Psalm 84:1-7, Luke 18:9-14, and 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
It’s 2025, and there are only two months left. I visited a senior home and a hospital last week. This week, I met with the bereaved family who previously held a funeral. If you look at your calendar, you’ll see events scheduled for tomorrow, next week, a month from now, and even next year. We take it for granted. We assume that we will still be alive at that time. But on the other hand, nothing in this world is taken for granted. If God suddenly calls us today, it is the fate of human beings to have no choice but to respond to that fearful and trembling call. So, every morning, I pray to God: Bless the lives of our church members, be with them, and guide them. I hope that you will accomplish the things you have planned and hoped for in God over the remaining two months.
I began my sermon with a severe episode. The reason is this: because the heart of the author of today’s psalm and the heart of the tax collector in Jesus’ parable are deeply felt. Psalm 84 is full of beautiful expressions. “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty.” Of course, the Hebrews’ perception of God’s presence and of the temple differs from the thinking of our Reformed Church members today. Nevertheless, I can feel that the heart that longs for God and praises His existence is very pure. We can find God’s traces everywhere in His created order. Looking at the sky, mountains, lakes, birds, flowers, stars, and countless living things, I often acknowledge that there are things beyond human talent. Just step out into the fields a little from the heart of Central Alberta, and I feel just how small I am. On the contrary, it makes me meditate on how great God the Creator is. In this perception of God, God’s dwelling place could be a church, a home, or somewhere in nature. However, we can find that the psalmist greatly misses the temple in Jerusalem. As expressed in verse 5, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” The poet had a heart that longed for the living God and for the sanctuary where he believed the Creator dwelt. Some scholars believe the poem’s motif may have come from David, who was fleeing Jerusalem because of his son Absalom’s rebellion. So he wants to meditate on Mount Zion and worship God in the sanctuary.
Of course, God’s sanctuary and the church building are entirely different. But today, the beautiful building provides a precious space for us and our children to practice our faith and experience grace. How precious is this place? I also often meet Christians who were once churchgoers but no longer attend a particular church. Some people have found it challenging to participate in church since the COVID pandemic. However, some people really want to come to church but feel distant in their hearts. When I meet such diverse people, I feel very sad.
I hope that we can all long for God more deeply and live a life of faith together with the heart of the psalmist. Although they have been away from the church community for a while, I hope that they will be able to step back into the church. So, I pray that the Lord’s power will be the driving force in their lives. There are countless Christians who have crossed the Atlantic with a vision given by God. I hope that the faith and vision they possessed in God will be passed on to our children and grandchildren.
“As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs.” The Baka Valley is named after the abundance of baka trees. It is more familiar to us as a balsam tree and is said to have been abundant around Jerusalem. And at that time, people also called this balsam tree the weeping tree. The reason is that a lot of sap flowed out, so it was expressed as tears. Why did the poet mention the weeping trees of this valley of Baca? There were many other place names and meaningful places. But I feel that it is because the poet is currently passing through the valley of tears. At the same time, we know that there are times of tears and trials in human life. We know very well that it is the duty of believers to trust and rely on God, even in difficult times. And after passing through this valley of suffering, the pilgrim can enter the place of glory. The poet also confesses that God’s grace and exceptional help are provided for this purpose.
Baka Valley turns into a place of springs. It’s really fascinating how similar the Hebrew words for ‘springs’ and ‘blessings’ are, with only one vowel difference. It is a metaphorical expression that the valley of tears is transformed into a place of blessing. Autumn rain falls, cooling off the desert heat. The rain that many have been waiting for fills all the springs. The hardship turned into a blessing. The tearful prayers of our predecessors in faith have created us and the church community we are today. I dare say that Canada was also developed through those tearful prayers and God’s guidance.
However, the time we must live through from now on requires the heart of a tax collector rather than a Pharisee, as in Jesus’ parable. Verses 13 and 14. 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Lord, forgive me, a sinner, and have mercy on me. I am ashamed even to dare to ask the Lord. The form and attitude of faith are essential. At the same time, God knows very well the center of that faith, the sincerity of the heart. So, Jesus addresses the tax collector’s heart. “For those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Why is that? Because our Jesus showed us just that. God became human. He accepted the most shameful death on the cross. It was very scandalous and embarrassing, but Jesus went that way. He humbled himself in this way. We all want to be empowered by God through the humility of Jesus. God will lead us into a life of resurrection, faith, and power. Amen.