Faith and Eternal Life

 John 3:1-17, Second Sunday in Lent, March 5, 2023

In today's sermon text, Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin in Judea. The Sanhedrin was the public representative body of Judea during the time of Roman colonial rule. It was roughly equivalent to today's Congress and Supreme Court combined. Nicodemus came to Jesus. It's not clear whether he came in an individual capacity or on behalf of the council. We're told he came at night, which might have made him feel uncomfortable to come in the daytime. He opens by saying to Jesus in John 3:2, "Rabbi, we know that you are from God.

"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

At this point, Jesus was already on the radar of those in power in Judaism. Just before our text, John 2:13 and following, we read of Jesus causing a ruckus in the temple in Jerusalem. He made whips out of cords, drove out the merchants, overturned the money changers' statues, and sternly rebuked them, saying, "Do not make a house of my Father's house a house of trade." What authority did Jesus have to do this? The Jews demanded that Jesus show them by what authority He was doing this: by showing signs (John 2:18). According to 1 Corinthians 1:22, the Jews were originally a people who valued signs (miracles). John 2:23 says that people saw the signs Jesus performed at the Passover and believed in him.

Signs and conversion

Not only then, but even today, people are interested in such signs. A high school that produces a high number of students admitted to top universities, a venture that grows its revenue 500 times in one year, a movie that reaches 5 million viewers, a church that reaches 1,000 attendees in five years of planting, etc. It's inevitable that individuals and nations alike are most interested in things that have concrete, tangible results. It's true that these targets make our lives exciting. We don't have to deny it, and we can't deny it; it's natural. The reason Nicodemus comes to Jesus and asks for signs is because he wants Jesus to do more powerful signs and miracles. But Jesus gives him an answer that Nicodemus doesn't expect, verse 3.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus was interested in signs, and Jesus said "born again," meaning that the kingdom of God could only be experienced by being born again, by becoming a new person, not through a sign that would get people's attention. It's a completely different view of the kingdom of God, a different view of ultimate happiness, so to speak.

After hearing Jesus' words, Nicodemus asks if being born again means going back into the womb and coming out again. It's a silly question, like a child's. Nicodemus was an intellectual of his day, a Jewish theologian, so it's not like he couldn't understand what Jesus was saying about being born again. It's the same today. Being informed and actually knowing are two completely different things. Even if you're an intellectual, a wealthy person, a leader in the world, and even if you're old enough to know a lot of the "know-how" of the world and to be respected by others, it doesn't mean you actually know life. The fact that you've been in church for a long time is no proof that you know the gospel. Like Nicodemus, who questioned Jesus' statement that you have to be born again to experience the kingdom of God, asking if it meant you had to go back into the womb and come out.

The conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus follows. In a way, it sounds like a cross-examination. Jesus calls being born again a work of the spirit (πνεῦμά): that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. The reason people don't recognize the work of the Spirit is because the Spirit blows "at will," like the wind. To the ancients, the wind was a frightening phenomenon. It could blow strong enough to uproot a tree, and then go quiet, and you couldn't find the source. Where did the wind go, and where did it come from? Why does the wind feel different every time? What is the nature of the wind? Listen to what verse 8 says.

The wind blows arbitrarily, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or where it goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Someone like Nicodemus, who only thought of going into his mother's womb and coming out again, couldn't understand Jesus' statement about being born of the Spirit. A miscommunication ensued, and while the text leaves out the details, the key to this whole story is found in verse 16, which encapsulates the faith of the disciples and early Christians. It's the most famous verse in the Gospel of John.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

This is the "secret of the new birth" that Jesus gave to Nicodemus earlier. Only a born-again person - a spiritual person - can actually know that they have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. That's called being 'born of the Spirit'. Listen to verse 11.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; but ye receive not our testimony.

The Jews of that day would not accept the testimony of the Christians about Jesus because they had not been born again by the spirit given from above. The Christians turn to the Jews and say, 'We tell you what we know and testify what we have seen.' The same is true of our situation today. Putting that aside, it's important to know why our testimony is sure: what it really means to say that whoever believes in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, should not perish but have eternal life.

He who believes in the only begotten Son

First, consider what the word "believe" means. People outside the church often misunderstand Christian faith. They think it's religious fervor, a lack of confidence in one's own life and a desire to rely on an absolute to get you through it. They see it as blind faith or fanaticism that has no rational basis. The village where I live, Wondang, is not far from the 'Donhalmae-ro'. If you follow the stone hag road, you will come to the 'Donhalmae village', where there is a 'Donhalmae' that the villagers have worshiped as a guardian spirit for generations. It's a granite boulder that weighs about 10 kilograms, and depending on how you feel when you hold it, your wishes may or may not be granted. It's so popular that sometimes people come in groups on tour buses. From what I hear, there are 100,000 visitors a year. Palgongsan God Rock functions similarly. It's shamanism in a big way. People are existentially weak, so it's cognitive to want to rely on something in that way.

There are many stories in the Bible where faith can be read as a wish-fulfillment device, including just three in the Synoptic Gospels. In Matthew 9:18 and following, Jesus raises the daughter of a ruler from the dead. On the way to the ruler's house, the woman, who had suffered from hemorrhages for 12 years, touches Jesus' cloak. Jesus says to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has saved you." Mark 10:25 and following. In Mark 10:25 and following, we read about the healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus asked to see, Jesus said, "Go. Luke 17:11 and following tells the story of the healing of the leper. When the man returned to express his gratitude for being healed, Jesus said, "Go, your faith has saved you." Based on these stories, people think that faith is the means to being healed and blessed. If we were to link faith to healing and good fortune, we would be saying that Christians who have bad luck don't have faith. Furthermore, since we are believers in the crucified man as Christ, we would be denying our own existence by linking good fortune and bad fortune to matters of faith. These healing stories are an explanation of who Jesus Christ is.

Faith in the New Testament is the willingness and determination to make Jesus' teachings, his faith, his hope, and his love the center of our lives. So before we say we believe in Jesus, it's important to know who Jesus is-who he is. If you think you know it all, that's great, but you might be getting it wrong. To know who Jesus was, you need to know specifically what he believed. Have you ever really thought about what Jesus, who lived in the Jewish faith tradition, might have believed about God?

