Author: knoxchurchreddeer

Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, and Matthew 27:27-54

 

It is Palm Sunday. There were crowds who welcomed Jesus by waving palm branches to celebrate the coming of the King. Through them, we can read the crowd’s mind. There was a group that dreamed of political independence from the Roman Empire through Jesus. There were also religious groups that viewed Jesus as the Messiah. All of them desired to achieve something through Jesus. They thought of Jesus as a means. It is a very blasphemous expression. They had to worship Jesus and live as His disciples well. However, they had their own ulterior motives.

I feel very sad when I imagine Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem. As Jesus enters the midst of suffering, the disciples fight over who will have power second only to Jesus. Some people calculate the potential benefits they might gain. Some people are plotting to betray Jesus. I think that even the donkey carrying Jesus must have mistaken the cheers people were sending to Jesus for being directed at itself. But was it only the donkey that did like that? I can easily imagine some disciples acting all high and mighty and boasting as if they were Jesus himself. How desperate must Jesus have been to tell His disciples to perform miracles and cast out demons without Him?

When expectations for Jesus turned into disappointment, betrayal was widespread. Peter, who promised to protect Jesus, denies Jesus three times in the future. Jesus’s final entry into Jerusalem, made despite knowing all of this, is an incredibly painful moment. It breaks my heart to look at Jesus from a human perspective. Jesus must repeatedly witness the betrayal of the disciples He trusted. Jesus must helplessly watch as what He had educated and trained for three years crumbles. Even though Jesus has great power, He does not use it. He just acts that way solely to obey God’s will.

He was even placed in a worse position than Barabbas, the robber. How distressing is it if someone tries to kill me? However, the chief priests and leaders make various efforts to kill Jesus. The governor’s soldiers insult and mock Jesus. They make Jesus kneel, spit on him, hit him on the head, and assault him. They nail his arms to the cross and mock him to the very end, calling him the King of the Jews.

If I were in Jesus’ position, I would not have been able to endure it as Jesus did. I probably wasn’t thorough enough with God’s will and plan. However, Jesus trusted God even in the worst moment of his life. In the midst of suffering, he sought God and relied on the Creator. It is to accomplish God’s work. It is for the glory of God. Beyond the passion, it is to complete God’s plan of salvation for us.

It is very challenging for us to follow Jesus’ ministry and perseverance. However, what I wish to propose is to remember the one person who exists in the midst of this pain. The Bible described him with this one verse. He is from Cyrene, named Simon, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross. He came on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from Cyrene in Libya, Africa. He happened to encounter the procession of Jesus’s crucifixion. Even Jesus, who bore the cross, was wronged, and Simon was also forced to carry Jesus’ cross. It would be very shameful if he did not know about Jesus. However, he was with Jesus during that tough moment of suffering. Due to this sacred intervention, he was recorded in the Bible and continues to be repeated by Christians to this day.

The work of the holy God sometimes visits humans at unexpected moments like this. At that time, I hope that we will become like Simon of Cyrene, silently carrying out the Lord’s work and helping God’s ministry. May we spend this holy week as disciples, creating the mysteries of God that are currently unknowable. Amen.

Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, and John 11:1-45

 

It is the 5th Sunday in Lent. Lately, I have been meditating on life, death, faith, and grace. When I think about the life of Jesus, I see it as the way to save humanity. At the same time, it was a way to kill Jesus himself. It is truly ironic. It is difficult to understand giving up my own life for the sake of saving someone else’s life. However, through the grace of Jesus, we have become Christians, and we too are motivated to live an altruistic life like Jesus.

In the Book of Ezekiel, a vision of dry bones is described. When the power of Jehovah comes, God’s breath enters, flesh is formed, skin is covered, and life is created. What do you feel when you read Ezekiel chapter 37? It looks like a scene from a science fiction movie. But what if these things actually happened around us? What if, at Red Deer Cemetery, Mount Calvary Cemetery, and Alto Reste Cemetery, bones paired up, new flesh grew on them, spoke human language, and chased us? It is not Halloween right now. Actually, I am very scared.

