Abstract:
A number of New Testament Scholars contend that Matthew’s emphasis for God’s Kingdom
in the Lord’s Prayer either implores God to establish His empire on earth, or stands as a
catalyst for character formation, or even presents a more interactive perspective of God. In
spite of observing Matthew’s focus on God’s work on earth, these scholars fail to see the
connection between Matthew’s concept of righteousness, his ideology and the phrase “your
Kingdom come” (Matt 6:10, RSV). The aim of this article is to argue that Matthew rhetorically
employs his concept of “your Kingdom come” to elaborate the ideological significance of
righteousness in advancing identity politics.