Jesus believed that God's reign had already begun; he believed that God was with him; and he told the people of his day about God, his kingdom, and his righteousness from a completely different perspective than Judaism, which was centered around the law and the temple. He proclaimed that God didn't look at how faithful you were to the law and the temple, but how much you trusted in God. That's why he didn't mind being close to the tax collectors and sinners the law forbade: he ate and drank with them and mingled with them. He could call out for those who dragged a woman caught in adultery in the field to let the innocent cast the first stone. Through the eyes of such faith, the scribes and Pharisees, the highest echelons of Judaism, were the hypocrites. They were the ones who undermined the very spirit of the Sabbath, not enhanced it. They were the ones who sifted the wheat from the chaff and swallowed the camels. They were the ones who called Jesus a "plastered tomb." After all, he was crucified. The only begotten son we believe in is not the Jesus who had a good life and made it big, but the Jesus who trusted God completely and fell to the fate of the cross. Does this make sense? Does it mean that we all actually deserve to fall to the fate of the cross? It can't, because He promised that those who believe have eternal life.

Eternal life

The dictionary definition of the word eternal life is eternal life, or life without end. When the Bible talks about eternal life, it doesn't refer to an infinite stretch of time. It refers to a qualitative change in time. A qualitatively transformed life is eternal life. Think of it this way metaphorically. Here are two equally terminally ill people. One dies after 20 years of constant hospitalization and reliance on life-prolonging treatments, and the other dies 10 years earlier by living a normal life with minimal medical assistance. The second person decides that it's more important to live a quality life than to extend his life by 10 years. The early Christians believed that through Jesus Christ, they could have a whole new kind of life. This is not to say that it's a good idea to die quickly or to refuse medical treatment, but the point is that they experienced a new kind of life, eternal life, through Jesus Christ.

There are two books by Moltmann that I've enjoyed reading recently. One is New Beginnings at the End of Despair (Im Ende- der Anfang, 2003) and the other is I Believe in Eternal Life (Auferstanden in das ewige Leben, 2020). Both books are on the topic of eternal life, and their content can be summarized in two ways. 1) Eternal life after death does not take place somewhere in heaven, but on earth, called earth. Earth is the world that God created as holy, and it is the place where Jesus was crucified. In the Lord's Prayer, we read, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We cannot speak of eternal life apart from this earth. 2) A person does not fall into a kind of 'sleep' (1 Thess. 4:13 et seq.) for a period of time after death and then gain eternal life at the beginning of the final judgment; he gains eternal life immediately upon death, because at the end of that time when eternal life is manifested as a reality, the time of 'sleep' after death, the interim period between death and eternal life, is expunged.

This theological conception of death and eternal life is deeply intertwined with the "kingdom of God" that Jesus proclaimed. The kingdom of God is said to be 'not yet' complete, but 'already' begun. While Jesus was alive, he fully embraced the reign of that very same God; he believed in God fully; he lived in the fullness of God's love; and to his disciples, who were bound by his faith and his love, he reappeared after his death as 'the living one'. For the disciples, the power of death was now broken. They were no longer afraid of death. They were not afraid of the violence of the Roman Empire, nor did they crumble in the face of the loneliness, sorrow, and self-limitations of human existence. Through Jesus, they had experienced the eternal light of life, and that is eternal life, so that they could confess that whoever believes in his only begotten Son should not perish but have eternal life.

I'm sure there are some of you who find this confession trivial or unrealistic, because you've believed in Jesus all your life, but you're still worried about the things of this world, you're still anxious about life itself, you're still afraid of death, you're still unable to set your soul free in your daily life, and you're still sweating the small stuff just like the rest of the world, let alone eternal life. I can't solve that problem for you, as a preacher. It's like when you're learning to swim and you're told to put your whole body in the water, but you're not doing it. All I can do is fill in the blanks about what the experience of eternal life is like, and leave the rest to you to figure out on your own.

For John, eternal life is an event of union with the love of God revealed through Jesus Christ. It's not about extending your life to a hundred, or two hundred, or increasing the total amount of luxuries in your life, it's about entering into the love of God. If you experience the fullness of God's love revealed through Jesus in the "now," like a baby in its mother's arms, this is the moment of eternal life for you.

Life Dominion

 

Life Dominion

 Romans 5:12-19, First Sunday of Lent, February 26th, 2023

 Today, we have chosen one of the most difficult passages to understand in the Bible as our sermon text. It is Romans 5:12, the first verse of the passage.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.

In summary, this verse can be broken down into four sentences. Sin (ἁμαρτία) entered the world through one man. Death (θάνατος) came as a result of sin. All people have sinned. All people have been subject to the destiny of death. The "one man" mentioned here is Adam, who disobeyed God's command in the Garden of Eden and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He fell for the temptation of wanting to be like God, refusing to acknowledge that he was a creature. As a result, he gained knowledge but moved farther away from God. This story is the origin of sin as depicted in the Old Testament.

The Fate of Adam

Paul says that the fate of Adam has become the fate of 'all' people. This refers to the universality of sin and death. It means that no one in this world is free from sin and death. People in this world would find it uncomfortable to see death, a biological phenomenon, as a result of sin according to the teachings of the Bible. Sin in the Bible does not only deal with human ethics and morality. It refers to the deeper corruption of the human soul. Sin is self-centeredness, self-pity, and self-love. Collectively, it can be called pride (hubris). Pride refers to the attitude of placing oneself at the center of life and trying to exalt oneself. It is a strong desire and ambition to complete one's own life. Since it is a desire for what is impossible, life is destroyed through it. What would happen if a frog kept jumping off a rock hill, thinking it should fly like a bird? For example, the reason why we risk our lives to earn money in a capitalist system is because we are convinced that having a lot of money guarantees a happy life. In reality, no one lives a happy life with wealth alone. Life is destroyed when we go 'all-in' on what cannot be done. The soul becomes sick and dies. This is the universal death of humanity that Paul speaks of in today's passage.

At the time when Paul wrote Romans, people living in the Roman Empire probably did not pay much attention to what Paul said. They might have refused or looked down on it. They would have said that Adam's sin was Adam's sin, they were themselves, and not to talk nonsense. Paul also knew their arguments, but he did not back down. He gave them very strong words. It is verse 14.

However, even those who did not commit sins like Adam, up until Moses, also experienced death, for Adam was a model of the one to come.

The phrase "up until Moses" is mentioned. After Moses, the Jews distinguished themselves as righteous or unrighteous according to the law. If they did not live according to the law, that is, as it is in today's situation law, they were sinners, and if they lived properly, they were righteous. However, Paul says something completely different. He says that there was sin even before the law. This means that the problem of human sin cannot be solved by laws, rules, and norms. We can confirm this in our daily lives as well. List the things that are recognized and respected in the world. They also help people in need, teach students diligently, treat patients, and strive to change the world. There are also respected pastors. The world becomes a little better with such people and such things. We must strive to live in that way as well. However, we cannot escape the power of sin through this way of life. Our inner selves are still hypocritical, self-centered, and proud. We cannot solve this problem through our efforts. Paul referred to this, saying that even those who did not commit sins like Adam also experience the dominion of sin and death.

Royal authority.

I am not trying to talk about the tragic fate of human existence, which is bound by sin and death, but rather the opposite. Look at Paul's expression, referring to Adam as the "type of him who was to come." In our Korean Bible, the word "example" is accompanied by a footnote, "typology" (τύπος), which means "type" or "figure" in English. Luther's Bible translates it as Bild (picture, symbol). Adam is not a historical figure, but a model that symbolizes Jesus Christ, the one who was to come. In Jesus Christ, who is the one who was to come, the opposite of what happened to Adam occurs. It is not sin and death, but righteousness and life. In verse 17, Paul says this. This verse explains what the gospel of Christianity is, connected to the fate of all humanity.

Therefore, just as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

The phrase "leads to justification and life" is used twice. It already appeared in verse 14, and is repeated twice in verse 21. In Greek, it is distinguished by past and present tense verbs, and the root is "basileia." When we refer to the kingdom of God (basileia tou theou), that kingdom is the royal authority. It is rule and governance. After Adam, it was a time when death ruled like a king, but now, through Jesus Christ, the time has come when life rules like a king. To summarize this expression, it becomes "the royal authority of life." I will read only that part from the new translation from the Bible.

It is even more certain that those who receive overflowing grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Note that "reigning in life" happens to those who have received the "gifts of grace and righteousness" through Jesus Christ. Paul already mentioned this in verse 15. There are two types of grace mentioned: one is from God, and the other is from Jesus Christ. Through these graces, people have received blessed gifts, and they have become "righteous" (verse 16) by obeying God's will through Jesus Christ. This means that, through God's grace given through Jesus Christ, we have obtained righteousness that leads to life (eternal life), not to death.

Thus, those who are deemed "righteous" will naturally have the power to reign in life. They will experience joy and hope in life instead of fear and despair of death. Therefore, Paul could say in verse 18 that "many people have received justification and thus reign in life." Is this possible? Can it be true that through Jesus Christ, all people are universally recognized as righteous and are freed from Adam's sin and attain righteousness? What is the basis for this claim, given who Jesus Christ is and what he has done?

Eon

It is important to understand that in Pauline theology, the world is divided into before and after the arrival of Jesus Christ. The perspective of dividing the world in this way comes from Gnostic philosophy. The world that Gnostic philosophy refers to is not the cosmos that Greek philosophy talks about, but rather the "eon" (world). There are old eons and new eons. The old eon is a world of sin, very violent and ruled by the wealthy and empires. When a new eon begins, the old eon comes to an end. The one who brings about this change is the Son of Man (Huios tou Anthropou), that is, the son of man. In today's passage, he is referred to as the "coming one." In the new world that Jesus Christ brings, sin and death no longer hold authority, and righteousness and life hold authority instead. The world is completely different. It is like a paradigm shift from two dimensions to three or four dimensions, from a plane to space, from Newtonian mechanics to Heisenberg's quantum mechanics, and from geocentric to heliocentric theories.

Some time ago, I read a book called The Hated Plants by John Cardiner. The subtitle of the book is "About flowers and grasses that have not yet found their use". The book talks about plants that are usually considered weeds. Weeds have always been around, but they were named by people as grasses that hinder crop growth. Weeds don't harm humans much, but they can be very harmful to crops, and humans try to remove them using tillage or herbicides. However, according to Cardiner, humans cannot completely get rid of weeds because they are constantly evolving in response to human behavior. This is similar to the current Corona 19 pandemic, which is a result of human actions.

The book's epilogue concludes that humans cannot defeat weeds, and it's time to let go of our arrogance about controlling nature. We should appreciate nature more and respect the adaptability of these extraordinary green creatures that continue to evolve in ways we may not fully understand. Reading this book has changed my thoughts about weeds, and I now see them from a new perspective. This is similar to falling in love and changing one's perspective on life. Only through this new perspective can we understand the "kingship of life" that Paul speaks of.

Paul was originally a Jewish legal expert who saw the world through the lens of Jewish law. However, everything changed after he encountered the resurrected Jesus. This event opened up a new world for him, much like the overwhelming feeling of relief one experiences upon discovering that someone who was thought to be terminally ill was actually misdiagnosed. Paul exclaimed that anyone who is in Christ becomes a new creation, with old things passing away and all things becoming new. Despite this, Jewish experts at the time ignored his experience. What's even stranger is that those who have not experienced these new changes cannot fully comprehend them. It's like hearing about the taste of an apple without ever having tried one.

On Monday, the 20th of last month, a member of the Daegu Seongseo Academy living in Seoul emailed me after hearing my sermon "Jesus is the Light" on Transfiguration Sunday. He had been searching for answers for 23 years, but had not found any until now. He wrote that he had finally understood the meaning of the Bible and the religious metaphor of the "light" mentioned in John 1:14. This experience has made the Bible appear new to him, and he has now had a completely different understanding of things before and after this experience.

Feeling hopeless

While some people may experience the kingship of life through Jesus Christ, others may feel like they haven't had such an experience. I have had a similar faith journey, so why do some people reach such experiences while others do not? Looking at the stars in the same winter night sky and feeling the same late-winter sunlight, some people feel the infinite mystery and joy of being alive, while others feel nothing. Even while worshiping together, one person may feel the peace of their soul, while another may remain as a mere spectator. That's why Paul states in today's text that "those who receive the overflowing grace and the gift of righteousness" enjoy the kingship of life, which is a gift from God.

Now, here's the final question: Why do we sometimes not receive the gift and grace to enjoy the kingship of life? Let me give you an example from one of Jesus' parables to help you find the answer. The younger son received his inheritance from his father and went to a faraway land, squandering it all before returning home as a beggar. The father threw a banquet for his son, but the older son couldn't understand his father's actions. He was trapped in his own world, unable to comprehend his father's unconditional love and acceptance without judgment. That is the core reason why some people don't receive grace. Instead of asking why grace doesn't come to them, they should ask whether they are ready to receive it. They lack the earnestness of the psalmist who cried out, "How long, O Lord, will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1). If one doesn't have earnestness towards God, it means they don't want grace, and therefore, the responsibility for not receiving grace ultimately rests with them.

I am currently writing a meditation article called "Rereading the Book of Revelation at the Age of 70" on the website of the Daegu Bible Academy. In Revelation 3:14, there is a letter addressed to the church in Laodicea. The reason for their rebuke, "You are neither cold nor hot," is that the believers in that church were bound by the notion that they lacked nothing because they were rich. They were satisfied with their decent living and did not long for God's grace. Just as a person who is not thirsty cannot drink sweet water, they cannot enjoy the kingship of life because they do not long for grace.

Dear fellow believers, I want you to experience the kingship of life in Jesus Christ that Paul proclaims today in a very practical and abundant way, even if you are lacking in other areas of life. When you do, you will experience a level of spiritual freedom, peace, and fullness that you have never experienced before.

In the Wilderness of Rephidim

 

In the Wilderness of Rephidim

 

Exodus 17:1-7, Third Sunday of Lent, March 12, 2023

 

Even today, there are people living as nomads in various parts of the world such as Mongolia, Siberia, and Africa. Their lives are incredibly uncomfortable to those of us who live in advanced civilizations. We turn on the faucet and use water as much as we want, but they don't even have enough water to drink or wash with. They have to constantly move to find food and water for their livestock. They rely heavily on nature to survive, so the safety net provided by civilized society is severely lacking for them. Some of them use solar power for electricity, but many do not. They don't have a salary or pension, and there are no hospitals, saunas, convenience stores, fancy restaurants, or movie theaters. They spend their entire day solving survival problems. Are their lives unhappy? Even if we cannot confidently say that we, who live like kings compared to them, are ten times happier, we might be twice as happy.

 

In Rephidim,

 

The Old Testament sees the time when the Israelites lived as nomads in the wilderness as a practical symbol of the Jewish faith. The Exodus and the Law are both related to this time in the wilderness. According to today's sermon passage (Exodus 17:1-7), the Israelites arrived at Rephidim, and "there was no water for the people to drink." They had already experienced a water problem before the story told in today's passage. According to Exodus 15:22 and following verses, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and traveled for three days in the wilderness of Shur without finding water. Later on, when they reached Marah, they found an oasis-like spring. However, they couldn't drink the water because it was bitter. The people blamed Moses for not leading them properly. Moses prayed, and according to the word of the Lord, he threw a branch from a tree growing there into the water, and the water became sweet. Perhaps the branch had a purifying effect. It's uncertain how long it had been since this commotion happened, but another water problem occurred in today's passage. The Israelites complained to Moses, saying this in verse 3:

“Why did you bring us out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

This one sentence reveals the ancient Israelites’ problem consciousness. Not only them, but also the thoughts of modern people in the 21st century can be seen there. First of all, they had a problem with “the Exodus.” As we generally know, the Exodus was the event that the ancient Israelites eagerly awaited. It was an event that made them feel the abundance of God's life and love. However, the Israelites questioned why they were dragged out of Egypt, where they were living well, to be put through such suffering. Their argument is not necessarily entirely wrong. The area where they lived as a minority group within the Egyptian empire was Goshen, a region in the Nile Valley. Even though oppressive policies towards minority groups were often implemented in Egypt, they did not suffer greatly in terms of food and living conditions. They went through the Exodus at the persuasion of Moses, carrying the lofty dream of entering Canaan, but now they are in a survival crisis that they could not have imagined in Egypt. Food was greatly scarce in Egypt, and it was difficult to find drinking water. In the previous chapter, Exodus 16, the famous story of manna appears. “The Israelites called it manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.” (Exodus 16:31) They turned a plant they didn't usually bother with into their staple food. They may have thought, "Since we can't go back to Egypt, let's eat manna and endure the wilderness period." However, the water problem they experienced at Marah in the Surah wilderness happened again here at Rephidim. They couldn't bear it anymore, especially since they were used to the plentiful water of the Nile. So they came to deny the very event of the Exodus, which was God's command. In the face of these problems of survival, human beings can only be humbled.

The issue of eating and drinking is of course important. Although Jesus did not mention a prayer to make his disciples rich in the Lord's Prayer, he did say to ask for daily bread. He himself lived with people and ate and drank with sinners and tax collectors to the extent that he was accused of being someone who sought to eat and drink with them. The Christian community incorporated the issue of eating and drinking into worship through the sacrament of communion. The Old and New Testaments often symbolized the Kingdom of God as a table community. If you know this biblical tradition, you should strive and struggle to create a world where no one is unable to eat and drink properly. The problem is that such difficulties lead to questioning the essence of life, which is liberation, freedom, peace, and rest that come from the relationship with God.

 

The complaints of the people that our children and our cattle will die of thirst sound desperate. It's not enough to just feel sorry for such situations. It's our homework to worry about and solve this together. Furthermore, we must consider the water that other people, their children, and their cattle will drink. But didn't the Israelites quarrel with Moses and resent him? In life, we sometimes argue, hold each other accountable, and even resent each other. However, this is not the time for the Israelites to do so. Moses is more concerned about the people than they are. The weight of his responsibility as a leader is beyond imagination. For 40 years, Moses constantly heard such complaints from the people. In the end, he could not cross the Jordan River in the Moab wilderness. We don't know if he deliberately did not cross it or if he could not. He said his responsibility was enough for the 40 years, and they should take care of themselves in the land of Canaan.

At the rock of Horeb

In today's passage, Exodus 20:1-13, the story is more explicitly stated in terms of the people's complaints. The people who had run out of water grumbled against Moses, saying, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to this terrible place? There is no place to plant seeds or figs, grapes or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink." This was their reality. When Moses struck the rock twice with his staff, water flowed out. The Lord spoke to Moses and his brother Aaron, saying, "Because you did not trust me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." The passage explains that because the Israelites had argued with the Lord, the water from the spring was named "Meribah" (Exodus 20:13). A similar explanation is also given in Exodus 7:7.

Let's follow the progress of today's passage again. Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me" (Exodus 17:4). Although Moses' charisma was so great that the people could not look directly at his face, he could not completely overcome the Israelites in the wilderness. In some special cases, there were situations like civil war among the people. The Lord spoke to Moses, who was pouring out his complaints, indicating that he had realized the solution to the problem. Moses took the staff that he had used to strike the Nile River with the elders of Israel and went to the rock at Horeb. The elders were opinion leaders who understood Moses' words and actions better than the ordinary people. However, they had to stand firm so that the Israelites would not be shaken by any difficult situations that might arise. The staff that was used to strike the Nile River is a symbol of what God did in Egypt. Thus, the problem was solved.

Some Christians pay attention to the fact that water gushed out at Massah and Meribah. They pray and praise God to perform such miracles for us, just as He did for the Israelites. That is the essence of faith in signs. The faith of the Israelites and leaders who asked for signs towards Jesus was just like that. Looking at today's passage from that perspective is deviating from the focus. Let me briefly explain the situation. Moses had spent 40 years as a shepherd raising sheep in the wilderness and knew a lot about the geography of the wilderness. He knew where there was a spring and where the grass grew. However, not all springs always had a lot of water. He could have gone and found nothing. After wandering around a few places, Moses finally found a special spring that came out of the cracks in the rocks of Mount Horeb. You could say that it was God's guidance. What does that mean? If the Israelites had waited a little longer, the water problem could have been solved. However, they could not wait and quarreled and complained with each other. And they doubted God. The focus of this story is not the fact that God miraculously poured out water from the rock, but a warning about the neurotic reaction of the Israelites when things did not go according to their plans. Look at the last verse, verse 7:

"So he called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, 'Is the Lord among us or not?'"

We also mentioned Psalm 95, which we read together during worship. "Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did." (verses 8-9) The Old Testament sees unbelief in God as the root cause of disputes and grudges among people. It is said that such phenomena occur because people cannot be sure that God is with them.

I can understand the attitude of the ancient Israelites towards life. The journey to Canaan is long. There is a risk that the entire nation may perish if an epidemic breaks out. Other nations that block their way are waiting all over the place. On top of that, food and drink are frequently scarce. They may have felt some anxiety about Moses' words that the Lord God would lead them. They may have thought that they were brainwashed or manipulated. It was difficult for them to be sure that God was with them just by the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. They needed those miracles and signs to be repeated beautifully again now. If there were no such miracles and signs, they would be anxious. Because they are anxious, they argue with each other, ask for responsibility, and doubt God.

Miracles and Signs in Daily Life

What was the reason for the Israelites in the wilderness to quarrel, complain, and be tested by God? How can we avoid repeating such mistakes? What is the essence of the story of the wilderness of Ravitim?

Experiencing the signs and miracles of God in everyday life is more important than anything else. As mentioned earlier, the manna event opened their eyes to new food in the wilderness. Water is also available everywhere. Signs and miracles are abundant around us. We often do not see them because we are distracted by other things, but we can see them when we wake up from the sleep of the soul. Matthew Fox called this the original blessing. For example, walking upright is a miracle. People who walk without thinking do not realize how amazing upright walking is. The Homo erectus, who evolved from the hominids, became the ancestors of humans. Among many mammals on Earth, only humans walk upright. This is a miracle among miracles. How do you receive spring rain? This is also a miracle among miracles. A single flower is a miracle and a sign. The fact that we worship together here and now is also a sign and a miracle. A meal is also a miracle and a sign that you will acknowledge. There is nothing in our lives that is not a sign or a miracle. Everything is mysterious. Those who know this do not seek signs or miracles that make them rich overnight. They do not envy others. Moreover, they do not test God.

Those who experience signs and miracles in daily life, that is, those who experience the mystery of life, live with a sense of "inner abundance." This is a symbol of the fact that God is with us. A person with inner abundance does not test God, even in any situation where, like the Israelites in today's passage, there is a great shortage of water. They do not doubt whether God is with us or whether God loves us.

In the 21st century, South Koreans have reached a high level of economic prosperity and gained global recognition for their K-culture, yet they seem to live without any internal fulfillment, given the amount of talk, resentment, and conflict. The nervous attitude of the Israelites during the water shortage in Rephidim overlaps with the attitude of modern-day South Koreans. When I say that internal fulfillment in God is important to them, I receive sarcastic comments like, "You sound like a preacher." In this era, preachers are powerless.

I would like to ask those people very directly: what is the specific difficulty that makes the concept of inner fulfillment sound so empty and precarious for their own lives? Perhaps they have lost half of their wealth, or all their friends have left and they feel lonely. Maybe they work hard and sweat at their job, but still can't afford to buy a home. Maybe they have separated from their spouse, are worried about their health, or feel powerless due to old age. Do they fight and resent others, or even want to argue with God? They may say, "My life is ruined, so just take it away from me." I can empathize with how heavy the burden of life must be for these people. However, empathy does not necessarily mean agreement. It is because there is a completely different life next to that kind of life.

Dear beloved saints, if you are aware of and experience the fact that God is with you, and if you take one step deeper inside, your life will not crumble even when you feel like you are drinking from a well that is running dry. The Holy Spirit provides an incredible strength to endure difficult situations. Is it hard to believe? Maybe because you haven't had the actual experience of hitting rock bottom. There are people who have unjustly fallen to the bottom of life. But God's son, Jesus Christ, is waiting for you even at the bottom, and at the moment of death, so don't worry in advance.

