Matthew 6:10 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 6:10

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God’s kingdom encompasses the whole of creation. All creation lies before him as an open book, a sea of glass, so that nothing is hidden from his sight. How can the God that has created all things hand over any part of his created realm to the tyranny of his enemies and allow them to steal from him what he rightly owns? It is impossible that the Almighty should lack the power to subdue an uprising in any corner of his dominion. But for reasons determined by his infinite wisdom, God has for a time allowed the world to rebel and has not immediately crushed that rebellion. This allows him to demonstrate his opposition to evil and his skill in dealing with it, and it allows the whole plan of redemption to be put into effect. But this situation cannot be allowed to persist for ever. God has a plan to regain this renegade territory and that plan has already been put into effect. Already the leaven of the gospel has been mixed with the world and it is having its effect, seizing back a soul here and a soul there from the cruel hands of this world’s dictator and establishing new borders as Christ’s kingdom spreads across the world. That kingdom is in a state of becoming, and those who have become a part of it, who are on the Lord’s side, desire earnestly to see its complete victory. This will not result in the entire world being won for Christ – for he says, ‘When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’ – but it will result in every one of those who was chosen before the foundation of the world being gathered in, and it will see the gospel penetrating the hardest resistance and reaching to the most remote part of the globe. For the progress of this kingdom God’s people are continuously and passionately to pray. The interests of the kingdom of heaven and its advance are set above their own personal interests so that this request comes early in this prayer. They pray, and they pour in their own personal efforts, witnessing to family and neighbours whenever possible, as well as joining with church organized evangelism if they are so called. ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven’ – what is difference between these two petitions? Both are about the rule of God, but the first is eschatological, looking to the visible reign of Christ. ‘Thy will be done is’ – is the prayerful means by which it is brought about. Right now, that kingdom does not yet exist in its outward form but only in the hearts of believers. It exists in those who have bowed the knee to Christ at conversion: the kingdom of heaven is within them. When Christ returns he will subdue all things to himself and a loud voice in heaven will say ‘Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ’ (Revelation 12:10). In heaven there is no tongue that does not confess his lordship, no thought that does not appreciate and admire him. Nothing in heaven will question his wisdom and justice; its citizens will gladly and willingly submit to his rule and carry out his will, fully convinced that he is good. They will have experienced the horrors of rebellion, and will voluntarily follow the Lord with hearts full of love for him. Having seen how he has given himself to save them from their sins, all suspicion is removed from their minds; they know they can trust him entirely and forever. If he could be trusted to act in their best interests when they were sinners and he owed them nothing and had every reason to destroy them; if under these circumstances, when he was under no obligation to them, he gave his life for their redemption, how much more can he be trusted to go on working for their best interest when they are saved in heaven. Though we cannot monitor and check all he does, yet his sacrifice for us has removed all grounds for suspicion. Therefore we obey him willingly and without hesitation. His will is done perfectly in heaven; may there come a time when it is done perfectly on earth also. Christ is King and his will shall one day be finally seen – at the resurrection and reconstitution of the world, when all rebellion is crushed and all that is holy is brought into being, when a rejuvenated earth is made heavenly, and heaven comes down to earth.

Application

God’s people pray for the preaching of the gospel and they rejoice to see God raise up preachers who fearlessly declare his truth to a lost world. They are glad when Sunday Schools are opened and the next generation is taught the only message that enables life to be navigated safely. They do not pray that the world should somehow learn ‘Christian’ behaviour, but that individuals would be called out of the world and enter one by one into the kingdom. They pray also for the return of Christ and that the kingdom should be fully established on earth. They look forward to the day when mockers and cynics will be silenced and every argument that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God shall be pulled down, and every knee bow before the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a prayer of identification with God’s cause. May this come about and may God prevail over all his enemies. We do not put ourselves first, but he brings us to the point where this is all important to us. We long for it, appreciate it, and link our eternal happiness to it. We see his kingdom now and conquering of the human hearts. What is the church? – not a perfect representation, but we see some aspects of his rule even now. God will be the unchallenged king. In this world kings are challenged and so too is God, but in the future all insurrection will cease. May time come when God will be all in all. May he have full sway. May he have his heaven just as he likes it. This prayer positions us – we see the unfolding of it; we are not there yet. He is still promising that his dominion will be from sea to sea.

We often experience coldness in prayer. We need to go back to the Lord’s order for prayer. Often prayer becomes preoccupied with our own practical needs. Stop: consider the Lord’s interests, and put yourself last. Work for the advance of the gospel, so that you are not ashamed in the coming day of the Lord. We do all we can to hasten that day. Perhaps more importantly, praying for his kingdom helps you to relish these things. You might say, it is coming anyway. Why pray for it? Our strong desires and our zeal for the Lord are used by God to bring about day, just as prayer makes a real difference, because God has promised to take it into account.

We pray for the will of God to be done by affirming that God’s will must be done: it is invincible; by affirming that God’s will is perfect: we appreciate the way that love can be expressed in harmony with his righteousness; by acknowledging that this is only way that it could be done: there is no other way his attributes could be expressed; by submitting to it: you cannot say ‘thy will be done’ and at the same time bring worldly worship into the church; and by praying for the enlargement of the church: some have questioned whether there is any prayer for the salvation of lost in the New Testament. Here is one: affirmation of the triumph of God over Satan.

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Matthew 6:10 Commentary and Bible Study