Today’s Reading: Small Catechism: Lord’s Prayer, Second Petition
Daily Lectionary: Joshua 5:1-6:5; Acts 10:1-17

Thy kingdom come. (Small Catechism: Lord’s Prayer, Second Petition)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We expect the kingdom of God to be separate from the world. God’s kingdom must be a place where no bad things happen, where no sinners do sinful things, where we want for nothing. We figure we can pray this to hasten the Last Day. We try to imagine what it will look like. We lose sight of what the Word says.

Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” At hand means not far away. Not someday. Here. Now. Where Jesus is. We don’t pray, “Thy kingdom come,” to help or encourage God to show up, but so that we would see that the kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, and we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. Then we can look at how it does come.

God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity. The kingdom of God is where the King is working. And God is working here for you. This petition calls attention to the fact that God doesn’t need things to look perfect in order for Him to dwell with us. It points to the Lord who brought heaven to earth as angelic choirs sang of His birth, as He healed the sick and forgave the sinners, as He conquered death upon the Cross and rose from the grave, and as He feeds you with His Body and Blood to bring the same to you. The same God works where His Word is preached and He calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps the whole Christian Church on earth, daily and richly forgiving your sins, and the sins of all believers.

This petition is a gift because it points to the places where God is already doing these things. That turns the prayer from a burden into a gift. Now you don’t have to hasten God’s kingdom. He’s bringing it by His Holy Spirit where His Word is preached and His Sacrament is administered. You can know where it is and pray that it is given to you, too. You can find comfort in receiving the gifts. Now you don’t have to imagine the resurrection to finally be near God. You can find Him brought near to you. The kingdom of heaven is at hand where the Holy Spirit works repentance by God’s Word, that by believing it, you would find comfort in praying to Your Father in heaven, and have life in His only Son. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Your kingdom come. Guard Your domain And Your eternal righteous reign. The Holy Ghost enrich our day With gifts attendant on our way. Break Satan’s pow’r, defeat his rage; Preserve Your Church from age to age. (“Our Father, Who from Heaven Above” LSB 766, st.3)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch