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The Kingdom
Sermon by Rev. Wilfred Gould Rice
for Sunday, February 7, 1982
When we say the words "Thy Kingdom Come" in prayer, do we really know what
they mean? Our Doctrines give this answer (Apocalypse Revealed ¶ 956): "He
who knows anything about the advent of the Lord, and the new Heaven, and
the new Church, and thus of the Lord's Kingdom, should pray that it may
come." It is also stated (Arcana Coelestia ¶ 6619): "There are more things
contained in the Lord's Prayer than the universal Heaven is capable of
comprehending."
The most eloquent prayer composed by a human being means nothing if it does
not come from a heart that loves God and trusts in him. It was in this
connection that John Bunyan wrotee, "In prayer it is better to have a
heart without words than words without a heart." We are taught that
praying is talking with God (Arcana Coelestia ¶ 2535), which should warn us
against what Jesus called vain repetitions. If we desire something
earnestly enough to pray for it, we should be willing to work for it; not
in the sense of earning a reward, but rather to open influx from the Lord.
Prayer without some constructive effort is like trying to row a boat with
one oar - - we simply travel in circles without getting anywhere.
To pray and work effectively for the coming of the kingdom we must know
what it is for there are many incorrect ideas. Some think of it as a
distant land to which they hope to go after death, a place of many mansions
devoted to pleasure and joys unending. But Jesus always spoke of the
kingdom as something to come on earth: in his own words "Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth - - - ."
The scriptural idea of a kingdom is a company of good people ruled by a
benevolent king. The kingdom of God may also be thought of as a condition
in which the Lord's spirit of gentleness and love and righteousness is
always present, and where there is no sin or sorrow or pain. We should
have such thoughts in mind before praying for the kingdom.
One thing that the kingdom transcends, though it does not exclude, is the
temporal; that is the food and drink, pleasure and comfort in the natural
sense. When the kingdom has actually dawned in a man or woman, there will
be no selfishness; everyone will be content with what he has, for it will be all he needs. It
reminds us of the divine promise, "The meek shall inherit the earth."
During the Roman persecution of the early Christians, a truly remarkable
thing took place. A man who had been a philosopher in Athens was kidnapped
and sold to a Roman Senator. One day the slave was arrested on suspicion
that he was a Christian, and ordered to make a sacrifice to prove his
loyalty to the emperor. He said "Every monarch is subject to a mightier
one except mine, for I serve the eternal God." He was locked up pending
further orders, but when the empreor was informed, he said "Rome needs more
men with courage. Spare him."
The Psalmist said "I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen
the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread." We are commanded to
seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and needful things
shall be added. The kingdom is not primarily the things of this world, but
to those who seek his kingdom first the needful things in this world will
be provided.
Please note that we are to pray for the divine kingdom to come where we
are, not that we may go to it. We may have thought of it as a distant place
reached at last by much toil and long travel, but since it has been defined
as "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" we know that it
cannot be a geographical place; it must be within our hearts.
It comes gradually, never all at once. The bible says "It cometh not with
observation" but like the sown seed "Springeth up and groweth ye know not
how." Jesus told Nicodemus that it came like the wind that "Bloweth where
it listeth." It is something we cannot see as it approaches any more than
we can see the open doors of the soul through which the spirit of the Lord
is passing.
We might sit all day watching a flower and see no growth, but if we return
later, it will be larger and more beautiful. The kingdom comes to life not
as a burst of glory, but as growth comes to a plant, as knowledge comes to
the mind, as joy comes to the heart. Our Lord tells us it is like the
light faintly breaking in the east and increasing to the full noontide.
The kingdom is essentially within us, yet it manifests itself without. A
heaven within will be a corresponding heaven without. We cannot see the
life as it enters a flower, but we can see the flower's beautiful form and
bright blossoms, and enjoy its fragrance. "By their fruits ye shall know
them;" that is, not by their professing but by their spirit and their
actions.
The light within us is from the life within us as a star illuminates the
sky by the fire that glows at its center. It must be easy for the star to
shine; it cannot help but shine for its body is filled with radiance. It
is also easy for the flower to be beautiful for its beauty is just its real
self coming to the surface. And so it is easy for the heart to be warm
with love, for it has only to perform its God-given function.
Though the kingdom is unseen, it is felt. We feel it as we do the unseen
wind on our face; we feel its pull as that of unseen gravitation. Whoever
saw the wind that sometimes uproots great trees and carries away houses and
barns? Who ever saw the force that keeps suns and stars in their proper
orbits? Yet who does not believe profoundly and practically in these
things, and without questioning?
We cannot see God nor heaven, nor goodness nor love, yet we all believe in
them because we can feel them. And so the Kingdom of God, unseen by the
eyes, is felt by the spirit. When we feel the power of goodness, we are
moved by the spirit. When we feel an aspiration to good and noble deeds,
it is the kingdom coming to us and inviting us to the better life. It
recalls the words, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and
he with me."
Father in heaven, may we feel thy presence in our hearts now and evermore.
May we feel thy influence drawing us toward the heavenly life. Dwelling as
we do among things visible to the natural eyes and touched by the hands,
may we not fail to to see and touch with our spirits those unseeen things
which are vital. May thy love move us to thoughts of generosity and deeds
of kindness. May thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven.
Amen.
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