by Bruce Hanson
“Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
When we met to discuss our devotionals for this week, Pastor Aaron told us that in regards to the Kingdom in the passage above, more than truly anything else, he wanted to be a part of a kingdom where Jesus reigned supreme, dominating the landscape wherever anyone looked. The words above don’t say your kingdom, or my kingdom. They are about the manifestation of God’s Kingdom here on earth. And in that Kingdom, Jesus Wins!!
Now that will be awesome, but that isn’t actually going to be complete until there is a new heaven and a new earth, Revelation 21. There is a temporary fix though.
When I was a midgie, my neighborhood didn’t yet have a local library. We would go to the strip mall by our house, the Brentwood Shopping Center, and the Bookmobile would bring books to us. It was the highlight of my week. I wore out every single Nancy Drew book.
So back to our story. Gathered all over that hill where Jesus was delivering the Sermon on the Mount was a hodgepodge of needy people. For the most part,
they weren’t the Richie Riches of the world. It was people whose lives had not measured up to their dreams. They were desperate for a new kingdom: one that held promise; one that wasn’t based on possessions they would never have. Jesus offered the one thing they were all desperate for — hope!! Whatever their backgrounds, all needed hope, as do you and I.
Corporately, we won’t see God’s Kingdom here on earth until Revelation 20 becomes our reality. But for the time being, we can take Jesus’ Kingdom to our world, just like the librarian who drove the Bookmobile brought books to me. And I can tell you that those I meet will get more than they need of the Kingdom of Jesus if the kingdom I carry wherever I go looks like this:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
If I carry that to those around me, they will be blessed with a glimpse of the kingdom. And guess what?
Jesus Wins!!!
Where’s My Library Card??
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