Every season of Lent, I try to come up with a theme, a theme that flows through the Bible readings for the entire six weeks in Lent. What is the theme for the current season of Lent? Look at the altar. The draping purple cloth and the six candles are not just there to make our sanctuary beautiful. Yes, they do symbolize the theme, “the Way of Salvation.” It tells us, our way goes along with the way of Jesus to the cross. And through worship, we have been reflecting on the things we experience as we journey through the way of salvation. On Ash Wednesday, we meditated on our beginning and end, our dust-ness and mortality. On the first Sunday in Lent, we thought about Jesus in the wilderness and the three temptations of human desire, will, and fear. On the second Sunday, we reflected on our way of being the church, being the community of the saved in this secular, skeptical, and individualistic age. And today, we are looking into a rather uncomfortable and yet essential topic of Lent: repentance and forgiveness.

I know, these days, repentance is not a popular subject of any sermon. Who would want to hear that you are a sinner or there’s something seriously wrong with you? And I also know, these days, preachers have been reluctant to present Jesus as the one who fiercely fought the evil in the world. He was not just a gentle guy, meek and mild, not a buddy, a therapist, or a life-coach. Jesus got very upset with people. He criticized evildoers and cursed hypocrites. He frequently admonished his disciples. And he even overturned the tables of money-changers and wielded the whip of cords in front of the temple. For sure, Jesus unconditionally loved the people around him, but at the same time, he was just and righteous to their sin. This is why he demanded them to truly repent. 

The season of Lent is called the season of repentance—forty days of honest reflection on our identity as sinners. We know, by God’s grace through our faith, we, though sinners, are saved by Jesus from sin and its consequence—death. Jesus opens us the way of salvation. However, please remember, our journey on this way can begin only when we repent. Yes, we should repent first, to be redeemed and to walk the way with Jesus. Some people say, Lent is only a penultimate journey; Easter, resurrection, the victory over death, is our ultimate destination. But before reaching that point, today we better pray honestly and solemnly looking into our spiritual status quo. And we better strike at the root of our complacency and comfort, and get down on our knees to repent. 

You may ask, what does it mean to repent? The word, “repentance,” originated from the Greek word, “metanoia,” which simply means, turning around, the change of direction. Let’s say we all are driving down to south. We would usually take either the Garden State Parkway or I-95. But some of you might take some other local routes too. It’s totally up to you. And let’s say that these roads and routes represent our ways of life we choose. Then here, repentance is not a matter of choosing between the Garden State Parkway and I-95. Repentance is a matter of changing direction from south to north. It’s about turning back from death to life, turning back from self to God, turning back from sin to Jesus Christ on the cross.  

In today’s Gospel story, Jesus is telling us about this repentance. In the days of Jesus, there were two tragic news that everybody knew. Pilate, the Roman governor, massacred the Galilean pilgrims who came to Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices with no clear reason. And there followed a unfortunate accident at Siloam where eighteen people died by a fallen tower. To comprehend such tragedies, people thought, the dead were worse sinners than the alive, and their sin caused the wrath of God. So the crowd asks Jesus what he thinks about their reasoning. Jesus answers them, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did”(Luke 13:3; 5). What does this mean? First, Jesus denies their reasoning, “No, God is not the God of wrath.” Second, Jesus moves their focus to a more pressing issue, the issue of repentance, “Sooner or later, you will all die too, so when you still have time, you should repent. And this is much more important than finding reasons for those tragedies.” 

According to Jesus, we can’t figure out why good things or bad things happen in our lives. They are out of our control anyway. Some may choose the Garden State Parkway and unfortunately have all the roadside constructions and lane closures. Others may take I-95 with some traffics but somehow go along rather smoothly. That’s life. Be that as it may. But one thing is clear: unless we change our direction, we will go down and perish. No matter how lucky or unlucky we are on our ways of life, if we don’t change our direction, we will go down and perish. So Jesus is telling us today, repent and change the direction. And this is something we can surely do today, and every day.

Now some of you might wonder, “I confess my sins personally and in every worship service. I got baptized and have faith in Jesus. Doesn’t it mean that I am saved and I already changed my direction of life?” Yes, it does. By God’s grace through our faith, we are saved. Our sins are forgiven and now our direction of life is towards the new life in Christ. But at the same time, we should be keenly aware that we can very easily move backward. Although we changed the direction to north but we can still move backward to south. Yes, we can still relapse. This is what we Methodists call backsliding.

In today’s Gospel story, Jesus also tells us about this backsliding through the parable of the fig tree. In the parable, a man has a fig tree planted in his vineyard and it bears no fruit. So he asks his gardener to cut it down. Then the gardener replies, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down” (Luke 13:8-9). We know for sure that our God is the God of grace who gives us a certain time to repent and move forward. Yet it is also clear that our God is the God of justice who will surely judge our sin at the end. So in our limited time on earth, we need to intentionally walk on the right track, and like the John the Baptist says, we need to bear fruits worthy of repentance on our way of salvation. 

Faithful companions in Christ, I know, today, I am talking much about a topic that is not just good to hear. But please remember, from time to time it’s really necessary to be aware of who we are and what we ought to do. We still have time, although it is yet limited, and we still have one another who journey together in the right direction. In this season of Lent, let us do something to bear good fruits in life. Let us keep staying in the loving relationship with God and with people around us, keep growing in faith and holiness by joining the works of piety and works of mercy in our church, and keep repenting when we fall back, and keep submitting ourselves to God to be redirected. May God be with all of us with the grace that abundantly pardons. May we drink the living water from our rock of salvation, Jesus Christ, and wash our sins away. And may the Holy Spirit be with us and empower us to step always forward to the new and everlasting life. Amen.  

In the remote mountains in Northern Ethiopia, a Coptic Christian priest makes an incredible journey to his church every day. He doesn’t walk or drive to the church but “climbs” up to the church. And this climb is incredible because his church is not just somewhere on a hill or in a valley of the mountain. Rather, it is located above a staggering cliff. His church is one of the rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia, which is carved into the side of a towering sandstone pinnacle. Can you believe it? Let’s find out. 
 
Ethiopia’s Chapel in the Sky
 
Isn’t that inspiring? For the priest and the members of Abuna Yemata church, joining a worship service is, truly, a matter of life and death. On their journey, they have to climb one 35-foot steep cliff by only using carved footholds; they have to cross a few rickety bridges, and at the end of their journey, there is a narrow ledge with a 650-foot drop on its side, which finally leads them to the church. If this were a United Methodist Church, the church should do something for their handicap accessibility…but anyway, after watching the video, who cannot admire these Ethiopian Christians. What they demonstrate on their journey is their serious commitment to their faith.

How was your journey to the church this morning? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not asking this as a setup to eventually tell you, your journey is way too easy breezy. Actually, it’s exactly the opposite. I think the journey each one of you had to take to come here this morning also demonstrates a serious commitment to your faith. I’m not saying this just to make you feel good, because it’s true. Yes, we don’t have physical challenges like climbing a steep cliff, crossing a rickety bridge or a narrow ledge. But we do have a different set of challenges here in North America on our way to the church this morning, and moreover, on our lifelong journey of salvation. 

On our way, what kind of challenges do we encounter? I see the steep cliff of secularism. Many people don’t care about the church anymore. They don’t care about seemingly obsolete ideas such as discipleship and salvation. For them, the church should be consumer-friendly and at least entertaining with hip music and trendy messages. On our way, I see the rickety bridge of skepticism. Some criticize, Christian faith is irrelevant and unreasonable in this scientific age. Others denounce, churchgoers are intolerant, hypocritical, and judgmental. And on our way, I see the narrow ledge of individualism. Fragmented and polarized individuals don’t find a meaning of building a loving community with different people. It looks tiresome for them to accept and forgive one another, and love one another beyond political, racial, and cultural barriers. 

Against all these critical challenges in our time, in our culture, today, you chose to come all the way to the church and to be a precious part of this church family. You chose to climb and navigate the mountains of our time with one another. So I thank God for that, for your commitment to your faith, for your willingness to be the church in times like this. Here, you may ask, “Did I? Really?” But let me tell you, “Yes, you did.” Each one of you are a living testimony of faith here today. Your presence here actually means much more than you think…to me, to the world, and more importantly, to God. 

As we continue to be the church, to build a compassionate community against the tough challenges of secularism, skepticism, and individualism, there’s one more thing I should thank God for. I thank God for our forebears of faith, Abraham and Paul and our Lord Jesus Christ who showed us how to journey faithfully.

Abraham heard the call of God at age seventy-five. Then he left his home, all that he knew and loved. In today’s Hebrew Bible reading, he doesn’t even know where he is going. He has fears and doubts. Nevertheless, he is still on his way through the wilderness to the land that God may show him someday. Here, God reassures him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great” (Genesis 15:1). No matter what the challenges are, Abraham keeps on going on his way of faith.

Paul wrote today’s Epistle, the letter to the Philippians, in prison. From the letter, we see, even in a prison cell, he’s dearly worried about his friends in the Philippian church where some false teachers caused threats. He says, “I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears…their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven…. stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.” (Philippians 3:18-20; 4:1). No matter what the challenges are, Paul keeps on going on his way with his friends in Philippi, the way of heavenly citizenship.

Jesus is warned by some Pharisees in today’s Gospel story. They say, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” Hearing this threatening news, Jesus tells them, “Go and tell that fox for me…today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way” (Luke 13:32-33). Then, Jesus laments over Jerusalem that he tried to gather people together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but they were not willing (Luke 13:34). Jesus has too many challenges to bear in his ministry. But no matter what the challenges are, Jesus keeps on going on his way to the cross. 

 Faithful friends in Christ, on our way forward, we will continue to face challenges. Your way to the church will be blocked off by so many mountains of earthly things, and the spirits of this age. The churches in North America in general have been already declining and losing members. A crisis, it is. And here’s what I want you to do this week. I want you to take a moment and think about the challenges that may keep you from this faith community and keep you from God. And I want you to pray honestly, find some hopes you may still have for the church, and hold on to them. 
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By God’s grace through faith, we are called out from darkness into the marvelous light. No matter what these challenges are, they cannot change our sacred worth and beloved-ness. Look around, look at one another’s face, because of you, there’s an undeniable hope for the church. There’s no cliff steep enough, no bridge rickety enough, no ledge narrow enough to keep us from climbing up the mountain with Jesus and to be the church with one another. So let us continue to trust God who is our shield, to focus on our heavenly citizenship, and to put our best effort to be on our way and to build a loving, forgiving, and life-giving family of God, here and now. Amen. 

One of the biggest joys for me as a United Methodist pastor is that I have good colleagues. Through our connectional church system and our clergy small groups, we get to know one another quite well. When we meet, honestly, we don’t always spend time praying or meditating on the Bible, but we always eat, and we talk and talk and talk…and talk too much. Yes, because we are preachers, I guess, it’s quite natural for us to talk and share stories. Among those chatty meetings, there was one that was exceptionally chatty meeting I remember. It was filled with stories after stories; we were so into them that we didn’t even recognize how fast the time passed. Can you guess what kind of stories we shared that day? Believe it or not, they were the stories about our funeral experiences. 

As you can imagine, these stories were quite heavy. One of the stories I can’t forget came out while we were talking about the smallest funeral we’ve ever officiated. A very seasoned pastor said that he officiated a funeral with only one person. One day, he got a phone call from a funeral home in town urgently asking him to officiate a brief funeral. Fortunately, he was available so went there right away. He didn’t know anything but the name of the deceased. As soon as he entered the room, he was quite surprised that there was nobody but one person sitting in the room. The person was the daughter but she seemed not to care that much about her father’s funeral. Then, the pastor got even more surprised as he looked at the casket. That casket was just a pure plastic box. He said, even the word casket felt too luxurious for such a thing. It really was a shabby box made with thin plastic panels. Composing his mind, he somehow finished that funeral. But he said, that experience was deeply engraved in him. And as he recalled the experience, he again and again asked one question on “how to live and how to die.”

How to live and how to die? This fundamental question about human life is always before us, even though we usually ignore it or we are too busy to reflect on it. But here we are, today, in the Season of Lent. We are in an opportune time to ask this question in all seriousness. How should we live and die? What would be a Christian answer to this question? As our way of looking for an answer, I invite you to see Jesus Christ once again. Especially today I invite you to the all-too-famous story about his temptation in the wilderness once again on this first Sunday in Lent. And it is my hope and prayer that from this short story, we find the way of salvation.  