The Issue of "Sin" for the Pharisees

 The Issue of "Sin" for the Pharisees

John 9:35-41, Third Sunday of Lent, March 19, 2023

In the Gospels, various types of people appear. There are those who are friendly to Jesus and those who are hostile. There are ignorant people and educated people. There are poor people and rich people. There are people with chronic illnesses or disabilities and those who are healthy. The group of people who showed the most hostile attitude towards Jesus were the Pharisees. The original meaning of the word Pharisee (Phariseeism) is "separated one". It is a good meaning. The Pharisee movement became a major force from the time of the Maccabean War between the Jews and the Seleucid Dynasty from 167 to 142 BC. Their religious elite group is characterized by their commitment to upholding the law. Politically, they rejected Roman rule and dreamed of a new reformation. The Sadducees, who competed with them, were wealthy and politically conservative, maintaining good relations with the Roman authorities. Paul was originally a Pharisee. Following the Jewish War of AD 70, the Pharisees became the dominant force in Judaism. The canon of the Old Testament was decided by the Jamnia religious council (AD 90) led by them, consisting of 39 books. Judaism, armed with the law, began to demand more stringent compliance from the Christians, who until then had maintained loose relationships with them. At that time, Christians had to decide whether to accept the demands of the law-oriented Judaism or to refuse and go a completely different path. Against this overall background, the relationship between Jesus and the PharThe Sabbath Controversy

John chapter 9 deals with the Pharisees' objections to Jesus' healing of a blind man and Jesus' response to their objections. As Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they met a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus replied that it was not because of sin that the man was blind, but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Jesus then healed the man's blindness. This caused a commotion because the day on which the man's sight was restored happened to be the Sabbath. The Pharisees had different opinions about what had happened. Some of them said that Jesus could not be from God because he did not keep the Sabbath, while others said that Jesus must be from God because he had performed such a miraculous sign. The Pharisees pressured the formerly blind man and his parents to denounce Jesus, even going so far as to invoke the authority of Moses. But the man who had been blind refused to renounce Jesus, despite their efforts.

The narrative takes a new turn in verse 35, which is the focus of today's sermon. Jesus encountered the man who had been subjected to the Pharisees' attacks and threats. Jesus asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (The Son of Man is called the Son of God in other versions of the text.) The man replied that he wanted to believe. Jesus told him, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." The man then declared, "Lord, I believe," and worshiped Jesus. In response, Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." This statement contains the most fundamental confession of faith in early Christianity.isees had to be sharply contrasted because of the way the Gospel of John was recorded.

Here are two types of humans here, those who cannot see and those who can. The ones who cannot see are congenitally visually impaired, and the ones who can see are Pharisees. Is it valid to say that Jesus Christ's judgment is to make the visually impaired see and the Pharisees not see? Isn't it desirable to make the visually impaired see without the need to make the Pharisees unable to see? The Pharisees present there must have felt bad. They might have asked, "Are we also blind?" like Nicodemus, who asked if he had to go back into his mother's womb and come out again in order to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). They took Jesus' spiritual words and interpreted them as physical words. Jesus answered in verse 41. It is a more explicit expression than verse 39.

"If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."

In this passage, Jesus brought up the issue of sin. The reason he said this was that traditional Jews, including the Pharisees, believed that visual impairment was due to sin. As mentioned earlier, the disciples also asked, "Whose sin caused this man to be born blind?" The story of Adam and Eve's fall is told in Genesis 3. The snake tempted Eve, saying that even if she ate the fruit of the tree that made her know good and evil, she would not die. Rather, her eyes would be opened like God's. When she heard that her eyes would be opened, she found the fruit "desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it" (Genesis 3:6). The first humans, Adam and Eve, ate the fruit and were expelled from the Garden of Eden. The intense desire to have eyes like God, to be able to distinguish between good and evil, is the essence of sin. After mentioning the story of creation in chapters 1 and 2, Genesis immediately talks about human fall in chapter 3, and the story of Cain, who killed his brother Abel, is dealt with in chapter 4. The structure of the story seems to immediately negate the beautiful creation that was pleasing to God. The book of Genesis emphasizes that sin operates at a profound existential level that destroys human life. From a theological perspective, this is the original sin, and from a philosophical perspective, it is the 'banality of evil' (Hannah Arendt)

Law and Sin

The problem with the Pharisees is that they looked for sin and evil in the law. Living a life without sin meant keeping the law, and living a life with sin meant breaking the law. The standard for the righteous and the sinner was the law. In today's passage, the Pharisees criticized Jesus for healing a blind man on the Sabbath. The concept of the Sabbath itself is important. The commandment to keep the Sabbath holy means making God's creation and the exodus spirit the center of personal and social life. The problem is that in Jewish history, especially in Pharisaic tradition, the Sabbath system functioned as an absolute norm. The fundamental spirit of creation and liberation, which is the essence of the Sabbath concept, disappeared, and only Sabbath regulations came to dominate human life. Seen in that light, Jesus, who healed the blind on the Sabbath, is also a sinner. The Pharisees who remained faithful to the Sabbath regulations were the righteous ones, the ones who knew God's will correctly, and the ones who had opened their eyes. We must acknowledge their sincerity and passion for the law.

Jesus saw the Pharisees' thinking as the fundamental problem that distorts our lives. By judging the world only by the categories of the law they know, they miss the essence. They were knowledgeable and religiously respected people of their time, but because they were trapped in the category of the law, they could not judge what was absolutely important and what was relatively important. They missed the fact that the incident of healing the blind was actually an event of creation and liberation, which is the essence of the Sabbath. The Pharisees, who were religious experts and blocked God's creation and liberation, were the ones bound by the power of sin. As clearly revealed in the prosecution organization in Korea, essential distortions frequently occur in those who claim to be professionals. In the Korean church, there are also Christians and leaders who treat the Bible as the Pharisees did, with distorted essence.