In Korea, cemeteries are located on mountains quite far from residential areas. However, in North America and Europe, cemeteries are often seen located within cities or next to churches. There are such differences in a society’s culture and its members’ perceptions of death. The more some feel that the world after death is far away, the more death is a space some must keep away from. Consequently, they had to establish themselves somewhere far away. Cemeteries have become undesirable facilities. However, in Christianity, death is always with us. Ironically, we witness a cruel instrument of execution every Sunday. It is the cross. It made Jesus suffer terribly. It is the place where Jesus, whom we love so much, passed away. Jesus endured terrible suffering on the cross. What is the reason? It is precisely for us. It was for me. Jesus did that to save me. Jesus showed us death and resurrection. Therefore, we can witness the cross of suffering being transformed into the cross of glory.

There is another death besides Jesus. It is the death of Mary and her sister Martha’s brother, Lazarus. It is so desperate that these sisters plead with Jesus for Lazarus, whose condition has worsened severely. “Lord, please visit our home and heal our brother.” They know. They believe that Jesus has such power. However, unlike Jesus’ usual response, he does not immediately grant their request. Instead, he goes to meet Lazarus only after delaying for two more days. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus was already dead.

It was an era when medical technology and treatment were inadequate. Therefore, to prevent the spread of diseases and external contamination after death, people at the time immediately placed the body in a tomb. Likewise, Lazarus has already spent four days in the tomb. Anyone can see that life has biologically ceased. Martha resented Jesus for arriving late. How upset she must have been, in truth? To be honest, I am also very upset these days. This is because I believe that God often calls our members to heaven. So, on the one hand, I also feel that I have lost my beloved members to God.

However, what I feel and believe is this: the fact that God’s embrace is more peaceful than our side. It is also to manifest the glory of God through the moment of the end of all these lives and the beginning of another life. Just as so much snow and rain were needed in winter for summer farming, we cannot experience heaven and eternal life without this condition of death. It is cruel, but true. While it is impossible for us, all of this is possible for God. It was proven in Ezekiel’s vision and confirmed through the proclamation of Jesus Christ. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. The author of the Gospel of John describes this scene very impressively, like a drama trailer. “I am the resurrection and the life.” It was done just as Jesus said. This also serves as a preview of Jesus’s future path. The power of God, who raised Lazarus from the dead, breathed life into countless bodies in the valley of dry bones. And the Creator raised Lazarus and raised Jesus.

Then how should we wait for the work of God’s power to take place? It is waiting with faith and expectation. As the watchman waited for the morning, he looked forward to the majestic light, safety, and the sense of liberation that would come with the shift change after the darkest and most solitary night shift. I served on night duty in the Presidential Security Service in Seoul for over a year, so I can deeply relate to the feelings of a watchman.

While working on the mountain behind the Blue House in pitch darkness, I worried that people or animals might break in. On the one hand, I was worried that an accident might occur because we were on duty carrying bullets. It is especially dark for 30 minutes before sunrise. This is a time when it is difficult for watchmen and soldiers to fight off drowsiness. It is the most dangerous time. So, I spent that time praying that there wouldn’t be any problems until morning. However, the author of the Psalms waits for God even more earnestly than a watchman waits for the morning. This is because the poet, facing a desperate situation, earnestly awaits God’s salvation and forgiveness. He implores God’s help and mercy.

I also pray for God’s work. Please let God stop the countless wars all over the world. Please have pity on the sacrifice of the children who died without reason. Comfort the hearts of those parents. Furthermore, may God visit all bereaved families facing sudden separation with hope, just as He did the sisters Mary and Martha. May the power of God, who opened the eyes of the blind and raised Lazarus from the dead, work in Your people. Also, please bless each and every member who is now in heaven, and breathe life into their bones.

Beloved, I hope that we all witness the glory of God in our daily lives, just as Jesus Christ said. And let us proclaim: “Just as dry bones come to life for the glory of God, dying souls will come to life.” I pray that God, who used Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, will use us today as the breath of God, saving lives. Amen.