マタイによる福音書6:9-13 Matthew 6:9-13,

This August I preach about the Lord’s Prayer, which we pray in worship service. The Lord’s Prayer includes the prayer “Our Father, who art in heaven,” followed by “hallowed be thy name.” In the Gospel of Matthew, which we read today, it is “hallowed be your name.” What does “your name” mean? “Your name” is the name of God. What is God’s name then? In Old Testament times, God revealed his name through Moses. It was the name “Lord.” In New Testament times, the “Lord” God gave his only Son Jesus to the world. Jesus died on the cross and resurrected so that those who believe in him may receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. In this way, the people of the whole world can now believe in the “Lord” God. And they can now call the “Lord” God “God the Father of Jesus.” So for those who believe in Jesus, God’s name can also be said to be “God the Father of Jesus.” How good it would be if people all over the world believed in Jesus and began to honour the name “God the Father of Jesus.” And it would be wonderful if people all over the world could live in humility and peace under “God the Father of Jesus.”

The next prayer in the Lord’s Prayer is: “thy kingdom come.” In the Gospel of Matthew, which we read today, the prayer is: “your kingdom come.” What is “your kingdom”? “Your kingdom” is the kingdom of God. It is the kingdom in which God rules as king. After Jesus died on the cross, he was resurrected and ascended into heaven. He became the king who rules the whole world and the whole universe with God the Father. Therefore, “your kingdom” refers to the kingdom ruled by God and Jesus. The church is the manifestation of God’s kingdom in heaven on earth. The reason is that in the church, God’s word is taught and people are trained to live according to the word. Therefore, the prayer “your kingdom come” means that the cross and resurrection of Jesus will be proclaimed and that the church, which is the manifestation of God’s kingdom, will grow, increase and spread. But that is not all. It is also a very large scale prayer that the time will come when everything in heaven and earth will be subject to God’s rule. We have many hardships in our daily lives. But when we pray the prayer “your kingdom come,” we can have hope that one day God will complete our lives and the history of the world and the universe!

Then, the Lord’s Prayer is followed by the prayer: “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In Matthew’s Gospel, it says, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What does “your will” mean? It is what God has in mind. What does God have in mind? In Old Testament times, God saved the people who were suffering as slaves in the land of Egypt. Then, in New Testament times, God enabled those who were suffering under the power of sin and death to be saved by believing in Jesus and receiving forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Thus, God’s will is that those who are suffering should believe in Jesus and be saved. There are many suffering people on the earth. Let us pray for the suffering people on earth. And we should pray, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” and live our lives following Jesus to do God’s will.