Last year, at the end of the year, I saw news on an online newspaper about pastors who participated in a one-person protest against the "Anti-Discrimination Law" next to the National Assembly building. Most of them were pastors of large churches. I was surprised to see Pastor Lee Chan-soo, who advocated for reform-oriented ministry that was different from other pastors of large churches, participating in the relay one-person protest. The core of the opposition to the Anti-Discrimination Law is the issue of homosexuality. They distinguish between homosexual acts and homosexuals, but it is difficult to understand if they are truly distinguished. Homosexuals love, but homosexual acts are sin. The pastors seem to think that it is okay to discriminate against homosexuals as long as they do not discriminate against them as people. But this thinking itself is a distortion of the essence. Discrimination against homosexuals is also discrimination against people. The Bible teaches us that we must love our neighbors as ourselves, regardless of their sexual orientation or any other differences.

Jesus said to his disciples regarding the fate of this man, "It is not because of his sin, but rather to show the works of God in him." The disciples probably did not understand what he meant. The Pharisees also did not understand Jesus' statement that "those who claim to see become blind." They believed that strictly observing the Sabbath was doing God's work, but Jesus thought that helping people live like humans was doing God's work. When theological perspectives differ, thoughts and responses to human life will inevitably differ. As I mentioned before, the Pharisees threatened and ignored the blind man, and on the other hand, they acted hypocritically, pretending to be righteous. According to John 9:34, they drove him out. That was a kind of excommunication, and they were confident that it was God's work. What is the sin if not this attitude of judging and dividing others within their religious and political norms?

In 21st century Korea, Christians generally live like Pharisees with only differences in intensity. The church raises them up as pastors, ordained deacons, and elders. If Jesus came to the Korean church today, would he not give the same warning to the Pharisees in today's text? I will read verse 41 from the New International Version: "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."

God who is near

God who is near

Psalm 50:4~9a, Sixth Sunday of Lent, April 2, 2023

A Psalm of Asaph

Today's sermon text, Psalm 50:4~9a, takes place against the backdrop of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews in the 6th century BC. The hardships and sufferings experienced by the Jewish people who had lost their homeland and were taken captive in Babylon are vividly described. Psalm 50:6 reads:

I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

This expression is closer to a factual description than a literary device. It was a common experience for the people of defeated nations. After two years of continued attacks, the city of Jerusalem fell to the Babylonian Empire in 587 BC. Everything inside the city was destroyed. The temple was demolished, valuable items were looted, houses were burned, many were taken as slaves or fled somewhere, and not a few were forcibly deported. Those taken to Babylon had to live according to a completely different tradition from their Jewish heritage. Their suffering was beyond words. The Babylonians ignored the newly immigrated Jews, even taking advantage of them. When there were problems between Babylonians and Jewish people, the Jews were always the ones to suffer. Especially those who had strong faith in God and a strong sense of national identity were blacklisted and punished for even small issues. Naturally, it was difficult for them to receive legal protection from Babylon.

This poet is said to have entrusted his back to those who struck him with the sentiment of self-sacrifice. The punishment system of flogging on the back seems to have existed in Babylon. It is said that such flogging is still carried out in some Islamic regions where public security does not reach. Pulling out the beard is also a public punishment like flogging. At that time, in the Middle Eastern region, having one's beard pulled out was the biggest disgrace. The poet heard insulting words from the Babylonians and also received spitting as a common practice. He could not leave that place, had to accept the slap on his cheek and couldn't even hide his face. The Babylonians would have been satisfied with such a vicious act. It is like people in Europe and North America, where Christianity tradition was alive 500 years ago, who thought burning witches or stoning them to death was justice.

People are often more cruel than animals. When caught up in a certain atmosphere, they act even more cruelly than usual. The following is an account that I personally witnessed. It was a day in May 1980. I was receiving officer training with other pastors, Catholic nuns, and Buddhist monks at the Gwangju Infantry School in Jeolla Province. It was right at the site where the Gwangju Democratic Uprising erupted. Soldiers who came down from the front line came out to suppress the demonstration. The young people from Gwangju, who were arrested and called thugs, walked through the soldiers while being hit with hands and feet. Their hands were tied, so they couldn't defend themselves. They were punished for hours in a ward in a prone position. Humans are animals that commit such atrocities and evil acts. At that time, a commander who had participated in the Vietnam War poured out his war experience like a meaningless story during class. The content was nauseating.

Early Christians thought Isaiah 50:6 was an implication of Jesus' suffering. Jesus went through two trials in the process of being crucified. One was a case of blasphemy that was prosecuted by the Sanhedrin, the highest court in Judaism. According to Matthew 26:67-68, during the Sanhedrin's public trial, people spat on Jesus' face and hit him with fists and palms, saying, "Christ, prophesy to us! Who hit you?" The other was the Roman governor's trial. Governor Pilate thought that Jesus was innocent of the charges and tried to release him, but the crowd insisted on his crucifixion. Jesus was beaten and flogged, and then he was crucified.

The Tongue and Ears of a Scholar

Generally, when one is insulted, they want to repay the insult in kind. If they receive 5, they may not be able to repay 10, but they will try to repay 5. The spirit of today's age teaches us to never tolerate such behavior. The path to mental health and social justice is to repay what we have received. This argument stimulates the human nature and emotions that want revenge. There are few people who escape this tendency. The person mentioned in today's text may have lost sleep because of anger. They may have complained to God about why He allowed the world to become so chaotic, where their sense of justice has gone.

But then, at some point, the person realizes something fundamental. They mentioned in verses 4 and 5 that they received insults to their ears and tongue as a scholar. They discovered some light in the dark world. You may have experienced such a moment yourself. At such moments, a completely new perspective is opened. It is a point of view that it is okay not to seek revenge to ease one's conscience. They realized this because they understood that the Lord God was there to help, protect, and stay close to them. Even if they were beaten, their beard was pulled, saliva was spit on them, or they were slapped, they were no longer ashamed of it. You may think it is impossible, but ultimately, we will all reach that stage. It is desirable to enter into such a state of faith even while we are alive. Let us read verse 8 again.

"Who will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!"

To this poet, the God who is "near" to him has declared him righteous. It's a very paradoxical expression. This person, who was ignored within the Babylonian system, cannot become a righteous person. Metaphorically, he can be viewed as a defector. In South Korean society, defectors are considered criminals. If they criticize the North Korean regime, they may receive some recognition. The fact that a high-ranking defector has become a member of the National Assembly in our country is also a unique phenomenon. Some people who have been deceived by brokers and unknowingly crossed over to South Korea, but want to return to their homeland in North Korea, exist. The South Korean government does not send them back. Our mass media does not pay attention to their plight. In South Korea, they are criminals, just like the person mentioned in the text.