In today’s Gospel story, we see Jesus walk into the wilderness. Following his baptism, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness where he goes through three temptations. You remember, every time the devil tempts Jesus, he turns it down with such inspiring words. This conversation between the devil and Jesus clearly depicts the contrast between our human way of life and Jesus’ way of salvation. Let me tell you about these temptations and Jesus’ answers one more time. The first temptation is targeted at Jesus’ hunger, his human desire. To Jesus who is so famished, the devil says, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Then, Jesus answers the devil, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Here, the devil’s word sounds obvious, “A typical way of human life is to strive for satisfaction of their hungers and desires. And for this, you use whatever means at your disposal.” But Jesus teaches us, “The way of salvation is to find the lasting joy and fulfillment in God. And for this, we shall empty our hunger and desire to give room for the Holy Spirit.”

The second temptation is targeted at Jesus’ ego, his human will. The devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and promises that if Jesus worships him, all the glory and authority will be his. Then, Jesus answers the devil, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Here, the devil’s word sounds sweet, “A typical way of human life is to worship and seek power, authority, wealth, and fame—something that inflates your ego and inflames your will.” But Jesus leads us, “The way of salvation is to follow and carry out not my will but God’s will. And for this, we shall humble our ego and surrender our will to give ways to God.” 

The third temptation is targeted at Jesus’ fear, his human nature for survival. The devil places him on the pinnacle of the temple and says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, God will commend angels to protect you.” Then, Jesus answers the devil, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Here, the devil’s word sounds so enticing, “A typical way of human life is to ensure safety amid fears even by taking extreme measures.” But Jesus guides us, “The way of salvation is to hold on to faith in God’s steadfast presence in our lives, to believe without doubt, we are beloved children of God no matter what.” 

These temptations show us the contrast between human life and the way of salvation. Through the devil, the story reveals the nature of human life—hunger-driven, ego-driven, and fear-driven. But here we gathered to find and live the way of salvation as Jesus proclaimed. We want to empty our hunger and desire, surrender our ego and will, and trust God’s steadfast presence more and more so that we can be more like Jesus. How to live and how to die? On this way of salvation, we live our new life as we die to ourselves and live only with Christ who leads us into everlasting life. We struggle to make our small victories over the constant temptations, on our journey through the wilderness of life. Then, someday, we will die. But we will die to be alive evermore in peace of Christ.

In this season of Lent, Jesus calls us to the forty-day journey on the way of salvation. Jesus calls us to a spiritual wilderness, a time of solitude and a space away from our familiar routine to see God and see our life more clearly. He calls us to an intentional time of prayer, listening to God as we search for guidance and direction. He is sending us a wake-up call. We are asked to take the journey leaving where we stand and write our own stories of victory with Jesus. How would you live and how would you die? Are you ready to take a step on his way of salvation today?

July 23rd, 2018 was one of the saddest days in my life. On that day, I was on my vacation in Acadia National Park in Maine until I got the shocking news. The news was about a South Korean politician and activist whom I had admired for a long time; he took his own life. I was devasted. I couldn’t believe it. He was a person of integrity who dedicated himself to making a better society for the working class, for the poor, and for the marginalized. He graduated prestigious schools; in the past, it was a ticket to an affluent elite-class life. But he chose to live as a welder in a steel factory sharing his life with manual workers until he became a politician. I deeply respected him. I even met him a few times as a member of his party. He was my hope for South Korean politics. But that hope was completely lost that day. 

Broken hearted and saddened, I went out to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia next morning. I just tried to compose myself watching over the sea from the summit. But the mountaintop was surrounded by thick cloud and fog. So as getting to the top, I couldn’t see anything. It was frustrating. But as soon as driving down the mountain, I could see some sunlight gradually coming through and the cloud and fog began to clear away. Right then, this wonderful view caught my eyes. The cloud was passing by the islands around Bar Harbor. To me, it felt like the cloud was comforting the islands struggling in a sea of suffering. It felt like the cloud was consolingly patting the islands on their shoulders and saying, “it’s alright. It’s okay. Carry on.” While I was looking at the view, there was one Taize song playing in my car. It was Da Pacem Domine, which means, “Give peace, oh Lord.” The song played, “Da pacem domine…give peace, oh Lord, give peace, oh Lord…” At that moment, I felt the Spirit moving in my heart and mending my wound. It was an extraordinary moment of profound comfort and peace beyond words.

As we live our lives in faith, we sometimes experience small extraordinary moments when we feel God is with us, comforts us, and guides us. We may sense this presence of God in our prayers or worship services, when reflecting on the Scripture and having holy communion, in the love and care from our family and friends, or at some unexpected events. Life sometimes knocks us down on our knees like it does to anybody else. But we Christians can somehow muddle through sufferings and pains in our lives and keep on living in faith, because we have those inspiring and spirit-filled moments, and because those small extraordinary moments lead us to this simple assurance: our living God is with us always in our ordinary lives. 

From today’s Hebrew Bible and Gospel stories, we see Moses and the disciples experience not just small but huge extraordinary moments on the mountaintops. They directly encounter God and the divine epiphany. Moses was on his way down from the Mount Sinai after he personally met God and received the two tablets of the covenant. His face was shining because he was with God and in the direct presence of God’s glory, so he had to put a veil on his face. It’s incredible.
 
How about the disciples of Jesus? Peter, John, and James went up to the mountain with Jesus. While Jesus was praying, they were sleepy but suddenly, their eyes got opened up wide. They saw the appearance of Jesus change and his clothes become dazzling white. And they saw Moses and Elijah talking to Jesusabout his upcoming passion. Peter, trying to stay in this ecstatic moment a little longer, said he will make three tents for them. But then a cloud came and overshadowed the disciples. And from the cloud, they heard a voice saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35)

The mountaintop experiences of Moses and the disciples…these are truly extra-extraordinary moments of divine wonder. Although they are so amazing, Moses and the disciples cannot stay there forever. They need to come down from the mountaintop. And they have to go back to their ordinary lives and face their reality full of challenges. When Moses comes down from the mountain, the people of Israel are waiting for him in the valley with weary and tired hearts. On their long journey to the promised land, they have been complaining all the time and recently, they even made an idol, a golden calf, and worshipped it. Moses knows well. Still, it’s going to be hard to lead them. 

