Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-11, and John 1:29-42
It’s the third Sunday of the new year. I make new resolutions every year, but often I forget them. So, some seniors advise me to make the resolutions again whenever I forget them. I also have a wish and resolution, and I will tell you about it when it comes true by the end of this year.
The Psalm we read today is often read at the New Year. Especially in verse 3, the new song is a symbolic expression of renewing our hearts and renewing our lives. The poet experienced escaping from hardships that he could not overcome on his own. It was possible not because of his own wisdom, but because of God’s complete help. So, he has no choice but to praise God. The original meaning of the phrase “put a new song in my mouth” expressed here is “He allowed me to sing. He forced me to sing. He gave me the message to sing.” So, the poet confesses that he can praise God by making it possible for him to sing of his own will.
In my case, I experienced betrayal by someone I trusted deeply while I was in ministry about 10 years ago. However, I couldn’t tell anyone else about this fact. I trusted him enough to share a lot of my time and energy with him. But when a crisis struck him, he forced me to make a difficult choice. As you all know, there is a dawn prayer meeting in Korea. So, every morning, after all the members had gone home, I stayed in the church, crying and praying alone. When the pastor prayed with great sorrow, the members became worried, so I prayed earnestly when I was alone. I couldn’t sleep properly, and it was very difficult to praise God joyfully. After a little over a month, God pulled me out of the mire. Only then did I begin to understand the poet’s confession a little.
What is the new song in today’s Scripture? Scholars interpret it roughly in three ways. First, he gave new meaning to the hymns he had sung by connecting them to his own religious experience. Second, it could be that the original hymn was sung with modifications. Third, it could be that an entirely new song was created and sung. Of these, I find the first view more persuasive. Because when I went through a time of hardship, I found that the hymns I sang, even though they had the same lyrics, gave me a special grace and emotion different from before. Furthermore, I see myself renewed as I sing the new song.
Through hardship and the wounds of human relationships, I have come to see that I have changed. In the past, I viewed people as objects of trust. But now I realize I need to treat people as objects of love, not just as objects of trust. Of course, there are many very good people around me right now. A few days ago, while responding to a survey on the status of pastors conducted by the denomination, I reflected on how happy and grateful I am to serve as pastor of Knox Presbyterian Church. However, I do not agree that my grateful and joyful ministry is a blessing given equally to all pastors and all believers. Because right now, some people are going through very challenging times. So today I humbly ask for the grace God gave to David. May God’s grace, which renewed David, be given to you. May the mercy of God, who placed David’s feet on the rock and firmly supported his life, be abundant in your home.
Next, like David, Jesus’ two disciples stood at the starting line of new life. Andrew was originally a disciple of John the Baptist. He accepted Jesus as the Messiah through John. At that time, a group of John the Baptist’s disciples regularly fasted, prayed, and practiced piety. John introduced Jesus to his disciples and tried to get them to focus on him. However, as recorded in Acts 18:24-25, Apollos and some of John’s disciples were devoutly pious, but many did not accept Jesus Christ. So even after John the Baptist was imprisoned and lost his life, these people still knew the Bible and had a zeal for knowledge, but they did not receive the Messiah. Therefore, following Jesus like Andrew, Simon Peter is not an easy task. These two disciples did not accept Jesus from the beginning. In verses 36-39, we see that they recognized the Messiah through the introduction of John the Baptist. They also experienced Jesus’ specialness through the words and actions he preached and performed as he moved from one synagogue to another. And based on what they experienced while following Jesus, they finally became certain in verse 41 that Jesus was the Messiah. Those who met Christ in this way did not remain silent. Andrew immediately introduced Jesus to his brother Peter. They are excited and happy to share this with their family. They introduce Jesus Christ to their friends and acquaintances. Because recognizing Jesus and confessing him as the Messiah is a miracle that transcends reason. Because the seeds of miracles were planted in the hearts of those who experienced this miracle. Then, the seed of the gospel has been planted in that person’s life and is now taking root.
Like John, who introduced the Lamb of God, we must continue to introduce Jesus and share information about Him with our acquaintances whenever we have the opportunity. We must preach about Jesus, who became a sacrifice for humanity as the Lamb of God. He is the way of our lives and protects us. He helps us to cast off our sins and transgressions.
Like Andrew and Peter, who decided to leave their old teacher and follow Messiah, we too must follow this Jesus well. Just as they faithfully followed their teacher’s will rather than relying on old feelings or trust, we too must follow the teachings of our teacher, Jesus, today. I hope that we will become people who go beyond human knowledge and various personal networks and focus more on God’s will, plan, and calling. So, I want you to live this year putting God’s kingdom and righteousness first. Let us live a year of intimacy with Jesus, just as the disciples did, who met him, called him Rabbi, and developed a close relationship with him to fulfill God’s plan. May the wisdom and grace they have received be abundantly bestowed upon you all. Amen.