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Mission
One
has only to recall the Lord’s Prayer to understand the mission of Jesus; he
prayed for the kingdom: “Your kingdom come.”
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in
heaven
hallowed be your
name.
Your kingdom
come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is
in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread.
And forgive us our
debts
as we also have
forgiven our debtors.
And
do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from
the evil one.
One can hardly pray
this prayer without a heavenward look, a sweep of the hands heavenward in
“hallowed be your name.” The
emphasis continues heavenward with “Your will be done,” but note, the
downward turn “on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus prays now for those things physical: bread, forgiveness of debts,
freedom from trial and evil.
I Chronicles
describes God’s kingdom as an earthly kingdom where all on earth is
God's:
I Chronicles
29:11-13
Yours, O Lord, are
the greatness,
the power, the
glory, the victory, and the majesty;
for all that is in
the earth is yours;
yours is the
kingdom, O Lord,
and you are exalted
as head above all.
Riches and honor
come from you,
and you rule over
all.
In your hand are
power and might;
and it is in your
hand to make great
and to give
strength to all.
And now, our God,
we give thanks to you
And praise your
glorious name.
All
that is on earth is rightfully God’s, for God’s is the kingdom, and God is
the exalted head; God holds within his hand the power and might to make great
and to give strength, and it remains with humankind to give thanks and praise
his glorious name.
See
Kingdom.
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