When the disciples of Jesus come down from the mountain, they face a great crowd in the valley with a child seized by an unclean spirit. The disciples struggle and fail to cast it out. So Jesus has to do it. Even it is right after they experienced the divine glory revealed in Jesus on the mountaintop, the disciples are still unable to bring good news to the crowd in the valley. They still are the same humans with doubts and fears. And the reality before them is still tough to deal with. 

The mountaintop experiences were of divine majesty. But as soon as Moses and the disciples come down, they face their mundane reality. But, needless to say, that’s where they belong to and that’s where their lives and ministry go on. So what should they do? They should keep on muddling through the valley of agony with the assurance they have from the mountaintop of glory. Our Christian life is exactly the same. We should keep on living our lives in faith, keep on our journey of salvation through our messy ordinary life as we faithfully remember small extraordinary moments that we experienced our God of Immanuel, God with us. Then, only then, we will be gradually transformed and transfigured by the Spirit and become more like Jesus day by day. 

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today, I hope we may remember and even newly experience another small extraordinary moment of God’s presence here and now. Therefore, as we continue to worship and share holy communion, it is my prayer that we may be deeply mindful of the Spirit moving in our hearts and filling us with the grace and glory of the mountaintop. So as we leave this place, we may be inspired and empowered to keep muddling through the valleys in our lives. Until we reach the glory of Jesus through our journey of transformation and transfiguration, may the light and joy of Christ be in our hearts always and enable us to keep on muddling through any shadow or brokenness of the world. Amen. 

It was last Wednesday afternoon when snow was starting to fall heavily. I had to go somewhere so I was driving on I-95. Every car on the road was slowing their speed down and carefully moving along to keep enough distance. But there was this one car in the next lane; this car suddenly cut me off without any proper caution. I was quite surprised and had to press the brake pedal fast and hard on the slippery road. Let me tell you, it was very annoying. But there was one more thing that surprised me even more. It was the plate number of that car. As soon as I saw it, I couldn’t help laughing. The plate number was, “AMENOOO.” Seriously, I’m not joking. It really was, “AMENOOO.” I felt sorry to the driver, but it was so funny. And I got to laugh even more when I saw two bumper stickers on this car. On the left side of the bumper, one sticker said, “Let the Church Say.” And on the right side, the other sticker said, what? Yes, “Amen!” Again, I am not joking at all. I also noticed, there was a shiny chrome trim around the plate, saying, “Peace in Christ.” I thought, “Oh my God…where did this driver get all these from?” Anyway, it was too obvious. The driver must be a Christian, must be a very faithful one. But the problem was that he kept on driving way too wild and reckless. Indeed, the driver decorated his car as godly as he can but drove the car as ungodly as he can. So I asked myself, “does he know what amen even means? And ultimately, to what, this person says amen? To what?” I was curious but there was no way I could find the answer.

Do you know what “amen” means? The word “amen” is a special form of response. In the Bible it’s a declaration of affirmation to a certain message, word, prayer, or command. It’s a solemn expression of strong agreement and hearty approval. So when we say amen to something, it’s like we say, “Yes, I do so believe,” “I certainly agree with it,” or “So be it!” Thinking of these meanings, I hoped the driver might have a great word of God he cherishes so much in his heart that he has to say amen to it all the time even with the plate and the bumper stickers on his car. If not, the word amen is meaningless. And I know there’s no such thing like Christian driving or Christ-like driving, but I think, if he would care more about others on that snowy road, his amen must be more meaningful. 

Today, right after I read the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, we all said, “Amen.” Do you remember? By saying this amen, we gave our full consent to nobody else but Jesus Christ. We replied back to Jesus himself, “Yes, I do so believe.” “I certainly agree with it.” “So be it!” But if we look at the words of Jesus in our Gospel reading for today again, we may realize, the amen we just said about five minutes ago would be the heaviest amen we’ve ever said. Let me read you again, to what message, you and I did say amen. Listen carefully. It’s two parts. The first part goes, “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. From anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you. If anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again” (Luke 6:27-30). And here the second part goes, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:36-38). How about that? We said amen to these words. We said, we believe them as the truth. We faithfully approved the message and decided to abide by them. 

But can we? Can we possibly follow those teachings of Jesus? If we try hard, we may be able to practice the second part somehow in our lives—perhaps not every day but on some good days. We may be merciful, forgiving, generous, and not judging or condemning others on some good days. But then, what about the first part? Can we really love our enemies? Can we truly bless, pray, and give even to those who curse, abuse, and take? Can we possibly meet this high standard ever in our lifetime? Let’s be honest. It’s impossible. It’s beyond our ability and goodwill. Then, why did we say amen to such message? To this impossible command of Jesus Christ? If we were not truly able to abide by them, our amen would be also meaningless and empty like on the car plate and the bumper sticker. 

But let’s not be discouraged. I know, what Jesus asks us to do seems truly impossible. Nevertheless, I believe, saying amen to his word can make a difference, if we do it from the bottom of our heart with our good intention and serious commitment. I believe Jesus hears our heartfelt amen to his message and helps us to follow it. I know, by just saying amen, by just giving our consent to Jesus, we are not going to be a special person right away. But by saying sincere amen, we may hold Jesus’ guiding hand that keeps us on his path. By giving our genuine heart to Jesus, we may have the Holy Spirit on our side who always inspires us to keep on loving. 

With our ability only, with our effort only, we will never be able to love our enemies and bless and pray for those who curse and abuse us. But with Jesus’ love and grace that transforms our hearts, our life, our action, we certainly can. So here, saying amen mindfully and willingly to the teachings of Jesus is the first step to make a difference.
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Do you want to keep on loving even if you can’t do it anymore? In the face of enemies, temptations, challenges, and violence, do you, as a Christian, want to keep on loving as Jesus did? I’m sure we can, when we say amen with your full heart to the words of Jesus today. Amen Jesus! “Yes, I do so believe.” “I certainly agree with it.” “So be it!” Let us hold Jesus’ helping hand, stay in the presence of his empowering Spirit, and try to make a difference in our lives.  (5) “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. From anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you. If anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.” “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you.” And now let the church truly and wholeheartedly say. Amen. 

