Tag: Rev. Jaebok Gu

Psalm 146, Luke 16:19-31, and 1 Timothy 6:6-19

 

When was the biggest mistake you made in your life? The biggest mistake and experience of repentance that I remember was when I was 15 years old and in middle school. At that time, Korea’s foreign exchange reserves rapidly decreased as companies went bankrupt one after another. There was, however, a problem with the ability to pay foreign investors and creditors. At that time, Korea received financial support from the International Monetary Fund. The problem was that in this process, Korea had to accept demands such as flexible employment conditions that met the standards of the American market. As a result, countless workers were laid off, and in the short term, the government, individuals, and households shouldered the burden of corporate debt. It was a very dark time socioeconomically, and as it overlapped with my adolescence, I had many concerns about rebellion and financial independence. I started a part-time job delivering newspapers at dawn to help support my family. The first problem was that I left home and lived in a newspaper distribution office. The second problem is that I delivered newspapers on a motorcycle without a license. Of course, my hometown is a small county, so the police didn’t punish me for this kind of mistake. However, I remember giving my parents a pretty hard time for a few weeks and skipping church. When I realized my mistake, I didn’t dare to go home right away. I recall that a few days later, I apologized to my parents, repented at church, and resumed living faithfully at home and at school.

The important thing is that we are all humans and can make mistakes or do wrong. Sometimes we sin even though we don’t want to. However, we can learn valuable lessons from mistakes, and we must acknowledge our mistakes before God and the world and repent. This is the story of Lazarus and the rich man, as in the Gospel of Luke. A rich man, who ignores the suffering and hunger of the poor while alive, is suffering in Hades. Lazarus, on the other hand, was taken to Abraham’s side. Now the rich man regrets his past in extreme pain. So, he asks Abraham to help the five living brothers repent. We know that if we have anything to repent of, it is wise to do so as soon as possible while we are still alive. We must repent before it is too late, lest we lose our last chance to do so.

I see the wisdom of Canadians and the Presbyterian Church in Canada in this regard. Our denomination operated twelve residential schools at the time, the closest of which was Stony Plain School (St. John’s Schools) in west Edmonton from 1947 to 1963. Of course, we know that the boarding school was run with good intentions. On the one hand, we might think that there were mistakes on the part of our seniors or people with no connection to us at all. On the other hand, there are still people who are experiencing conflicts due to big and small issues near the Indigenous reserve. It takes courage to speak of apologies and work toward reconciliation in this situation. Through this, we also come face to face with mistakes we were unaware of and the sins of our predecessors. We know that despite good initial intentions and planning, inadequate budgets and inexperienced operations have caused significant harm to First Nations.

Today, we wear orange shirts and remember six-year-old Phyllis Webstad. She entered the St. Joseph Mission Residential School in B.C. Young Phyllis was wearing a brand-new and beloved orange shirt on her first day of school, but those in charge took it away and replaced it with the school’s institutional uniform. She never saw the shirt again. The loss of an orange shirt has become symbolic of all that was taken from children at the schools—language, spirituality, culture, family and community relationships, safety, security, identity, and sometimes even their lives. Today, we empathize with their pain and, at the same time, courageously confess the mistakes of our predecessors as our own. Respecting and caring for their culture, our church continues to provide responsible apologies and relief for the ongoing identity issues and various physical and mental pain and issues within Indigenous communities.

Second, we are invited to fight the good fight of faith. Paul speaks to Timothy: “¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” “Timothy, you have been called to be the pastor of the church in Ephesus. Be sure to be sound in the faith,” Paul encourages. So, fight the good fight of faith. Why did he recommend this? This is because there were many false teachers at the time, and some cleverly mixed truth with lies. Even today, some people cleverly mix truth and lies to create news and YouTube clips. Some organizations engage in scams and fraud. They manipulate statistics or partially exploit science to hide the truth. As smartphones and social networking services become deeply ingrained in our lives, personal privacy is often compromised and disclosed indiscriminately. This is also collected and weaponized by artificial intelligence and hackers. Although much time has passed since the Bible was written, it still calls us, the saints, to fight the good fight of faith. Being asked to be courageous in the face of adversity is also part of the good fight. Facing the truth is sometimes painful, but having the courage to face it is also part of fighting the good fight. And let us live through all this with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness, as Paul admonished. Our God will give us eternal life as a gift. Amen.

