Matthew 6:10

“May Your Kingly Rule come.”

Unless we are to see these three prayers that make up the first part of the Lord's Prayer as totally independent of each other, and as having different time references, this must be seen as including the prayer that the Kingly Rule of Heaven might begin to come on earth within the experience of the disciples who were then listening to His words, for it follows the desire to hallow His Name as described above, and it precedes the request for the doing of God's will on earth (and the prayer in Luke 11:1 omitted the latter because it was seen as having already been said in the previous two requests). Furthermore, as a primary emphasis in respect of the Kingly Rule of Heaven in Matthew (and the total emphasis in respect of the Kingly Rule of God) is on its being experienced and spreading in the present this is what we would expect (see for this The Coming of the King and His Kingly Rule in the introduction). This is thus not just a pious hope that God's everlasting Kingly Rule will come about in the eternal kingdom, or even a yearning for that situation to come about, looking at things at a distance, in a kind of passive way, as the Scribes and Pharisees did. This is a recognition that the Kingly Rule of God has already begun to exert its power on men and women as revealed in chapter 13, and a prayer that that will be effective, and will continue to come, in order that then it might lead on to the establishment of the everlasting Kingly Rule of God, when all will own His sway (Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10). Both ideas are intrinsic within it. Note especially how the establishment of His Kingly Rule in this way is connected both with the offer of salvation (Isaiah 45:22) and His word going forth in righteousness (Isaiah 45:23).

Thus it is a cry for His Kingly Rule, which is already established in Heaven (Psalms 103:19), to break through on earth (Psalms 22:28; LXX Matthew 21:29 tou Kuriou he basileia), so that some on earth may become a part of Heaven (Isaiah 57:15; Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 2:6). For ‘His Kingly Rule reigns over all' (Psalms 103:19, LXX Psalms 102:19 he basileia autou). Indeed the suffering of God's king is to lead on to the kingship becoming the Lord's (Psalms 22:12 with Psalms 22:28; Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12). It is a call for His people to hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6) as they await and participate in the establishment of the Kingly Rule of the righteous Branch, the Messiah Who will make real to them ‘the Lord their righteousness' (Jeremiah 23:5, He will ‘reign as king' - LXX basileuo basileus). It is a cry for His deliverance and righteousness to be revealed with power in such a way as to effectively work on earth in the saving of men and women in the forming of the new Israel, as a fulfilment of the Isaianic promises. God had promised, ‘I will bring near My righteousness --- and My salvation will not delay, and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory' (Isaiah 46:13; see also Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 51:8; Isaiah 56:1), which would result in the establishment of His righteous King (Isaiah 11:1), and that is what is being sought here. It is a prayer that God's Kingly Rule may spread effectively and powerfully and possess the lives of men and women on earth today, in the way that is described in chapter 13 and elsewhere, so that God's glory may be seen on earth, although certainly then leading on to its final fulfilment following the judgment, as indeed it also does in chapter 13.

For before there can possibly be an everlasting Kingship there must first be a conquest on earth in the name of the Messiah (Matthew 28:19) which will then subsequently result in His final everlasting Kingly Rule being established, with that in itself handed over to the fullness of the Godhead at the consummation (1 Corinthians 15:24). It is thus a prayer for the establishment of the Messianic reign by the power of God as they go forward to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), that He and they might reign on the earth under God's Kingly Rule (Matthew 19:28; Matthew 28:18; Romans 5:17; Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 1:9; Revelation 5:10) in preparation for their being carried up into Heaven (Matthew 13:30; Matthew 13:43; Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) as already under His Kingly Rule (Colossians 1:13), and that they may be citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3:20), a situation which is potentially theirs (Ephesians 2:6). It is a prayer that God will fulfil His purposes on earth and bring glory to His Name and to the Name of Jesus, as the world is brought under His sway, something which will then finally result in His perfect everlasting Rule in Heaven. Thus it is the Kingly Rule of God for which the prophets longed and waited (Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 33:22; Isaiah 52:7) which would come about through His Chosen One (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 32:1; Isaiah 42:1; Ezekiel 37:24; Daniel 7:14), which would be gradually established on earth in the new Israel (Matthew 13:1), as a result of the activities of His disciples (Matthew 28:19), and consummated in Heaven in the new Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22).