Today I am delivering the third sermon in the sermon series, “Keep On: the Jesus Way of Life.” What do we have to keep on today to follow Jesus in our lives? Let’s find out together another life principle that conforms to the way of Christ.

When was the last time you prayed so desperately for something? When was the last time you searched for God’s help so urgently? Take a moment and think about it. When was it? Was it when everything was going well with you? Was it when you were well-off, well-fed, and well-accepted? No. I don’t think so. We human beings tend to seek God and yearn for God when we have nothing but God, when we have nothing to depend on but God. 

For me, I prayed one of the most desperate prayers in my life about a year ago. You may remember the coldest week in last winter. It was the week when the activity of the so-called polar vortex was very strong and dropped temperature below zero in North East. The boiler in Verona United Methodist Church broke. Yes, what a timing. The rotten bottom of the feedwater tank burst and the boiler stopped working. If you see a steam boiler system, there’s a feedwater tank that collects the returning condensate water and feeds it back into the boiler so the system can keep running. What I’m saying is, it’s an important part of the boiler. Anyway, I urgently called the plumbing company right away but they said, it will take a few days to get the tank delivered. And the weather forecast terrified me. It said, the cold snap will last for a week! I felt miserable. And I was so much worried about the pipes in the church. They will definitely get frozen and burst. So I had to manually feed the water into the boiler like every 4-5 minutes and pump out the leaking water from the tank. I almost camped out in the boiler room for about three days until the tank finally got fixed. In the boiler room, my prayers…they were so desperate. I kept praying. Not just for the boiler situation, but later, I also got to pray for the church, for the church members, for their families, and for all the other things. Sitting in the boiler room, cold and dark, I was really tired, but in such a weird way, I had an intimate time with God for three days. And that was a blessing I found in a misfortune.  

In today’s Gospel story, Jesus is preaching on this kind of blessings. In his famous Sermon on the Plain, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:20-23). Here Jesus tell us that the blessed are the poor, the hungry, the sad, and the afflicted. This good news of the Kingdom of God turns our value system, our world, upside down. What does he mean? He tells us, “God is the God of those who have nothing but God.” God gives blessings to those who desperately call upon God and to those who can barely sustain their lives. In their unfavorable circumstances, they get to know God better and deeper. They humbly realize that they truly are in need of God every day and every moment. And that’s the blessing—nothing else, having a close relationship with God, which is the channel for all other profound blessings in life.

Here, we may ask, “Well, I understand what Jesus says, but isn’t Jesus romanticizing poverty and suffering? Does Jesus mean that we better be desperate to be blessed?” Well, that’s not what Jesus means here. We don’t have to be sick to get better. Right? And the boiler doesn’t have to be broken again for me to get closer to God. No. Way. I don’t think Jesus wants you and me to suffer to be blessed. And we need to remember clearly that Jesus’ ministry is all about healing, liberation, and joy. So by telling us about those blessings, Jesus is actually giving us a promise. Even if you are in those misfortunes, rest be assured, you can still be in the blessing of God as you seek God and ask God’s help with humble hearts. Why? Again, it’s because God is the God of those who have nothing but God.

If today’s Gospel reading just ends with blessings, I would be a happier preacher today. But the Sermon on the Plain doesn’t end with blessings, unlike the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus goes on to talk about “woes.” He says, in short, “Woe to you who are rich, full, happy, and popular.” The words of Jesus here are quite radical and blunt. We have to ask again, “What does he mean? God’s prosperity is not a blessing but a woe? Isn’t he judging those well-off people? Is he warning us not to be rich, full, happy, and popular?” Again, the answer is no. Here, Jesus is just talking about the truth, this plain truth: if we are in favorable circumstances, we become not that desperate for God. We are not keenly aware of our need for God’s help. We may go for days without talking to God, without thinking about God. It becomes hard for us to kneel down before God with a humble heart. And God is not our priority anymore. There are other things to enjoy and other things to ensure our cozy and happy life. So everything related to God becomes a postscript, a supplement to our lives. And that’s the woe—nothing else, feeling no urgency to be in a close relationship with God. Yes, the woe, it is. 
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Sisters and brothers in Christ, our God is the God of those who have nothing but God, of those who seek God in their sense of urgency and desperate need. Therefore, if you are in misfortunes now, I hope and pray that you call upon God, the God who promises us the blessings of grace and joy in the midst of hardships and the blessings of getting closer to God even through the stony roads of life. And if you are in a comfortable situation now, I hope and pray that you be watchful of the growing complacency in your hearts and be alert to your spiritual slumber. Then it will help us keep the relationship with God as number one priority in our lives. Let us keep on walking with our God every day and keep on trusting our Lord every moment. Let us stay in the loving relationship with God. And yes, that’s the blessing—nothing else. Amen.  

When was the last time you felt like Jesus was calling you? For some, calling is like a gentle breeze; the voice of Jesus softly whispers and nudges them to change their mind and make different choices. For others, calling is like a wild thunderstorm; the Holy Spirit abruptly interferes their lives and turns their life upside down to follow Jesus right away. In any way, we may have such a moment that we feel like, “I better do this because I believe in Jesus.” “I’m tried and busy but I’ll go to the trustees meeting, Souper Saturday, and so on to serve others.” “I’m going to be more loving and kind to someone because I’m a Christian.” “I will forgive somebody with Christ’s love.” These may be some small moments of calling, calling to follow the way of Jesus Christ.  

As a pastor, I have my call to ministry. In The United Methodist Church, the candidates for ordained ministry are required to take a long time to complete their coursework, paperwork, mentoring process, psychological assessment, and a series of intensive interviews. But for what? All of these are for them to discern their call to ministry as clear as they can, because that calling is an essential prerequisite, a must-have, for their ministry. 

One spring day in 2012, I got a phone call telling me that I may be appointed to this church. Back then, I was quite sure about my calling. But as soon as I finished the phone conversation, honestly, I was afraid and became doubtful. For sure, I was happy for the opportunity and glad to move to New Jersey. But there were things that I had to leave behind. Especially, I needed to leave my way of life, the student life, for the first time. My life as a graduate student…it was financially challenging, but there was much freedom. I had weekends and long summer to enjoy. I only had duties and responsibilities for myself, nothing for others. Later, when all got settled that I would be really going to serve our church, my anxiety level got up. The role of a pastor seemed so big to me. So big. And it grew even bigger and bigger in my heart, pressing me down. What if something goes wrong? What if the church declines? What if the church members don’t like me? What if they don’t understand my Korean accent? Oh Lord, can I really do this? Am I really ready for this? I was not sure.