In a capitalist system, poverty is a sin. Sin is a force that destroys our lives. Poor people are not treated like human beings. I don't need to explain how strongly this operates. Paradoxically, if we look at how strong the desire to become rich is, the answer is clear. In a capitalist system, it is difficult to live without money, but it is even more difficult to maintain our mental health. Our hearts shrink. We don't even have time to look back at others. We are trapped in the principle of survival of the fittest. The rich live like the rich, and the poor cannot enjoy life as richly as they do. This is the power of sin. However, surprisingly, the person singing in the text claims to have escaped from the power of sin. It's a cry for a life that is poor but full of vitality. Is this cry a kind of psychological triumph that appears in the minds of people worn down by harsh reality, or is it a spiritual insight of a prophet who sees through the essence of our lives beyond the illusion?

God is near

Before directly answering this question, it is good to first consider the statement that God is near. These two statements, namely that God makes us righteous and that God is near, mean the same thing. If God is near, we will not be shaken by any insult or mockery. The statement in verses 7 and 9 that the Lord helps us also means the same thing. Do you actually feel and experience the fact that God is near you? Do you have the conviction that your life is right and not swayed by the opinions of the world? Can you boldly say, like the Psalmist, "Who can challenge me?"

The statement that God is "near" means that we experience what God has done in a "real" way, even if we cannot see it with our own eyes or grasp it with our own hands. What God has done can be broadly divided into creation (the Father), salvation (the Son), and love (the Spirit). These three are all connected. In our lives, the light and life of creation are near us. We can feel this especially in early spring. Even if other things in our lives are difficult, if our soul is filled with the weight of the changing season, we can still stand tall. Poverty cannot completely defeat us. Even a poor person can enjoy the sight of spring flowers, sprouts, and new leaves. I believe the same was true for the ancient Jewish people in Babylon, which is the background of today's passage. Although they were far from their homeland, God's creative touch was still present. The sunrise every morning was magnificent, and the sunset, starry nights were mysterious. Even in exile, they were able to experience their lives as a gift from God by praying and eating with their family at the dinner table.

Of course, just because this person enjoys watching the evening sunset doesn't mean that their physical pain is completely resolved. It is still difficult for them to endure having their beard pulled out and getting hit on the cheek. They may also suffer from anxiety about being deported at any moment, as is the case with illegal residents in our country, and may encounter unscrupulous entrepreneurs who exploit them and steal their wages. Immediate issues of sustenance and supporting their family remain a heavy burden. They may have had to live with several people in a small room due to not being able to afford a proper home. Enjoying spring flowers does not mean that these difficulties will automatically disappear. We need to work hard to overcome these situations as soon as possible. However, it is certain that even in the most difficult situations, the fact that there is a kind and omnipotent God nearby is undeniable. Look for it like the woman who lost her precious drachma and searched for it all night with a lamp.

Shall we look a little more? Even if we are lonely, there is always someone who can understand us. Or there may be trees that always listen to our language, clouds, drinking water, a mouth that can speak, and even our own language, not a foreign language. There is at least enough food for our daily needs. There are so many pieces of evidence that God is nearby that we cannot count them all. God is with us in ways that we cannot even imagine, and we will never be able to find them all until the end of our lives. Yes, God's touch is already encompassing our entire existence. The problem depends on whether we can see it and feel it.

Immersion in everyday life

The biggest reason why we don't realize it is because we are too immersed in our daily lives. When we are in a state of rushing like a racehorse, our thoughts about why we live, what the end of life is, and whether we are truly happy in the present become dull. Instead of deepening, renewing, and opening up, our daily lives become rigid and consumed. The things that happen in our daily lives become a kind of transaction. Even education has already jumped on that trend a long time ago. Nowadays, even young people's relationships and marriages seem to have fallen to the level of commercial transactions. In the midst of this zeitgeist, it is difficult to realize that God is near.

In my opinion, a more fundamental reason than immersion in everyday life is that our lives have not yet hit rock bottom. In the Bible, there are often stories of people who have experienced how God is with them when they have hit the bottom, where there is no more bottom to fall. The ancient Jewish people in the Old Testament and the early Christians in the New Testament were like that. We know well the history of suffering that the ancient Jewish people went through. In the 20th century, we experienced the Auschwitz incident. The historical background of today's passage is also the Babylonian captivity. We experience God's light when we feel that there is no hope anywhere. Even the most shameless and thoughtless person changes in the face of death. Even if there is someone who does not change until the moment of death, his soul will surely change after death. If God is the creator and is still alive, he will change things like that. The God I believe in is just that kind of person.

Let's look at the poet mentioned in today's text again. If he had been an ordinary person, he might have died of frustration. He would have been too busy complaining about why the world was like this. Maybe he would have come up with a plan or conspiracy to turn his situation around, or he might have lived as a recluse, building walls between himself and the world. Or maybe he would have denied God and obeyed the Babylonian regime, only looking ahead and trying to find a way out. But this person, in a place like hell, instead shouted, "Who dares to argue with me?" and "Who will condemn me? Come and face me." As mentioned earlier, his situation has not changed. He still cannot escape his Babylonian captive status. He longs for his homeland, the land of Judah and Jerusalem, and sheds tears. Sometimes, he must have shuddered in front of the emptiness of life. His existence remains the same, but his soul has been set free. Don't you envy him?

Today is the sixth week of Lent, also known as Palm Sunday. When Jesus made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he was welcomed by residents holding palm branches, but he was crucified within a week. He was rejected by all human beings. He was cursed by the Jewish religious community, completely denied by the Roman political power, and even rejected by his own disciples. The early Christian tradition gave him the name "Emmanuel" (God with us). It's a truly amazing story. Paul clearly pointed out in Romans and Galatians that we are justified by faith in Jesus, who "justifies me." The aphorism (saying) of the prophet Isaiah, "The one who justifies me is near," was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Yes, beloved saints, do not forget that there is no one in this world who can condemn us, our faith in Jesus