1 Timothy 2:1–7, Psalm 113, and Luke 16:1–13

 

The parable of the Shrewd Manager in the Gospel of Luke is found only in the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke is particularly notable for its emphasis on recovering what was lost and on restoring previously marginalized groups. Another thing that I find very interesting is that there is a metaphor that deals with caution and wisdom about money. The shrewd manager is actually dishonest. At the same time, he worries about irresponsibly wasting his master’s possessions and losing his status. But an objective assessment of oneself is also accurate. This is verse 3. “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg” Yes. Now he ponders what he should do: debt forgiveness. He uses his authority to the fullest extent possible to forgive a certain percentage of the debts owed to the master. In this situation, which could be called a misuse of authority, the owner instead praises this manager. “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” When he wasted his master’s possessions, he was judged by his master to be a dishonest manager. But now he is praised by his master for making friends and creating an eternal dwelling with his master’s wealth.

On the one hand, you might feel that Jesus’ parables and praise are a bit excessive. But here’s the critical point: Some psychologists even say that those who claim to have no desire for money can be the ones who are most greedy. I also have a passion for money. Our church is having a fundraising event this coming Saturday. I often think that it would be great if someone donated a million dollars to our church. However, if someone thinks about money too often, things like money and investments will take away their mind and nerves. So, some people are struggling these days by getting hooked on a virtual currency called Bitcoin. Of course, I think it’s okay if it doesn’t interfere with your daily life at all. But if you’re caught up in investing, casinos, and getting rich quickly, I think you’re now under the control of money. That soul is under the rule of capital, not the rule of God. That is why Jesus says in verse 13: “No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.” We cannot serve both God and money. So, Jesus’ core message is that money should be used well as a tool. When we use it wisely, like a wise manager, it makes our lives shine. But if we love money too much and become addicted to it, becoming a slave to it and putting money in the place of God, our life will be in crisis. So we are all familiar with the parable of the rich young ruler who turned away from Jesus because he served both God and money. So we must keep in mind the value of a wise life of faith.

Second, believers must live with prayer. Paul asks Timothy to pray for everyone. Praying for everyone means praying for the lives of all people living in the world. We must pray for their circumstances, needs, and problems. We live in a time when war has become a daily occurrence. Some countries use tariffs as a weapon to twist the wrists of neighboring countries. There is a country that is working hard to build nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers to become the next superpower. Many countries are losing their future because of drugs. There are countries where it is difficult to eat even one meal a day. Even now, some people cannot sleep because they hear the sound of missiles and attack drones flying. They need our prayers. We must support efforts to work through interdenominational organizations and governments that can provide more systematic assistance than we can.

For this, we must pray for kings and all those in authority. Only then may we live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. We must pray that the leaders of the world will fear God. If we fear business more than God and serve the idol called Mammon more than God, our community will face a great crisis. Why did the Apostle Paul ask us to pray for kings here? This is because the emperor of the Roman Empire forced the citizens to worship him. Before Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, emperor worship was the religion of the empire. Therefore, when a person refused to worship the emperor, they were executed. So, the believers at that time thought of the emperor as the Antichrist and a force of Satan. So it was natural to pray for the emperor and local vassals who persecuted Christians at the time. Because their repentance to God was a vital missionary task. The authorities in high positions were also hostile to Christianity. However, because they decide important policies, they are included in the prayer list.

What’s interesting is that while the Gospel of Luke, up until now, has focused on the lost, the marginalized, and the vulnerable in society, the book of Timothy focuses on kings, leaders, and the powerful. Why is that? The reason is in verse 4. The reason is that God wants all people to be saved. God loved us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the mediator between God and humanity. It is difficult for us to become like the Lord in ransom. But we, too, can become people of prayer, mediators, like Jesus. For this reason, He called us every day. He asked us to pray and take action.

Beloved, let us approach God in prayer, discerning the affairs of this world with wisdom. I hope that we can look around us, pray for the world, and spread love. Amen.