 It was the day when I had the first meeting with our church members before getting officially appointed. From the Bronx, I drove across the George Washington Bridge to get to New Jersey and to Montclair. As crossing the Hudson River, on the bridge, I felt something deep. I felt that Jesus was asking me a question, “You left your home country for what? You left Boston for what? Now you leave the Bronx for what?” Then, I realized, “Yes, it’s been for my calling.” It was a moment of assurance. I don’t have to be afraid but just keep on following the call leaving my way behind.

Today’s Gospel story is a very famous calling narrative of Jesus’ first disciples. It’s early morning, and Simon Peter is cleaning his fishing nets after a miserable night out on the lake. He and his partners, James and John, sons of Zebedee, have worn themselves out, casting nets from dusk till dawn into the dark water. The sun rises, and unfortunately, they have nothing but sore muscles and weary hearts. Their nets are empty. Just then, Jesus shows up, steps into Simon’s boat, and tells him to “put out into the deep waterand let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). Simon protests with full of doubt, “Master, we have worked all night long.” But then he changes his mind and obeys, “Yet if you say so, I will” (5:5). Then, Peter and others have a miraculous catch that they have never seen before. Peter says to Jesus, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8) Then, Jesus calls him out from his shame and regret, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people” (Luke 5:10). Simon Peter, James and John leave their way and follow the way of Jesus. 

What brought you here today? As you left behind your warm and comfortable home today, I am so sure, it was Jesus who called you here. Let us go back a little bit more, what brought you to this church initially in the past? I am so sure, there was a calling like a nudge, like a whisper, or like a thunderstorm, that made you leave behind the way you were before to be children of God. And Jesus calls us now, calls us each and every day to make faithful disciples out of us, to make us, the sinners, walk his way of love and grace. Sometimes, we are doubtful and unfaithful, afraid and anxious, tired and weary. Sometimes, we think we are not qualified and not ready. But Jesus calls us anyway and asks us to walk with him as we are, as work-in-progresses. 

In his Letter to the Corinthians, Paul testifies, “For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). Paul was not just a sinner but a persecutor of the church. But Christ called him on the way to Damascus, on his way to destroy other churches. And by the grace of God, he became an apostle and founded many Christian communities. Today we believe, the same grace, which called Paul to leave his way, is with us; the same grace, which made an apostle out of the persecutor of the church, is with us today. With this grace, Jesus calls us to be his disciples. To follow his call, there is one thing we should do. We should leave our ways. Leave our ways to walk the way of Jesus. This is not just a life time decision, but it is also an everyday practice. Everyday leaving and following. 
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Now the call is clear to us. Leave the way of sin behind and follow the way of new life. Leave the way of hatred behind and follow the way of love. Leave the way of regrets, unresolved anger, attachments, past memories of rejection and hurt behind and follow the way of new life in peace and healing. Leave the way of discrimination and division behind and follow the way of reconciliation and unity. Leave the way we are, our strong intention and egotism behind and follow God’s will and the mind of Christ. And leave ourselves behind to become more Christ-like disciples. Keep on leaving and keep on following. Every day. Every moment. Jesus Christ is calling us. Are you ready?

For the next 5 weeks starting today until the beginning of the season of Lent, we will explore the Gospel of Luke and reflect on some life principles that conform to the way of Christ. I hope and pray that our journey may be fruitful as the Holy Spirit empowers us to keep on following the Jesus way of life. 

You might have heard his name several times since 2016, Colin Kaepernick, a football player who was once a quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. He has become renowned and influential for his political activism. What he did was to kneel during the playing of the national anthem prior to NFL games. And he did it as a protest against racial injustice going on in the country. He says, he wanted to raise awareness of racism, social injustice and police brutality against “black people and people of color.” His action immediately set social media ablaze with debates. He was praised by some and denounced by others. And he hasn’t been signed by any teams since then. Last September, Nike made an advertisement campaign around Kaepernick. “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” he says in that ad. And no doubt, it sparked another flood of reactions from different sides of people.

Today, as a preacher, I am not here to tell you if Kaepernick is politically right or wrong, nor about Nike’s marketing strategies. But I’m here today to ask you to think about his belief—not the contents of his belief but its quality, its intensity. His belief must be so strong that it led him to act boldly even if he ended up losing his career. Have we ever had such strong belief in something and acted on it like him? Have we ever believed in something so firmly, even if it means sacrificing important things in our lives? We are Christians. It means that we are believers, the believers of Jesus Christ. But have we ever sacrificed something in our life because of our belief?

If we read today’s Gospel story closely, we see Jesus uphold his belief in something, even if it offends the people big time, and the people almost throw him off a cliff. Here, we shouldn’t miss that these violent people are not strangers to Jesus; they are people in Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown. They are neighbors of Joseph and Mary. Even so, they try to kill him! What’s going on? Earlier on the same day, Jesus preached at the synagogue. He was center-stage reading a beautiful passage from the prophet Isaiah and the people got impressed by his gracious words. They talked to one another, “Wasn’t this Joseph’s boy? The carpenter’s kid with the iffy birth story? Who would have imagined he’d grow up to become a healer! A preacher! A miracle worker!”[1]Now, the hometown people assume, if their boy, Jesus, was willing to perform miracles to perfect strangers in other places, he would do a hundredfold back at home to his friends and neighbors. 

But soon, their hope turns into frustration and their delight gives way to anger. From Jesus, the townspeople expect an answer like, “Sure, you got it!” But instead, Jesus tells them about the stories of God taking care of the outsider, the foreigner, the stranger. Jesus says, God sent Elijah to take care of the widow at Zarephath—not the widows of Israel. And Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian—not the numerous lepers in Israel. What does he mean by telling these stories? Here, Jesus makes a clear point to the people. “You have no priority to receive the good news from me. God’s love must reach beyond hometown walls, beyond homeland borders, and for this, I came to the world—to break down the walls. So, don’t take me for granted just because I was born among you. Don’t think you are the only chosen people. God saves whomever believes in me.” That’s it. And people get infuriated and try to shove him off the cliff.  

