The disciples
inherited a hope and a vision that went back to Abraham. It
was a promise of a land that would be their own, a land where
they would be more abundant than the stars of the sky. Throughout
history this promise gave the children of Israel a vision that
kept them pressing on.
In the Old Testament we read again and again of how Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Joshua were guided by this vision of
the Promised Land. It gave Israel a vision to hope for when
they needed to persevere in their terrifying wilderness. This
vision and promise helped them refocus—to obey God's
commands, to turn away from other tempting gods, to remember
who they were, to see themselves more clearly.
Jesus taught his disciples often about the kingdom of God.
Jesus described it as a realm where God is sovereign. And Jesus
taught them that in some ways the kingdom was already fulfilled
in himself (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20). Yet the kingdom was
still a future reality to be anticipated, and so we have this
prayer, "Your kingdom come."
The disciples were still expecting the political restoration
of the kingdom of Israel—their liberation from military
oppressors and foreign colonizers. Even after Jesus was raised
from the dead, the disciples still hoped for the kingdom. "Lord,
is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
(Acts 1:6).
Today, just as much as in Acts 1, our world is overrun by powers
that defy God. Hunger and violence stalk our streets, ravaging
our children. It is discouraging enough to make us quit.
Discipleship is too hard; it is swimming against an overwhelming
stream.
But when we are ready to give up in the face of terrifying
odds, Jesus instructs us to pray: "Your kingdom come." Focus
your long-distance vision. There is a reign of God that began
in a new way in Jesus and will be completely fulfilled in God's
own time. Don't lose sight of the hope.
It is interesting that when teaching us to pray, Jesus first
focuses our vision on the long-range picture—"Your
kingdom come"—before he gets to the immediate
matters of daily bread and forgiving debts. Without the long-range
picture, the short-range business does not make sense.
Now that I use different glasses for reading, I can read the
fine print. With my new lenses I can see texture and detail
in my daily bread. But if I used only those reading lenses,
I would be stuck. Without my lenses for distance, I cannot
see where I am going. I cannot drive my car, ride a bike, or
see to the end of the block. I could eat my daily bread, but
I would have no vision to get anywhere. My physical eyes are
nearsighted. But so are the eyes of my heart.
In Ephesians 1:18 Paul prays that the eyes of our heart will
be illuminated. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus corrects
the focus of our vision—he gives us the lens for seeing
in a new way: "Your kingdom come."
Next month:
A new way of keeping score |
