These sermons will fall into a definite pattern, and even look formulaic. Blame that on my overarching theme of using the Lord's Prayer in many ways.
ER Wednesday of Lent 2 Thy Kingdom Come Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen! In tonight’s Gospel, Jesus describes His kingdom as something He extends and stretches over us, as “a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” Praise be to God! Without this action of Jesus—this stretching and extending His kingdom over us—we would never enter His kingdom to dwell under the safety of His wings. Dear Christian friends, There are seven petitions—that is, seven parts or seven requests—in the Lord’s Prayer. The word “petition” might not say enough. God has given you much more than a “request” to pray in each petition of His lovely Prayer! In addition to a request, each petition of the Lord’s Prayer will also serve you powerfully as • a confession of your sin and failure; • a classroom, in which we hear the Good News concerning our Lord and Christ’s great, all-encompassing love for us; • an expression of thanks and praise to God for all His goodness and benefits; In tonight’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a very sweet and simple way of thinking about HOW and WHY God’s kingdom comes to us. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” says Jesus, “How often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” HOW does God’s kingdom come? God’s kingdom comes when Jesus gathers us in—“as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” WHY does God’s kingdom come? God’s kingdom comes to us because Jesus desires for us to be His own and to live under Him in His Kingdom. “How I would have gathered your children,” sighs the Lord. “How I have longed to gather your children,” yearns your Lord (NIV). • “How I would have gathered your children, but you would not.” Jesus wants us to be His subjects, His followers, His servants. “[His] yoke is easy and [His burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Yet the old sinful flesh in each of us remains as wild as an unbroken horse and as fierce as a blazing fire. When Jesus says in tonight’s Gospel, “You would not,” He is speaking first and foremost about Jerusalem, that city whose history was bathed in the blood of the prophets; “the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it.” But perhaps we should apply the words “you would not” also to ourselves, especially to the old sinful flesh that remains alive and well within us. God’s kingdom comes, even without our prayer, but the sinful flesh in each of us would rather be its own king, subject to no one. That is why the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer may be used as a confession of sin: Lord Jess, I need You to gather me into Your kingdom, even against my will, because otherwise I “would not.” Conquer and destroy every kingdom that I continually establish for myself, O Lord, so that Your kingdom may come and may remain. • “How I would have gathered your children, but you would not.” How desperately we need Jesus to impose His kingdom upon us, precisely because we would not. Patiently, even maternally, Jesus fulfills the word of the prophet for us: “He will cover you with His pinions and under His wings you will find refuge” (Psalm 91:4). With outstretched arms, nailed to a cross, Jesus gathers and draws us in. Jesus hides us “in the shadow of His wings” (Psalm 17:8) to protect us from every evil attack—just as a hen covers her chicks with her own body to shield her brood from the diving hawk. If the deadly talons must pierce a back, let it be hers. The hen will gladly die so that the brood may live. That is why the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer used as a classroom, in which we hear the Good News concerning our Lord and Christ’s great, all-encompassing love for us: Jesus draw us into His kingdom as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” Here we dwell secure! • When we learn mercy of Christ toward us, how can we not feel deep thanks and hearty praise for all His benefits? That is why the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer may be used as an expression of thanks and praise to God: Thank You, Lord, that Your kingdom has come to me, despite the fact that I “would not”! Thank You that Your kingdom comes, since I am totally unable to come to Your kingdom and I even run in the opposite direction of it. Thank You that You give me rest and protection “in the shadow of Your wings” (Psalm 17:8). • And the word “petition” still means “prayer” or “request.” Jesus included the petition “Thy Kingdom come” in His Lord’s Prayer because Jesus wants us to say these Words to God our Father! He wants us to ask God for His kingdom, not as if we do not yet have it, but in order to remain ever mindful of the fact that it is now ours forever. “Thy Kingdom come,” dear Father in heaven! Continually remind me of my citizenship in Your Son’s kingdom. Give me Your Holy Spirit, so that I may live in a manner that reflects the goodness of my Lord and King. By Your powerful, life-giving, ever-cleansing, perpetually-restoring Word, keep Your kingdom forever close to me. Amen. _______________________________________________ Sermons mailing list [email protected] http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