In this story, I think, Jesus shows us the way of belief. And on this way of belief, Jesus teaches us, we may endure sacrifices and risks; we may upset some people and not be welcomed like before. “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” Indeed, this ad slogan well fits Jesus’ message for us today. But here, the question is, what is that “something”? As the followers of Jesus Christ, what do we believe in spite of sacrifices? I understand, even though we all are Christians, we may hold different propositions of belief. Our life experiences and cultural backgrounds are different. But there is one essential belief, which can’t be diverted. And without this belief, we can’t be even called Christians. What is this belief? This is our belief in love, in God’s unconditional love for us. 

Because of his belief in God’s boundary-crossing love, Jesus was threatened to death. And because of his belief in God’s unconditional love for us, later, Jesus even sacrificed his own life on the cross. Following Jesus, many faithful Christians in history believed in God’s love, even if it meant sacrificing everything. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. firmly believed in God’s love that overcomes any walls of discrimination, even if it meant sacrificing his life. Our belief in the power of love…without this belief, we are nothing. In his Letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul wrote these unforgettable words on love, “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2).

Now, sisters and brothers in Christ, do we believe in God’s love firmly and act on this belief even if it comes with hardships and difficulties in life? I know, sacrificing everything sounds too much to us. But can we at least give up our convenience, our safety, our comfort, our ego, our will, our pride, for our belief in God’s love? Look around the landscape of our life in this country. Can you see the wall of hatred, bigotry, and division? Can you see the swamp of anger, depression, and hopelessness? Can you see the wild fire of violence, injustice, and oppression? Can you see the shadow of selfish desire, greed, and materialism? Here, do you really believe that the power of love can change something now? We shall say, “yes,” to this question with no hesitation. The Christian answer to all the questions from the world shall be love. Without this Christ’s love, we are nothing. So, let’s proclaim together following Paul, “I believe in love that is patient and kind; that is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. I believe in love that does not insist on its own way; that is not irritable or resentful. I believe in love that does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. And I believe, this love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. And this love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). I pray, we keep on believing in this love, even if it means sacrificing everything. Amen.


[1]Debie Thomas, “Leaving Home,” The Journey with Jesus (accessed January 31, 2019: https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/2067-leaving-home).

Today’s Gospel passage is usually called “the inauguration speech of Jesus.” After the temptation in the wilderness for forty days, Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee and spoke in front of his hometown people in Nazareth. In his speech, Jesus announced the beginning of his ministry, the beginning of God’s new kingdom on earth. He delivered this speech on the Sabbath day at a local synagogue. It was the place he had been attending with his parents since he was a little boy. And on that day, he was in charge of preaching. He was not a rabbi, but a speaker called darshanim, like a lay speaker in our United Methodist Church.This speaker usually read from the scroll and made some comments on the verses.[1]

So Jesus was a speaker, darshanim, on this particular day. A synagogue leader handed him the scroll. It was the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. And Jesus found the place where the prophet says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18). After he read this brief passage, Jesus rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and took his seat. It was a custom for a speaker to sit, rather than to stand. So as Jesus sat and everyone was looking at him in expectation of some commentary on this well-known old prophecy. Then, there comes the striking comment from Jesus, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Today? Fulfilled? What does he mean? 

Okay. Let’s look at the passage closely. The Bible passage that Jesus read was a very, very old prophecy, the one that dates back at least to the time of Isaiah, about 500 years before the time of Jesus. It was given as a promise to the people of Israel when they were helpless captives in Babylonia. And this promise was so famous that the audience of Jesus, the hometown Jewish people in Nazareth, certainly knew very well. For them, it’s like a dream, a very lofty and vague dream. Ever since the Babylonians held the Israelites captive, they have never been free. They have never become an independent nation again but only undergone great ordeals in history. And now the powerful Roman Empire rules over them. In this situation, there’s no way the promise to be fulfilled, the dream to really come true. But fulfilled today?       
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Considering that context, I, as a preacher, think Jesus could preach in different ways. He could direct people’s attention to the past history of Israel and the greatness of the prophecy, and encourage them to be faithful, like this: “In the past, our ancestors dreamed of a world of justice, freedom, and healing even under the oppression and suffering. They were faithful to the covenant that God made with Moses. So let us be faithful too.” Or he could empower people to hold a hope for the future, like this: “Along with Isaiah, we wait for the fulfillment of this glorious promise. We should believe that this word of God will be realized one day. So let us be hopeful.” But instead, what does Jesus say? His words don’t point to the past or to the future. He brings the audience attention to the present, saying, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus’ neighbors in Nazareth who gathered at the synagogue must have been shocked and confused by this bold comment. And some of them must have got provoked and even angry at Jesus, this homeboy, gone way too far. “Is today the day? Is this year the year of the Lord’s favor? Is God’s kingdom beginning today? Because Jesus says so?” They would challenge him. 

But again, Jesus affirms, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, the promise of God has been fulfilled. Why? Because Jesus himself has come to the world and fulfilled the dream of God for the world…today. And this is the truth not only for the people at the synagogue on that day but also for all of us in this sanctuary today. We believe, the Spirit of Jesus is upon us; he lives in our hearts and walks beside us. Then, today is the day that God fulfills God’s dream through this Jesus in us. Today is the day that Jesus brings the good news to the poor, proclaims release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind through our hands and feet. Today is the opportune day that we proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

These days, many churches live with nostalgia for the past glory and a fragile hope for the future. In the past, people were much more religious; in the past, every church was packed. In the future, the church will get better again; in the future, our children will return to the church. How about us as Christians? We sometimes say: in the past, I was confident in God’s love for me and felt blessed every day. Or we say, in the future, God will do something for me, and I will know God’s way for me someday. However, when our attention goes too far with the past and the future, our faith cannot take its root here and now. We think too conveniently, the past promises of God in the Bible will be fulfilled in the future. But then, when is our time to be part of God’s history? What does our faith in Jesus do here and now? 

