Heaven on Earth

Some ruminations I jotted down on the Kingdom of Heaven. Enjoy!

Heaven on Earth?!

"This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.’”

Matthew 6:9-10

Would Jesus want us to pray for something that is impossible? Is it even within the realm of possibility that God’s kingdom and God’s will would be displayed on earth as it is in heaven? Hasn’t God given up hope on earth? When I look around here on earth, there is no doubt in my mind that for the time being, God has allowed earth and it’s residents to not always perfectly reflect his kingdom and his will. If you think everyone goes around seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, you would be delusional. Of course the Bible assures us that life in God’s kingdom is the best way to live but the combination of pride and free will keeps God’s kingdom from being perfectly displayed on this Terrestrial Ball. But does it have to be this way and will it change any time soon?

It could be said that a kingdom is a region in which what the king says goes. Therefore, the boundaries of a kingdom would be defined by the obedience of the subjects. If you obey the decrees of the King or represent him and his characteristics, you are probably doing so because you are within his kingdom. You look to the King as your leader, protector and provider. Heaven, no doubt, is a place where everyone knows who is in charge. But how far does God’s kingdom stretch, and is planet earth within the boundaries of the kingdom of God?

The kingdom language of not only the Lord’s Prayer, but of all of scripture gives us a mixed answer. We find in the scriptures tension between the kingdom of God being “already” but “not yet.” John the Baptist main sermon was “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near” and Jesus himself repeated this phrase often, as Matthew 4:17 tells us. The word in Greek which is translated to “near” in English is translated elsewhere in the Bible as “approaching” or “came close”. One gets the sense that this term implies the moment when the two things that are coming near meet, but it just hasn’t happened yet. This “coming near” would suggest there will be a time when, as Rob Bell puts it, “Heaven crashes into earth.” But if Jesus is teaching us to pray that God’s kingdom would come, is it safe to assume that it isn’t as “near” as it could or should be?

What in your life is outside the reign of the kingdom of God?

What in your church is outside the reign of the kingdom of God?

What in your community is outside the reign of the kingdom of God?

What in your school/work is outside the reign of the kingdom of God?

I believe that living as a Christ follower is less about trying to hang on through this life until we make it to our final destination in the sky and more about living in such a way that God’s kingdom becomes more and more evident here on earth. I believe that when Jesus tells us to pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, that he actually expects that to be a reality, that earth could actually be a place in which what God says goes.

God hasn’t given up on earth. He wants earth to be a part of his kingdom. He wants his will to be done here; he wants his people to live in obedience to him here perfectly, just like it is in heaven. There is a day that is approaching, that is in fact very near, in which God’s kingdom will be a perfect reality on earth. Until then let’s not only pray that it would come, let’s live a life that brings it closer still.