Exodus 32:7-14, Psalm 51:1-10, and Luke 15:1-10

 

When we read the Bible, we often ask ourselves: Are the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament the same? Why is that? The reason is that when reading the Old Testament, it is easy to get the impression of a fiercely angry God. Conversely, when reading the New Testament, it is easy to picture the God we imagine through the Gospels as a very merciful face. At the same time, we can imagine God’s face through charming metaphors, like Solomon’s Song of Songs in the Old Testament.

God reveals His own face to us through various ministries. He is with us sometimes as a friendly father, sometimes as a loving mother, sometimes as a friend, and sometimes as a fearful judge. We can see this again in Exodus today. God, who loved the people of Israel so much, saved them from slavery in Egypt. He led Israel out of Egypt through numerous miracles. But the journey into Canaan is not simple. It’s only about 500 kilometers, roughly the distance from Red Deer to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is a distance that can be easily reached in two weeks by walking 10 hours a day. But God made Israel walk and walk and walk this distance for 40 years.

Babies and children make mistakes several times a day. Israel often forgot the existence of God. They envied the lives of the people wherever they went. They also admired the local gods. At this time, God became terribly angry. Verse 10 expresses this well. “Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” That’s a terrifying expression. Moses pleaded with God: “Please relent. The nations will say that you saved Israel with evil intentions and plans.” He desperately tried to persuade God. However, God, hearing this, says that he will not become angry right away. He quickly calmed down. Isn’t it amazing?

As I raise my children, I often realize that I have a lot of anger inside me. Psychologists say that children are children and need psychological independence and distance from their parents. However, when this distance is very close, parents often interfere with their children without any boundaries. So, people who are so kind to others can be very strict with their children. What is needed at this time, as we all know, is to support children to develop self-esteem and independence. It is to help them so that they can harness the power of faith, manage their emotions effectively, and acquire the wisdom to overcome difficulties.

Dear friends, as we all know, when the Book of Exodus was written, Israelite society was different from modern society. At that time, many people thought of God as simply the god of the Hebrew people. They thought he was just one of many gods. But Almighty God shatters their thoughts. We can see the image of God, who transcends the God of one nation and encompasses all of humanity, in the Gospel of Luke today.

Several of the parables found in Luke 15 through 17:10 are unique to the Gospel of Luke. There is no record in Matthew or Mark, which share a common account. Through these parables, we can identify the problems of the religious leaders, the Pharisees, while also gaining insight into God’s character. Through the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son, the shrewd steward, we can see that God cares for and loves every one of His lost people.

It is a society of laws where if you meet a sinner, you become a sinner, and if you touch something unclean, you are separated from the community. Yet, right in the midst of that society, sinners come to Jesus, as in Luke. No, to be exact, Jesus visits an area that is considered a neighborhood of sinners. He preaches the gospel to them and transforms their lives. However, the Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus’ ministry. Maybe they are just thirsty for recognition. Please look at us first, for we have kept the law so well. Please praise us. The Pharisees of that time believed that God hated sinners, so a righteous person should not associate with sinners. Based on this perception, they thoroughly avoided sinners. Just as the word “Pharisee” itself means “separated one,” they criticized and rejected Jesus for associating with tax collectors and sinners. But through these three parables, Jesus explains the joy of God when lost sinners are restored. It describes the heart of a shepherd who goes out to find even one lost sheep out of a hundred. It is testified that Jesus came to desperately seek every sinner, just as a master desperately searches for his one and only sheep. Jesus said that he experiences greater joy when one sinner repents than when 99 righteous people repent.

Here we encounter another face of God. In this story, we do not find a God of terrible wrath. We can only think of God with a merciful and loving expression. We can understand God’s longing heart as He seeks out the people of the world, beyond Israel. Until now, God has sent the law and prophets to this earth. So, through them, God’s will and plan were conveyed. It was God’s guidance through agents. But from now on, He will send Jesus Christ directly. Through Jesus, who is God himself, God helps humans better understand God’s heart. God shows us through Jesus what the gospel is and what God’s great and deep love is like. He willingly met the poor and sinners. He went to seek out the marginalized of this land, those who had lost their names and their language. For those who feel abandoned by society, Jesus remains a source of hope today. What face of God can we see here? We can picture them being saved, restored, and coming back to God. We can imagine the joyful faces of parents who find their lost children again.

