Benny Nalkara, CMI

The third petition in the Lord’s Prayer – “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ (Mt 6:10) – is often viewed as the continuation of the second petition, “Thy Kingdom Come.” It, this final “you” petition, appeals to God to bring it about the divine will be accomplished on earth in the way it is in heaven. Realizing God’s will on earth is understood as a basic criterion for bringing in God’s Kingdom on earth.

The liturgical statement of the Matthean Church, became very important theme to Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus prays it at Gethsemane (Mt 26:42). The accomplishment of God’s will on earth obviously means the overturning of the present evil order and thus a regeneration of the earth as we know it. It is to be noted that the petition, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is not there in the Lukan version of the prayer. This petition carries more massive implications for our conduct here and now in this life on earth. Scholars call it a bridge petition leading to the “we” petitions.

The Kingdom of God is a society, upon earth where God’s Will is as perfectly done as it is in heaven. Anyone who at any time in history perfectly did God’s will is within the Kingdom; To be in the Kingdom is to obey the will of God. We see that the Kingdom is not something which primarily has to do with nations and peoples and countries. It is something which has to do with each one of us. The Kingdom is in fact the most personal thing in the world. The Kingdom demands the submission of my will, my heart, my life. It is only when each one of us makes his personal decision and submission that the Kingdom comes.

Several New Testament passages emphasize the perspective of Jesus on the theme of God’s Will. The Book of Hebrews states: “Jesus said on entering into this world: ‘Lo, I have come to do Your Will, O God’” (Heb 10:7). In St. John’s Gospel, we hear Jesus speaking about His Father: “I always do what is pleasing to Him” (Jn 8:29). In the prayer of His agony during His crucifixion, Jesus consents totally to His Father’s Will: “…not my Will, but Yours be done” (Jn 8:29). Jesus teaches us that one enters the Kingdom of Heaven not by speaking words, but by doing ‘the Will of my Father in Heaven.’ Origen remarks on the best way to submit ourselves to the Will of God and to pray for the realization of it: “In committing ourselves to [Christ], we can become one spirit with Him, and thereby accomplish His Will, in such wise that it will be perfect on earth as it is in Heaven.” We have the beautiful example of the response of Blessed Mother at the time of annunciation: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), which clearly expresses the human readiness for the realization of the Will of God.

The Greek word for “will,” is thelema, the will is the deciding, executing and committing dimension of humans. The mind is the understanding, reflecting and reasoning exercise of a human person. Convictions developed by the mind are brought to the level of action, if only the will accepts them as convictions to be executed. So in this petition we are praying for shaping our mind in accordance with the will of God. It’s a call to surrender our lives to God’s loving will and plan for us. It expresses a desire that nothing except the will of God determine and rule all our actions and our entire life. Thus this prayer becomes the prayer within “the Lord’s prayer.”

To win over one’s own will and to submit to God’s will is one of the most difficult tasks in the way of discipleship. As we pray the words, “Thy Will be done,” we are asking insistently for this loving plan of God to be fully realized on earth as it is already in Heaven. We are asking that the values of our world be overturned and God’s ways be followed. Jesus wanted us to pray with the desire that the will of God would be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven, there is no obstacle to God’s will, but on earth there is apparent obstacles and disobedience to God’s will. So Jesus wants us to pray for the coming of such a heavenly state on earth.

The most important thing in the world is to obey the will of God; the most important words in the world are “Thy will be done.” One can say, “Thy will be done,” in a tone of defeated resignation. It can be said in a bitter resentment. It can be also said with perfect love and trust. The way a Christian pray, “thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” should be this.