Psalm 65:9-13, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, and Romans 8:1-11;
Here is a person. His father was a pastor of the Protestant Church in Switzerland, and his maternal grandfather was a famous pastor and seminary professor. He established the concepts of complexes and the collective unconscious, and distinguished personalities into introverted and extroverted groups. His name is Carl Gustav Jung, the founder of analytical psychology. Although he grew up in a Christian environment, he understood God as a spiritual model that humans should follow. In which category of Jesus’ parables does he belong?
As a believer and minister, I observe various factors that influence the growth of faith, such as human psychology, emotions, and interpersonal relationships. Moreover, a person’s heart and emotions sometimes serve as a support for spiritual growth, and conversely, can become a stumbling block. Three months ago, when I returned from visiting my parents in Korea, my mother told me this episode. My home church was a church that started through church planting at the largest church in that town. When I was in elementary school, my family and about 10 other church members were seed members. In fact, after the senior pastor retired, the newly appointed pastor forced other clergy members to resign, and there were conflicts, both large and small, within the church. Our family, who never left the church even during wartime since my grandfather’s time, eventually started a new church. My father was a deacon at the time, and with the presbytery’s permission, he started a new church. Afterwards, the church grew to about 200 attendees. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the church’s founding, and my mother was upset since
new leaders erased my father’s dedicated history after he retired as an elder. They celebrated it by praising themselves.
I am sharing this message with you because more than 80% of my faith comes from my mother. She is very dedicated to church service and has strong social resilience. She also served as the leader of a women’s group. She is frequently asked to pray by church members because she is the one who prays the longest at the early morning prayer meeting every day. Even she, however, is shaken by small misunderstandings or mistakes that occur between people, and her life of faith spanning over 70 years is shaken. Of course, she is fine now.
Dear friends. How is your faith? Today, Jesus’ words explain a parable in the Gospel of Matthew that encompasses our lives and inner selves. There are four places where the seeds of the Gospel have been sown. These places are along the path, in rocky places, among thorns, and on good soil. Many people today listen to the Message about the kingdom. They have various tools to access it through radio, TV, and the internet. We have a much more convenient and effective method than people 2,000 years ago. However, very unfortunately, the field of our hearts still requires continued effort to fertilize and create good soil. This is because the evil one constantly hinders the gospel from taking root and growing within us.
If I think about the time when my faith was purest, and I readily accepted the Gospel, it was when I was a teenager. I wandered the most during my adolescence and made many mistakes. So, there were many times when I repented even more and prayed with tears. That is why I accepted the Gospel with a pure heart at that time. Through nearly 10 years of theological studies and over 20 years of church ministry, my knowledge and maturity have grown. Still, in terms of spiritual growth, I remember my teenage years as the period of the most rapid growth.
However, my current heart is like a rocky place; I easily rejoice in the Gospel, yet I still stumble. Of course, you probably won’t notice. That is because I maintain a poker face. I merely reveal my weakness to God. I hold a pastoral philosophy that faith is something demonstrated through one’s life. However, when I look into myself, I often confirm that I am a very fragile being. When trouble or persecution comes, I stumble easily. That is me. So, I entrust myself to God more often. I pray and ask God for help. It is because I lack ability and the good soil of my heart.
Many people today live in an era of unparalleled abundance. Of course, facing financial difficulties is common. Just as there is an ancient inscription in the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh that reads, “Kids these days have no manners,” experiencing economic hardship has always existed, regardless of time or place. However, as I get older, my worries increase. As you can see, the reason my hair is gradually turning silver compared to two years ago is worldly worries. Modern people are living in the best environment to encounter the Gospel. However, paradoxically, in this most affluent and convenient era, there are not enough places for the Gospel to take root for them.
Therefore, you who have heard the word and understood should produce a hundred times as many crops. I hope that you all live as good soil and good trees. I hope you provide shade and fruit to someone. I hope that when someone sees you, they can smell the fragrance of positivity and the Gospel. This is because you are the Knox Church, and each one of you is an agent of Jesus Christ.
As the Apostle Paul said, you are in the realm of the Spirit. The Spirit of God lives in us. We have the Spirit of Christ. Therefore, beloved ones, let us live as Christians. Just as this single seed holds infinite potential, let us also live as seeds of the Gospel. Amen.