Let us stop wrapping ourselves with nostalgia for the past or vague hope for the future. I hope and pray that we ask ourselves whether we are afraid of struggling with the reality, the present condition of our life and our church, and whether we are trying to avoid God’s call to place ourselves in the middle of God’s work right here. Today, let us remember, through us, God wants to fulfill God’s dream for the world. Today is the day that the word of God is fulfilled. Today is the glorious day that we walk with Jesus on his path to the new life. Today is the day that we be in the ever active, ever loving, ever liberating presence of the Holy Spirit. Today, this day!

Do we believe in the God who is working in our hearts? Do we believe in the God who fulfills the promise here and now? Then make today count with your faith. Do you have people you want to forgive? Forgive them, today. Or do you want to be forgiven? Ask for forgiveness, today. Do you have someone who needs your prayer, care, phone call, or support? Reach out to them, today. Do you want to dedicate yourself to the mission of the church? Dedicate yourself, today. Do it today. Then, through you, the promise of God for the new life, for the new kingdom on earth will come true bit by bit starting from today. 

Today is the day that the Lord has made. Today is the day that God’ dream has been fulfilled in our hearing, in our loving, and in our following. So, let us go now with the Spirit of the Lord and make today count with our hands and feet. And make it count with Jesus. Amen. 


[1]John Nolland, World Biblical Commentary, Volume 35-A, Luke 1:1-9:20, p 400.

In today’s Gospel story, Jesus performs his first miracle at a wedding party in Cana of Galilee. This is his first public exposure after he called his disciples. So it’s a kind of inauguration event for his upcoming ministry. No doubt, it’s important. But what an weird way to make his debut! At a wedding party? I agree, it doesn’t have to be like a ribbon-cutting ceremony with a long speech and famous people around. I get it. But a wedding party doesn’t really look special enough to build up public enthusiasm and call people’s attention to his ministry. Moreover, what an odd miracle to mark the beginning! Turning water into wine? Giving more wine at the reception to party people? Well, if I were one of his disciples, I would be much worried about people misunderstanding him. They might say, there’s a miracle worker among us! But this miracle really doesn’t tell them who Jesus truly is and what his ministry is about.
  
Meanwhile, in the other Gospels, we can find some appropriate opening activities of Jesus’ ministry. The Gospel of Luke takes Jesus to a synagogue. There, Jesus proclaims that the promise of God for the new life has been fulfilled at his arrival. It’s such an impressive speech. How about Matthew and Mark? They tell us, Jesus preaches the good news around Galilee and heals many people with great compassion. Yes, these are proper things for Jesus to do as his first ministry. Then, why doesn’t John just tell us about these things? Why does he deliver us this particular story of Jesus about a wedding in Cana on top of all the other stories?
 
But, for sure, there is something that John wants us to know about Jesus more. And that something is the gift that Jesus brings to the world. In the story, “the good wine” symbolizes this gift. And this gift is the gift of God’s grace—the new life with joy and blessing. From the story, we can discover two special characteristics of this gift. First of all, this gift is free. The wedding reception was running out of wine. The servants and stewards were dismayed. But suddenly, Jesus provides them with the better wine for free. Just because they invited Jesus to the wedding, they were given this good wine for free. Here, John wants us to know the truth: to receive the gift of grace, what we need to do is just invite Jesus to our lives and accept him as our savior. Then we have the invaluable gift of grace that is even packaged with so many other gifts for our new life. The forgiveness of sins, the freedom from death, the assurance of salvation, the right to be called the children of God, and all the other spiritual gifts…all these are freely given unto us in Jesus.  

The second characteristic of this gift is that this gift is abundant. The Gospel tells us that at the wedding, there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. And Jesus asked the servants to fill them up to the brim. That’s a lot of water. So Jesus turns all that water for the ritual purification into the good wine for the joyful banquet. Now, the wine overflows, and it’s available for many more people. Here, John also wants us to know another truth: Jesus gives us abundant grace that is sufficient for us to be restored and reconciled to God. So in Jesus Christ, we don’t need special rituals of purification to get close to God. The people who have Jesus in their heart can enjoy the fellowship with God having the wine of grace, the gift of joyful new life of great abundance. For this free and abundant gift of grace we receive in Jesus, we give thanks to God today and every day. Amen. 

Tomorrow, we will commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. one more time. And while doing so, we will realize once more, there still is a long way to go until we see his dream finally come true in this world. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of the world being transformed into the kingdom of God. Especially in the last part of his “I Have a Dream” speech, he uses the words of the Prophet Isaiah to describe his hope for the kingdom. There are many definitions of this kingdom. But from today’s Gospel story, I think, we can imagine the kingdom of God as the kingdom of giving, where God’s gift of grace, like the good wine, overflows into everyone’s life freely and abundantly, where good news is given to the poor, freedom to the oppressed, and compassion to the marginalized, where social system and law ensure everyone right and dignity, love and care, equality and opportunity without any discrimination. I know it’s too ideal; it may be just a dream. 

Look around the world. Is it getting any closer to the kingdom of giving? Rather, is it going farther to the opposite direction and becoming the world of taking? Sadly, we still see endless wars, conflicts, violence, divisions, and hatred as people struggle to take more, take as much as they can. In this world of taking, even God-given rights are taken from some people. In this world of taking, even skin color, race, and gender are still the reason to take opportunity, dignity, and equality away from some people. In this world of taking, 1% of powerful people take 99% of wealth produced and all the others fight one another just to take more portion out of that 1%.

Yes, the kingdom of God looks too far away from us. That’s true. Yet, even in this world of taking, we should not lose our hope. We should not, because we have the free and abundant gift of grace in our lives; because we believe, this holy gift can change this life-taking world into the life-giving kingdom of God. So today, believing in Jesus means that we actively join forces to make this gift of grace available for more people, by sharing the good news of salvation, by witnessing freedom and forgiveness in Jesus, and by practicing the unconditional love. Even though the world is not even close to the world we dream of, we still have a reason for hope. And our hope comes in the name of Jesus who is the giver of the free and abundant gift of God’s grace. 

Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed, “I have a dream today…I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” Following his legacy, let us be hopeful and faithful in Jesus again and again and share the gift of grace more and more, so that one day, the kingdom of God shall come true in our world, and all flesh shall see the glory of God and enjoy the overflowing joy and blessings of new life in freedom and abundance. Amen.