Matthew 6:10 b

“May Your will be done.”

This petition is then a continuation of the same prayer as the previous one, but seen from the point of view, not only of God's activity (‘bring about the doing of Your will'), but of men's response (‘let them do your will'), and put in more basic terms. It has very much in mind how Jesus will close the Sermon, emphasising the doing of the will of God (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 7:24). ‘Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord' will enter under the Kingly Rule of God, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven' (Matthew 7:21). It is thus a prayer that God will work in men's hearts and minds and wills in such a way that they will ‘will and do of His good pleasure' (Philippians 2:13), and that that may be accomplished in order that God's will might be done on earth and be seen to be done. It is a prayer that what Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5:3; Matthew 7:13 might become a reality for His disciples.

But we must here solemnly keep in mind also Matthew 26:42 where we have similar words, ‘Your will be done'. For there we have the reminder that His will also comes about through suffering, and especially through the suffering of His Son. Thus by this prayer, quite unknowingly, they will be praying for the successful carrying through of His crucifixion in the will of God, and of their own persecution as they filled up what was ‘lacking' in the sufferings of Christ (the sufferings of His body as His witnesses). As can be seen it is no light thing to pray for the doing of His will. This may therefore be seen as very much leading up to the prayer not to be brought into the trials that the world will have to face but to be delivered from evil and the Evil One. For while triumphant, it carries within it the idea of the persecution and martyrdoms that lay ahead.

It is interesting that this last petition is not found in the initial giving of the Lord's Prayer in Luke 11:1. It is surely therefore to be seen as a clarifying and expanding on the previous two requests so as to make their meaning unmistakable, and attach them firmly to the present time, precisely because Jesus did not want men just to project them into a distant future. In reviewing the prayer He had Himself seen the danger that this might occur.

(If this were not so we would be suggesting that in His Lucan prayer Jesus had not been much concerned about the current doing of His will on earth but had only been interested in the more distant future, something which does not in fact tie in with the second part of the prayer which very much has in mind the present. Thus the second part of the prayer would then lack anything to tie itself to in the first part of the prayer).

Matthew 6:10 c

“As in heaven, so (kai) on earth.”

And as we pray this we are to do so remembering the perfect pattern of obedience. For Heaven is the place where all race to do His bidding, where there is no thought of disobedience to His will, where there is not a whiff of dissent. Once men are there they do not question His will, for they are in a place where God's will is all. So in Heaven they do not obey Him because they are in subservience and dare not disobey, but because they recognise that what He requires is wholly right (Revelation 5:13). They therefore delight to do His will.

This reminds us how much easier our lives would be if only we would take time to live in the light of Heaven. And that is in fact what Scripture constantly exhorts us to do, for we are to recognise that we have been seated at His right hand in the heavenly place, and that we have been made citizens of Heaven, and are therefore to set our minds on things above where Christ is enthroned at the right hand of God (Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:1), recognising at the same time that all things are open to the eyes of Whom we have to do, whether in earth or in Heaven (Hebrews 4:13; compare 1 John 1:7). Compare again the promises attaching to Matthew 5:3, and see Matthew 6:20. But instead we allow the distractions of this world to take our eyes off our heavenly heritage, and, before we know where we are, we find ourselves once more engaged in disobedience, and ‘the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things, choke the word and it becomes unfruitful'. This can even happen to some extent in a Christian when he takes his eyes off things above. Here therefore Jesus seeks to turn our thoughts in prayer back to our spiritual home. We are to make Heaven our pattern and our home. We are to be homesick for Heaven, and in the light of it ever active on earth.

