When we come to think and pray about God's Kingdom Coming, we need to be careful that our dreams of such a kingdom are not simply our own whims and desires. Jesus' own disciples were challenged about this. After Jesus' death and resurrection they were expecting that Jesus would lead a revolution against their Romans overlords and usher in a final kingdom. "Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel," they asked (Acts 1:6). Jesus simply replied, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority." Their expectations of the kingdom were misled.
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, Jesus Himself set aside His own wants and desires in favour of God's kingdom in accordance with God's will. The scene is set at Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:5-8).
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, Jesus Himself set aside His own wants and desires in favour of God's kingdom in accordance with God's will. The scene is set at Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:5-8).
"Christ's time of passion begins not with Holy Week but with the first day of his preaching. His renunciation of the empire as a kingdom of this world takes place not at Golgotha but at the very beginning. And our story is supposed to give expression to this idea. Jesus could have been Lord of this world. As the Messiah the Jews had dreams of, He could have freed Israel and led it to fame and honour. He is a remarkable man, who is offered dominion over the world even before the beginning of His ministry. And it is even more remarkable that He turns down this offer....
"He knows that for this dominion He would have to pay a price that is too high for Him. It would come at the cost of obedience to God's will.... He remains the free Son of God and recognizes the devil, who wants to enslave Him. 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him' (Luke 4:8). Jesus knows what that means. It means lowliness, abuse, persecution. It means remaining misunderstood. It means hate, death, the cross. And He chooses this way from the beginning. It is the way of obedience and the way of freedom, for it is the way of God...."
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
- Where can you foster a better understanding of God's Kingdom?
- Read Luke 4:5-8. What led Jesus to reject the Devil's offer?
- What is the difference between praying for your own kingdom vs God's Kingdom?
- How does a robust understanding of God's Kingdom help you to pray 'Your Kingdom Come'?
This quote from Bonhoeffer is copied from "God is on the Cross: Reflections on Lent and Easter" - you can find it here.
For more regarding Dietrich Bonhoeffer see this previous post. Even better, get a hold of this phenomenal biography.
For more regarding Dietrich Bonhoeffer see this previous post. Even better, get a hold of this phenomenal biography.