[Sorry, I did not include the Scripture reading or the special music!]
Isaiah 11:1-9; Matthew 6:5-13
July 9, 2023
- The beginning of the Lord’s Prayer – God
Every Sunday, and perhaps some other days, we regularly make part of our prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We pray it, and I imagine that on some level we intend what we are praying, but I have a very strong feeling that those words end up like so many other words in church use where we say them but don’t MEAN them. We are saying those prayers, those words, those thoughts, but they might be a grocery list because we are not really thinking about what we are saying. What is sad to me about this is that this is one of the most powerful and difficult lines of any prayer that we have ever prayed.
To be honest, most of the lines in this prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, are pretty weighty, pretty difficult, and deeply meaningful. My hope is that in a few minutes you just might agree with me about this one today. In order to get there, though, something needs to change.
When you travel to a new place, a completely different culture, it becomes pretty clear just how different places can be.
In Japan, it is impolite to laugh with an open mouth, ask for condiments at restaurants, blow your nose or eat in public, or tip for services.
In Arab countries, you never show the bottom of your feet, refuse food offered to you, and avoid giving a “thumbs up.”
In China, don’t finish your plate of food, accept gifts right away, or open any gifts you receive quickly.
In most of Asia, doing things with the left hand is a no-no.
And that just scratches the surface. Even crossing your fingers is offensive in some places, and sitting in the back of a taxi instead of the front is a mark of arrogance, as is also having one hand in your pocket in some places. Being late in some countries is offensive and on-time also offensive in others. And do not tell someone from Central or South America that YOU are from America. They think they are just as American as we do. Yes, that is also rude.
Cultures are not all the same to say the least. And no one’s culture has it all correct. No one is adequately living out the one culture that matters most – the Kingdom of God. Just take a guess how many times the gospels have Jesus express the word that we use as “church?” You would think that with how important the idea of church is, it should be one of his most important topics of conversations, but you would be wrong. The word for church only shows up twice, and even then, one of those instances does not even relate to church as we know it. But there is something else that Jesus talked about a great deal – in fact, John the Baptizer also talked about this same thing setting the stage for Jesus. That one thing is Kingdom.
No kings, though, in the earthly sense. No crowns, castles, robes, swords, or scepters, in the earthly sense. Rome ruled with emperors, armies, taxes, and fear. The Kingdom of God is like salt, light, seeds, lost coins, sheep, or children, a wedding banquet, a treasure hidden in a field, yeast, a pearl, or a master settling accounts. None of those images sound like what you would expect for kingdom talk. That’s because Jesus was trying to change our culture, our way of life, our relationships, how we share the world together. He was not nearly as worried about what was coming in the future as how we live today. That’s how he can with boldness pray, “May your Kingdom come, your will be done, now and here just like in heaven.” And if God’s Kingdom is here, there is no room for anyone else’s.
Apparently, the world record for the number of people in a phone booth is 25, set in March of 1959 in South Africa, and one of the people involved was even 6’ 2”. They had the booth packed so tightly that when the phone rang, no one could answer it. I’m going to say that if I were to run across a phone booth in this day and age, I am probably the only person who is going to fit in that booth. There is only room for one at a time for me.
The same goes for Kingdom. Just think about it. Imagine how offensive it might be going up to your queen or king and telling them that while you might technically live in their kingdom, you were actually part of God’s Kingdom. And kingdoms don’t exist together very well. Your ruler might not appreciate your statement very much. Honestly, it shouldn’t go over well. It is radical and revolutionary and problematic to tell the powers of this world that they are wrong or weak or inferior, that they do not value what God does, that they are focused on the wrong things, that they are corrupted by the world, and that they do not own us, but that is exactly what Jesus is praying us into. He is calling us into being change agents, praying for a world that looks more like a place that loves all people, that values the lost, that welcomes the unlovable, that treasures God’s truth, that fosters genuine community, that sacrifices for the good of the least, and that forgives people in radical ways. No one is ready for that, not the true Kingdom of Heaven. It is always different from what we have here. It is always tough to see in this world. That’s why we pray for God’s help to realize it. Little by little, we chip away at the powers and authorities that diminish God’s children and strip away their value. Little by little, we share light where light does not want to go. Little by little, we give more forgiveness, more love, more reconciliation, and more service than is comfortable. Little by little, we encourage peace, grace, hope, and faith where it is hard for those things to exist.
Little by little, we do our very best to make this world more like the world Jesus brings us and will one day finish for us. Little by little, we make this world more a reflection of God’s home. The promise of this home is that prophecy from Isaiah 9 that gives us a vision for what will be, something to pin to our hope, but as I hope is very clear, Jesus wants us to pray this for today. We are looking for God’s Kingdom right now.
That is, of course, unless you are happy with the way things are.
And that’s the real rub, isn’t it? You could say that the world is exactly right and good and grand as far as you are concerned, but I’m not sure anyone has the audacity to try that one. Far, far, far too much is wrong right here in Farmville to make that claim, and I think we know that, but we are challenged by trying to make a difference. We struggle with pushing, even nudging, the world in a better direction. Sometimes, that might mean giving up privileges and making life harder in order for someone else to be helped. Sometimes, that might mean giving up measures of control and allowing others to make decisions that might seem less appealing. Sometimes, that might mean accepting people that might not be as desirable. Sometimes, that might mean opening hearts to finding treasure where it is not expected.
That’s the thing about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus never ends in any of his Kingdom parables saying that the people who were willing to embrace the Kingdom were sorry they did it. They never regret going to the feast or finding the treasure or being forgiven or being found. All of Jesus’ Kingdom talks are great for the people who embrace it. The ones who regret it are the ones who do not take the opportunity. The ones who miss out are the ones who cry out in loss, even great loss.
It sounds like we need to make a strong prayer this day. It sounds like we need to pray with conviction for God’s righteous change, not only in other places of this world but right here, too. It sounds like we need to pray for this Kingdom to rule our hearts and lives, our relationships, and our church community. It sounds like we need to pray for a better way, a better change, a better life.
Let’s pray… O God, our Lord and King, you have brought us your glory in Christ Jesus and placed your Kingdom in our hands and hearts. Now, we ask for the will to see just how open our hands and hearts can be in your grace. Show us possibility, opportunity, and hope. Show us collaboration and community. Show us Jesus in the face of the other, and help us to honor that face with our lives. Show us how we need to be loved by others, too. Make this place your Holy Mountain. Establish your rule in our hearts. Make us one in Jesus, in whom we pray. To you be the glory. Amen.