“‘Thy Kingdom Come’” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on July 23, 2023. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 36:10.
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Scripture text:
Luke 6:17-26
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For the last couple of weeks, we have been preaching on the Lord's Prayer. We've been breaking it down week by week and reflecting on the different lines throughout the prayer: "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven," "Hallowed Be Thy Name," "Thy Kingdom Come," and so on.
Last Sunday in our summer series on the Lord’s Prayer, we explored the importance of revering God's holy name and God’s holy actions. We recognized the need for a restoration of the “holy” in our lives and in the world. As we utter the words, "Hallowed be thy name," we acknowledge our desire for God's name to be honored in every aspect of our existence. This prayer takes us beyond mere repetition of words, inviting us to align our hearts and minds with the sacred and to live in reverence of God's presence.
But our prayers do not end there. In fact, that is only the beginning. In the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that Jesus gave us to say as well as to use as a model for our other prayers, our prayer petitions continue. Today, we pray and mediate on the petition, “Thy Kingdom Come.”
But before we dive into our scripture passage, I want to reference a book we have been using as a main resource for this series. The Rev. Dr. Albert Curry Winn’s published this book, A Christian Primer, in 1990 (two years before I was born). The Rev. Dr. Albert Curry Winn was Moderator of the 119th General Assembly (1979) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, President Emeritus of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and the leader of the committee that drafted “A Declaration of Faith” for the Presbyterian Church. In his book, A Christian Primer, he reflected on the different lines of the Lord’s Prayer. Here’s a part of what he wrote on “Thy Kingdom Come”:
“Someone commented that ‘Hallowed be thy name’ is a bit abstract. ‘Thy kingdom come’ is a bit concrete. In fact, it may be entirely too concrete for some of us. If you feel that religion should have nothing to do with politics, I advise you to stay away from this petition. ‘Kingdom’ is an incurably political word. When we pray ‘Thy kingdom come,’ we are not praying to be taken out of the political order into some heavenly sphere where no decisions have to be made about how power and money and services ought to be distributed among people. We are praying that God's sovereignty may come to earth and become effective in the political realm and for the political questions that plague us and at times divide us. We are saying, ‘Take over, God. Rule and overrule in the affairs of people and nations.’”
Jesus teaches us that we must pray for the rule of God over all human affairs to become actual, real, and visible. And in a world that often seems devoid of God's presence, we are the ones called to intercede for the coming of God's kingdom.
But first, this is no earthly kingdom. This is God’s kingdom, and while the petition, “Thy Kingdom Come” is concrete, the word “kingdom” here is a little more difficult to define,
The concept of the "kingdom" as described by Jesus is both present and future. Jesus declared that the kingdom of God was already at hand, indicating its imminent arrival. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus begins his ministry by bolding declaring, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15). He emphasized this further when he cast out demons, stating that if he did so by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God had already come. And whenever questioned about the kingdom's arrival, Jesus responded that it was in their midst and has already made a tangible impact on the world.
However, Jesus also spoke of the kingdom as something that is yet to come. He described how we should receive it like little children. He spoke of the quality of righteousness required to enter it. He encouraged us to seek God's kingdom and to pray for its arrival. Jesus did not detail every aspect of the present and future kingdom, but instead, instructed us to be a part of it through our own actions: repent, believe, receive, enter, seek, pray, etc. And he also used parables to convey its nature. The kingdom of God is like a seed sown in the ground, growing silently until the harvest. It is like a hidden net filled with various fish or it is like yeast in dough that causes it to rise. At times it is hidden, but it is always there at work for something good and great.
Our prayers and search for the kingdom are aimed at its eventual manifestation, when it becomes visible, effective, and real. The hidden presence of the kingdom guarantees that it will eventually be revealed in God's own timing. Just as one cannot prevent a seed from sprouting or bread from rising, the kingdom of God cannot be stopped from coming.
Which bring us to our passage for today:
Our passage from the Gospel of Luke presents Jesus preaching the Sermon on the Plain, where he addresses a multitude of people seeking healing and hope. This is similar to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as found in the Gospel of Matthew, where the well-known and beloved Beatitudes were preached.
In this passage, Jesus not only brings physical and spiritual healing to those in need, but he also challenges societal norms and expectations. He turns our understanding of blessings and woes upside down, demonstrating that God's Kingdom is radically different from the kingdoms of this world. Jesus reveals that true blessedness is found in poverty of spirit, in hunger for righteousness, and in the pursuit of peace.
