Deuteronomy 30:14-20, Psalm 1, and Luke 14:25-33
Are there any challenges in living as a Christian in Red Deer? I asked myself. What does it mean to be Christian in Iran or North Korea? Twenty years ago, I went to northeastern China on a college graduation trip. I attended church service on Sunday, and there were a lot of people there. But for some reason, the people gathered there seemed very stiff. At that time, the tour guide explained that the central government was monitoring everything from excessive emotional expressions to attendance at worship services. I also heard that civil servants or workers at state-owned enterprises who attend religious services are at a disadvantage when it comes to promotions. I felt that they seemed very formal, but I could tell that the people who participated in the service had given up their own interests, such as promotion and wealth, to come to the service.
Another example was a church that held worship services in a home near the Chinese-North Korean border the following week. House churches were not allowed to praise or pray out loud when surveillance was very tight, but at the time, relations between South Korea, North Korea, and China were not bad. That’s why I remember gathering in a building without a cross, singing and praying fervently while doing motions. These worship services were called underground churches, and the Chinese government banned them, so if discovered, church members were imprisoned.
In North Korea, there are state-run churches and underground churches that meet secretly. However, if a Christian secretly reads the Bible or holds a meeting in North Korea, not only the Christian but also their family and acquaintances will be imprisoned. Believers are subjected to unimaginably brutal punishments, including execution, if they are perceived as a threat to the North Korean regime.
The reason I bring up such a severe case at the beginning of my sermon is that today’s Gospel reading is very solemn. We may think of our religious life and church as very natural, like air. Freedom of religion is a given for us. The life of faith can sometimes be burdensome because of service. But thinking about God, praying to Him, and relying on Him provides us ample freedom and comfort. Becoming a disciple of Jesus, following him, and dreaming of his kingdom excites us. It is deeply moving to be with Jesus and witness his miracles and to become a part of them. However, the path to becoming a disciple is not as simple as it sounds. It requires a great deal of determination from us because the cost is very high. Jesus says: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”
Jesus greatly increases the requirements for discipleship. It’s not easy for us to understand. However, to understand this passage, we need to read the parallel passage in Matthew 10:37: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” In other words, if you love and value your father or mother more than Jesus, or if you value your children more than Jesus, then you are not fit to be a disciple. But at that time, when expressing love less, the word was used in an emphasized way as hate. In other words, the words of Jesus recorded by Luke can be interpreted as follows. “If anyone comes to me and does not love your family less, such a person cannot be my disciple. You must love me the most.”
My parents love me very much. I also love my parents in Korea very much. Although they didn’t attend college, they supported me throughout my studies, and they still pray for my family every morning. But I love God more than my parents. I love Jesus more. There are times when I miss my parents very much and feel sorry. But I believe the ministry at Knox is what God wants. I think that God sent us and brought us together. And I look forward to God’s good plans for the future. Of course, I am tens of thousands of kilometers away from my hometown, but I am not giving up anything significant or being persecuted. On the contrary, I am enjoying many benefits here. But there are still many people around the world who are suffering from religious persecution. According to Opendoor Canada’s world watch list, more than 380 million Christ-followers face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith in Jesus. Every year, in more than 50 countries, Christians lose their jobs and face various threats. Even more than 4,000 people lose their lives. However, some believers live a more pure and passionate life of faith in places where persecution and hardship prevail. Some people shine like gold being refined to make pure gold.
Ironically, as religious freedom advances and economic prosperity increases, we often face a greater crisis of faith. There is a country where most denominations of the world’s Christian churches send missionaries, and the number of believers increases significantly in a short period of time. Among them, Korea is a very representative example. Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, and other denominations sent missionaries from all over the world and distributed relief supplies through their churches. When the economy was tough and people were poor, many people worked 16 hours a day. It happened 50 years ago. By today’s standards, this is severe labor exploitation and illegal labor. But they went to church at dawn to pray, even if it meant cutting down on their sleep time. And most of the people who blessed and encouraged them were conservative pastors, including Rev. David Cho. Progressive pastors worked to change their working conditions and treatment. In this way, numerous churches were created, and the wealth of the country and families increased considerably. But now in Korea, the church is no longer growing. The emphasis on good colleges, success, and wealth has led to children no longer attending church.
Dear friends, that’s why I want to share this message with you today. “For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” Let us love Jehovah more. Let us all become disciples of Jesus Christ and enjoy God’s blessings and grace.
“2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither–whatever they do prospers.”
Let us follow God’s word and think of God first above everything else in the world. Let us meditate on the law of the Lord and rejoice. May God bless you with an abundance of love and grace in your time of need.