June 6th 2007

Petition for Justice

Read Matthew 6:5-14 and Luke 11:1-4

"Your kingdom come..." vs. 10

In a world full of poverty and war, of deceit and manipulation, of self-indulgence and brutal prejudice, how are we to pray? When lives are racked by the destuctive forces of unforgiveness and greed, how are we to pray? When our children aren't safe any longer to play in their own front yards, safe to go to school, safe within their own homes, how are we to pray? When the nations of this world consume the lives of its young and brave, sacrifice them upon the altars of imperialism, financial prosperity, and patriotic egotism, how are we to pray?

Luke tells the story of Jesus' prayer in a little different way than Matthew recounts it. In Luke, Jesus' followers had approached him and asked, "Lord teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples to pray." (vs.11:1) Their question is much like ours. "How are we to pray." For many of us that question is reduced to methods and techniques. Unfortunatley, that question should be provoked by a deep desire to understand, "Where do I begin?"

After naming God (we have dealt with this in the last two devotionals), Jesus moves to the first petition. "Your kingdom come." I wonder if we understand the profundity of that petition. Oppressed and manipulated by the Roman government, there was a strong desire amongst the Jewish people for a regime change. In fact, this deep desire stood at the center of their messianic hopes. When would God come and relieve them of their oppression? When would God topple the proud and exalt the humble? When would God be faithful to the promises he had made to his chosen people? When would the justice of God be triumphant? And this is what Jesus says..."Pray like this, Your Kingdom come!"

Praying for God's kingdom is pronouncing the desire that God's justice would unfold within the lives of His creation. To pray this prayer is to stand in the face of the principalities and powers of this world and declare them as merely a perverted shadow of what is to come. These principalities and powers establish themselves as kingdoms to be honored, empires to be reveered, and nations requiring unbridled allegiance. They maintain themselves through the manipulation of their citizens. They extend themselves through the brutality of self-interest. They glorify themselves by making idolatrous claims about their capacity for freedom and peace. They cast aside the lowly and thrive because of the wealthy. They abuse the weak and exalt the strong.

Jesus says, "Pray like this...Your Kingdom come!" Father, come with your justice. Father, ensure that workers are paid fairly. Place food on the plates of the hungry. Enable our leaders to speak truthfully. Give us eyes to look upon those in need. Father, may we no longer judge by the color of skin nor of gender. Lord, cause us to lay down our weapons and sit at your table and speak of true peace. God almighty, help us to cast aside the desire to consume more and more taking from those who have little. Give us the strength to reject allegiance to powers that set themselves up against you. Lord, help us to pick up and dust off those the world has cast aside. Father, grant us the power to forgive, to release resentment and bitterness. Father, grant to us your Kingdom!