Note the use of ‘kai'. Kai is a loose and indefinite conjunction, which makes a connection but without emphasising how. Often it is almost redundant. Among other possibilities it can thus be translated as ‘and' or ‘so' or ‘even' (‘that is to say'). A good rule that has been suggested is that its significance should always be understated so as to add as little as possible to the meaning of a sentence. Here that would support the translation ‘so'. ‘On earth as in Heaven' conveys the right meaning.

But, as we have seen above, the pattern of the prayer suggests that this additional phrase should be seen as applying to all three of the previous petitions, for in Heaven His name is hallowed, in Heaven His rule is unquestioned, and in Heaven His will is done with alacrity and delight. Indeed a major emphasis in the Old Testament is that the Lord already reigns in Heaven. He is the King Who sits above the flood (Psalms 29:10) as King over all the earth (Psalms 47:2). He is high and lifted up and seated on a throne surveying the situation on earth (Isaiah 6:1; Psalms 53:2). It is there in Heaven that His Kingly Rule (LXX he basileai autou) is established (Psalms 103:19). And this Kingly Rule is the Lord's so that He might rule over the nations (Psalms 22:28). Thus it is right and Scriptural that His disciples should pray, ‘Your Kingly Rule come, as in Heaven so on earth'.

The significance of ‘Heaven' here must clearly be that it represents the ‘place' where God dwells with His heavenly hosts, for that is where He is hallowed, where He reigns, and where His will is done without question.

A Change in Focus.

Up to this point the whole prayer has centred on God and His will. The emphasis has been on ‘Your -- Your -- Your'. And rightly so for this should ever be the focal point of discipleship. But now there is a sudden change, for from this point on the focus is on ‘us -- us -- us', not in any sense of thinking mainly of ourselves, but having in mind our dependence on Him and our need for His constant help if we are to have the ability to fulfil His commands and do His will. In the light of what we have prayed for in the exalting of His Name, and the establishing of His Rule, and the doing of His will, we are now to seek the means by which we may ourselves have our part in it. This in itself confirms that the first part of the prayer very much refers to the position as it is found on earth. It is that which they need help in facing.

We have suggested in the chiasmus above a parallelism in inverted form between the prayers concerning the performing of His will, and these spiritual requests that now follow, and that still holds, but as regularly in this Sermon they may also be seen from another angle. For the giving of their ‘tomorrow's bread' (see below) ties in well with His hallowing of His Name by sending His Holy Spirit to feed their hearts (Ezekiel 36:23), the coming of His Kingly Rule very much involves the forgiveness of those who come under that Kingly Rule, (they could not be under His Kingly Rule without its continual provision), and the doing of His will, (and even more so in so far as it leads to suffering), necessarily requires deliverance from trials and from evil and the Evil One.

There are two ways of looking at this part of the prayer depending partly on the significance we place on the first petition. The first is to see the petitions as involving the recognition of:

A continual requirement for physical provisioning, ‘give us today our bread for today' (or ‘sufficient for today').

A continual requirement for spiritual restoration, ‘forgive us what we owe to you for failing to do your will'.

A continuing need of both physical and spiritual protection, ‘lead us not into testing, but deliver us from evil and the Evil One'.

But note that on this interpretation there is lacking here any idea of a request for positive spiritual good and sustenance. In a sense they would seem to be praying, ‘Lord, somehow keep us going', rather than, ‘Lord make us strong to do your will'.

Alternatively we may see all three as referring to Messianic provision; a continual requirement for spiritual sustenance, for spiritual bread (‘Tomorrow's bread'), that is, to partake of Christ and His words (Matthew 4:4) as the bread of life (John 6:35), followed by a continual requirement for spiritual forgiveness, and spiritual protection. But either way we should note that unlike the previous three petitions these three are connected by the word ‘and'. It is a reminder that all three are necessary together. It is not a question of one or the other.

Having this in mind let us therefore consider them in more detail,.