GOD’S WILL BE DONE
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6: 10 – NAS)
We pronounce this part of the Lord’s Prayer all the time, but do we ever think about what we are saying? We know the words, that is certain. And we often pray for “God’s will” in our lives, by which we usually mean “Keep me from making stupid and sinful mistakes.”
Do we really think about what it means to call for the coming of God’s kingdom? To ask that His will be done in the here and now the way it is done in heaven?
What does that mean, anyway?
What do we know of heaven and its actions?
For one thing, we know that obedience to the will of God is constant and immediate. When the Lord says to one of His angels “Go”, the angel goes. It does not become a matter of consulting a schedule, or checking availability of transportation, or finishing off some other task first. It does not involve arguing with God about timing or finances or personnel needs. God says “Do this” and it is done.
“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
What is it that we think we are praying about when we repeat these words?
Are we expecting to see other people all around us jumping to do God’s will? That somehow, in some vague way, the design and desire of the Lord gets fulfilled by some mysterious and invisible means?
Are we paying any attention to what we are asking? To what Jesus has already conveyed about what the will of the Lord is?
Are we, any of us, ready to be humble, merciful, righteous, meek, steadfast according to the descriptions given in the Beatitudes? Right here? Right now? On earth as it is done in heaven? I don’t think we are. We may recite the Lord’s Prayer every morning of our lives, and then the minute we step out the door, we forget about fulfilling God’s will here on earth the way the angels leap to His directions immediately.
We chastise and rebuke our friends when we think they are flaking out – and we forget the Lord’s call to speak and act in mercy toward others. Our dignity becomes offended and immediately we demand the recognition due to us – and we forget about being humble and meek and trusting that the Lord knows our worth. We hold to our own understanding about what is needful in circumstances, ready to fight for “the cause” – and we forget that we have been instructed to be peacemakers not warriors.
And that is just asking for God’s will to be done in the world! Do we ever think of what we are asking when we seek “God’s will in my life”? We are usually thinking “Dear Lord, please let Your will be the same as what I want to do – let Your will be that I get this job, finish this task, have this relationship.” Do we ever think God’s will might be the exercise of courtesy and mercy to the clumsy and forgetful waiter that served us yesterday? Or being the peacemaker who yields to the roadhog jerk driver who cut us off on the freeway, making us miss our exit?
Instead, we pray for God’s kingdom to come, and the exit our homes expecting to be treated like kings.
God gives into our hands the authority of heaven: it is ours to command, to do His will here and now on earth as it is in heaven. And what do we do with it? We drop it on the doorstep, and go out into the world anxious, feeling helpless and downtrodden.
What are we thinking? We ask that God’s kingdom come, but we don’t look for it. We tell ourselves that it will happen “Someday”. “The Lord will come ... someday. But we can’t know the day of His coming.” But that is about the Lord’s return physically to the world. His kingdom is already here, among us. Jesus told His followers this time after time after time, and yet we still don’t “get it.”
The kingdom is here, now. We call for it and it is with us immediately, on earth as it is in heaven.
Perhaps we do not have eyes to see or ears to hear. Perhaps we are just closing our eyes and ears to the presence of God’s kingdom around us.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
I’m not very good at the instant obedience. I want to discuss things, plan things, evaluate things. “As it is in heaven” – that’s a real challenge to perform. Or the simplest thing in existence.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6: 10 – NAS)
We pronounce this part of the Lord’s Prayer all the time, but do we ever think about what we are saying? We know the words, that is certain. And we often pray for “God’s will” in our lives, by which we usually mean “Keep me from making stupid and sinful mistakes.”
Do we really think about what it means to call for the coming of God’s kingdom? To ask that His will be done in the here and now the way it is done in heaven?
What does that mean, anyway?
What do we know of heaven and its actions?
For one thing, we know that obedience to the will of God is constant and immediate. When the Lord says to one of His angels “Go”, the angel goes. It does not become a matter of consulting a schedule, or checking availability of transportation, or finishing off some other task first. It does not involve arguing with God about timing or finances or personnel needs. God says “Do this” and it is done.
“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
What is it that we think we are praying about when we repeat these words?
Are we expecting to see other people all around us jumping to do God’s will? That somehow, in some vague way, the design and desire of the Lord gets fulfilled by some mysterious and invisible means?
Are we paying any attention to what we are asking? To what Jesus has already conveyed about what the will of the Lord is?
Are we, any of us, ready to be humble, merciful, righteous, meek, steadfast according to the descriptions given in the Beatitudes? Right here? Right now? On earth as it is done in heaven? I don’t think we are. We may recite the Lord’s Prayer every morning of our lives, and then the minute we step out the door, we forget about fulfilling God’s will here on earth the way the angels leap to His directions immediately.
We chastise and rebuke our friends when we think they are flaking out – and we forget the Lord’s call to speak and act in mercy toward others. Our dignity becomes offended and immediately we demand the recognition due to us – and we forget about being humble and meek and trusting that the Lord knows our worth. We hold to our own understanding about what is needful in circumstances, ready to fight for “the cause” – and we forget that we have been instructed to be peacemakers not warriors.
And that is just asking for God’s will to be done in the world! Do we ever think of what we are asking when we seek “God’s will in my life”? We are usually thinking “Dear Lord, please let Your will be the same as what I want to do – let Your will be that I get this job, finish this task, have this relationship.” Do we ever think God’s will might be the exercise of courtesy and mercy to the clumsy and forgetful waiter that served us yesterday? Or being the peacemaker who yields to the roadhog jerk driver who cut us off on the freeway, making us miss our exit?
Instead, we pray for God’s kingdom to come, and the exit our homes expecting to be treated like kings.
God gives into our hands the authority of heaven: it is ours to command, to do His will here and now on earth as it is in heaven. And what do we do with it? We drop it on the doorstep, and go out into the world anxious, feeling helpless and downtrodden.
What are we thinking? We ask that God’s kingdom come, but we don’t look for it. We tell ourselves that it will happen “Someday”. “The Lord will come ... someday. But we can’t know the day of His coming.” But that is about the Lord’s return physically to the world. His kingdom is already here, among us. Jesus told His followers this time after time after time, and yet we still don’t “get it.”
The kingdom is here, now. We call for it and it is with us immediately, on earth as it is in heaven.
Perhaps we do not have eyes to see or ears to hear. Perhaps we are just closing our eyes and ears to the presence of God’s kingdom around us.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
I’m not very good at the instant obedience. I want to discuss things, plan things, evaluate things. “As it is in heaven” – that’s a real challenge to perform. Or the simplest thing in existence.
Labels: Matthew 6, Prayer, Sermon on the Mount
posted by Sarah | 4:57 PM
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