Beloved, God’s bright face looks upon all the peoples of the world. I hope you live this week in joy. May you be blessed to be with Jesus, who comes to you every day with incredible grace and hope prepared for you. Amen.

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.

Isaiah 58:9-14, Psalm 103:1-8, and Hebrews 12:18-29

 

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been reflecting on my ministry and life. Rev. McNeil’s Sunday sermon gave me valuable time and opportunity to ponder my ministry. The purpose of a Christian’s life is to please God. This is the core of the doctrine that the Reformed Church has been developing for a long time. The first thing is to believe in God and serve Him. At this point, I felt that my ministry in Red Deer was an excellent opportunity to focus more on God and to please the Creator. This thought was the same a year ago as it is now. Here, I can focus on God more than on any of the resources and talents I have relied on so far. I have to give up everything I’ve relied on: my education, my relationships, my language, and my culture. And then you have to start over. In the new land and church, the first thing we can rely on is God. Also, the one who will help me most powerfully is God. So I am very grateful for the ministry at Knox. Because it is a good place for me as a believer and as a pastor. At the same time, I am happy that you are collaborating with us on many ministries.

Here is the verse from Isaiah 9: “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” When we call upon the Lord, He promises to answer.

First, those who please God throw away the yoke, pointing fingers, and malicious talk. Here, the original word for ‘do away’ means to chase away or leave. So we see the prophet Isaiah’s admonition to thoroughly remove the yoke of oppression, with its pointing finger and malicious talk, from our lives. How many yokes do we carry in our lives? Worries about parents, worries about children, and financial anxiety. There are so many stresses weighing on our shoulders. But sometimes these kinds of anxieties and burdens can either make me heavier or, on the contrary, make me lighter. Your worries about your parents may be alleviated by contacting them one more time and revisiting them. You can release your fears about your children and entrust them to God. We need to pray for them, bless them, and discover the gifts and grace that God has granted to them as children. And we support them. Economic anxiety and stress are complex topics for me, too. I just try to pray and leave it to God, and not get caught up in the stress. And when we stumble over financial difficulties, God places Christians right beside us. The Creator tells us to do God’s work through us, to help people, and to protect the world. Because we are all God’s people, we must participate in this ministry and can accomplish it.

We need to stay away from finger-pointing and malicious talk. This was an act of mockery and contempt culturally at the time. Malicious talk includes insulting and slandering the other person. So other scriptures interpret this passage as speaking wickedness or speaking vanity. Ultimately, this passage emphasizes the importance of refraining from speaking negatively about one’s neighbors.

Second, the person who pleases God is the one who empathizes with and helps the hungry and the suffering. This is verse 10. “if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Verse 10 emphasizes the importance of practicing love toward our neighbors. It encourages you to dedicate yourself to those in need. It is an invitation to use my time, my wealth, and my talents for them. The mysterious point is verse 7, which emphasizes, “to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood.” However, verse 10 further emphasizes this point by saying, “spend ourselves.” I understand this verse to mean, “Give yourself to the hungry. Give your all.” The prophet urges us to understand them from the depths of our hearts, to understand their situation and circumstances, and to empathize with their pain. It is not only about consciously helping our neighbors in need, but also about serving them wholeheartedly. It is an invitation to care for them with even more passionate love. I am very proud of our mission committee and the youth who plan this mission.

Finally, the prophet urges us to keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day to commemorate God’s rest after He created the world. It is a day to set aside one’s own work and worldly needs temporarily. This gives us a chance to rest and refresh. So we can keep this day holy and give thanks for God’s grace. The purpose is to worship the Lord, read the Word, meditate on it, and enjoy it. Four thousand years ago, when agriculture and nomadism were the primary industries, taking one day off in a week meant losing one-seventh of production and income. Some people thought that keeping the Sabbath was a loss. Some people made their servants work continuously, even on weekends.

But the Sabbath is a time to recharge through rest and meditate on God’s work. Furthermore, the Sabbath is not only a day for solemn worship of God, but also a day for all of us to enjoy and reflect. Therefore, this day is God’s day and should be set apart as a precious one. It is necessary to rejoice in the Lord and find joy in Him. Therefore, beloved, let us all worship God acceptably with Reverence and Awe. The Lord God will shower you with exceptional grace and mercy. Amen.