grace.
That’s assuming we really want it. My fear is that we are so used to our own ways that we don’t want to give them up. We live in the richest country in the world. We can get more than anybody else in the whole world. Best of all, we have so many things to distract us, for example, the internet, television, video games, that we can ignore and tune out all the yucky stuff that might bother us.
Thy kingdom come will challenge our current standing. The kingdom is not here. We are supposed to want it to come, that is what Jesus taught us. But do we really?
Remember how we talked about Spiritual Warfare? How is this for the devil winning without firing a shot?
What is the Kingdom but all that is good and wonderful and loving and expected from our God for God’s creation? It is not yet complete, but it is already here.
A recent theological exposition got me thinking about this. The book of Revelation talks about a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the old will pass away. The Greek translates better “Renewed” Heaven and “Renewed” Earth. Thus the old passing away is NOT the complete destruction of what we have for something new.
Thy kingdom come is a call for the renewal of our world. Thy kingdom come is a prayer from our lips to God’s ears that the beauty and sanctity of God’s kingdom may be realized here and now. We are calling for the old to pass away in order to be renewed in God’s all encompassing grace.
That’s assuming we really want it. My fear is that we are so used to our own ways that we don’t want to give them up. We live in the richest country in the world. We can get more than anybody else in the whole world. Best of all, we have so many things to distract us, for example, the internet, television, video games, that we can ignore and tune out all the yucky stuff that might bother us.
Thy kingdom come will challenge our current standing. The kingdom is not here. We are supposed to want it to come, that is what Jesus taught us. But do we really?
Remember how we talked about Spiritual Warfare? How is this for the devil winning without firing a shot?
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