In the midst of this proclamation, Jesus warns the privileged, the rich, and the complacent about the consequences of their actions. He calls them to examine their hearts and to recognize the ways in which they have contributed to the brokenness of the world. By doing so, Jesus invites all of us, regardless of our social standing, to participate in the transformation of our communities and the establishment of God's Kingdom.
Because God’s kingdom will bring the great reversal.
The poor will have the kingdom, and the rich will have only past memories. The hungry will be satisfied and the full will be hungry. Those who weep will laugh and those who laugh will mourn. The kingdom is the great reversal. But it’s more than just the blessings and woes were heard in this passage.
We have more reversals according to the Gospels. The last will be first and the first will be last (Mark 10:31). Children will be the teachers of adults (Matt. 18:1-4). Servants and slaves will be the great ones (Mark 10:43-45). Tax collectors and harlots go into the kingdom ahead of recognized religious leaders (Matt. 21:31). Those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Matt. 23:12) Not those who exercised power, but those who served the marginalized--the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the sick, the prisoners-will inherit the kingdom (Matt. 25:31-46).
This kingdom, far from being a distant dream, is a reality that we can actively participate in. It is a kingdom of justice, love, and peace, where God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. When we pray, "Thy Kingdom Come," we are not simply requesting divine intervention, but acknowledging our role as co-creators with God. We are invited to join the work of justice, peace, and reconciliation. Just as Jesus proclaimed the good news, we too are called to share in the ministry of liberation and restoration.
When we pray for God's Kingdom to come, we are asking for the reign of love, justice, and compassion to be established in our hearts, our homes, our communities, and our world. We are called to challenge systems of injustice, to comfort the suffering, and to work tirelessly for equity and peace.
As part of our summer series on the Lord’s Prayer, we have installed new images in our art gallery. We have incorporated eight different images, each inspired by one of the eight lines from the Lord's Prayer. To create this gallery, we assigned eight individuals of varying ages a line from the prayer. They were then tasked with selecting a piece of art from any century that resonated with their assigned line. Accompanying each artwork is a brief paragraph explaining their choice and the inspiration behind it. I strongly encourage you to check this out, as you will feel connected to Christ through his prayer through images.
I chose one of the images featured, and I chose a photo of the arrest of Rev. James Lawson. You can see it here.
In 1960, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Rev Lawson organized nonviolent sit-ins and protests in Nashville, Tennessee. Rev. Lawson's commitment to justice and equality eventually led to his arrest. In a famous photograph, we see him standing courageously, embodying the essence of God's Kingdom even in the face of opposition and persecution.
Rev. Lawson's story highlights the transformative power of actively living out the Lord's Prayer. It reminds us that the Kingdom of God is not a distant dream but a reality we can bring forth in our communities today. Just like Rev. Lawson and countless others who have fought for justice and equality, we are called to be agents of change and transformation in our world. The pursuit of this kingdom is a responsibility we all share.
Let us recognize the urgency of embodying God's Kingdom in our world today, just as Rev. James Lawson did in his time. We are called to challenge systems of injustice, to comfort the suffering, and to work tirelessly for equity and peace.
May we be inspired by the example of Jesus, who proclaimed the Kingdom of God and called us to repent and believe in the good news. Let us remember that the Kingdom of God is not a distant dream, but a present reality that we can actively participate in. Additionally, we cannot ignore the deep wounds of division and prejudice that continue to afflict our societies. We witness the pain and suffering of this world every day. In embodying God's Kingdom, we are called to actively work towards dismantling all structures of oppression and promoting inclusivity and equality for all.
Today and all days, we draw courage from the life and teachings of Jesus, who consistently challenged societal norms and stood in solidarity with the marginalized. He broke down barriers of race, gender, and social status, demonstrating that the Kingdom of God transcends human divisions. As followers of Christ, we are called to follow in his footsteps, speaking out against injustice, advocating for the rights of the oppressed, and fostering unity and reconciliation.
In our own lives, embodying God's Kingdom means striving to live with integrity and compassion. It involves extending love and forgiveness to those who have hurt us. It includes seeking reconciliation and healing in broken relationships. It means using our resources, time, and talents to uplift others, especially those who are in need.
Imagine a world where the Kingdom of God is fully realized, where justice flows like a stream, and where love reigns supreme. It is not an unrealistic dream, but a vision that can become a reality through our collective efforts. Each act of kindness, each act of justice, and each act of love brings us one step closer to the fulfillment of God's Kingdom on earth.
If anything, at its very foundation, the petition of 'Thy Kingdom Come' is the prayer, the belief, the hope, the call to action: that although God’s world is not as it should be, one day it will be.
It’s the faith that one day our world will be the Kingdom God intended it to be.
Thy Kingdom Come…
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
