Title: Flowers of Resurrection blooming in suffering
Contents
James 5:13 The flower of the resurrection that blooms in suffering
British archaeologists discovered mummies within the pyramids of Egypt. And I found a flower in the mummified hand. When the flower came into contact with the outside air, it instantly shattered, leaving only the flower seeds. Archaeologists brought the flower seeds, which are over 3,000 years old, to England and planted them in flower beds. Then buds sprouted, leaves bloomed, and beautiful flowers bloomed. However, it was a new flower that was not known at all to the British Botanical Society. That's why it's called Dahlia after the Swedish botanist Dahal.
Dahlia is a well-known flower in Korea today. Think about it. Three thousand years passed, and the seed of the flower dried up and became mummified, but because it contained the life of resurrection, it sprouted again and flowers bloomed. Everyone, it's the same. Many trials and tribulations come to us in our lives. However, if we have the life of resurrection in us, we can break through the garden of many hardships and live a life of beautiful flowers. Today, we are going to learn about the flower of resurrection that blooms in the midst of suffering, so I pray that your life and I will overcome various hardships in this foreign land to blossom.
These words were written on the walls of a concentration camp set up during World War II. “I believe. That the sun exists even when it is obscured by clouds and the sun does not shine... I believe. Even though I can't feel it, God loves me... I believe. Even though God is silent, there is still God behind that silence…”
Gentlemen, people often think that God does not exist when suffering comes to them. But even if the sun is obscured by clouds, the sun is still there. Likewise, even if your life is filled with dark clouds due to severe hardship and adversity, God is still in control of you and me. If we believe in God to the end, that faith will eventually blossom into a beautiful flower of resurrection even in the midst of suffering.
Today, as we celebrate Holy Week, we want to think about the suffering and resurrection of Jesus. For Jesus, who came in human flesh, the suffering of the cross was truly unbearable. But Jesus prayed that his sweat would turn into drops of blood, asking God to give him strength to endure the pain until he died. And finally, Jesus drank the cup of suffering.
Jesus' death on the cross was a decisive victory for the enemies. For three and a half years, Jesus witnessed the gospel, but the enemies persistently bit Jesus and stretched out. And in the end, because of Roman law and Jewish conspiracy, Jesus was arrested and crucified. The enemies severely insulted and tortured Jesus.
They spit in Jesus' face. With a whip studded with iron shards, he was beaten with flesh and blood flowing all over his body. Then he put Jesus on the frame of the cross and nailed it. A crown of brier thorns was woven over his head, and blood was welling up in his face and eyes. Even that is not enough, they mock Jesus on the cross. “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. Let Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
After the enemies had Jesus crucified and killed, they thought that the work of Jesus Christ had come to an end. As the suffering of the cross approached Jesus, all of Jesus' disciples ran away. Even the chief disciple, Peter, cursed and swore to Jesus three times and said he did not know. So, to the enemies, it seemed that Jesus Christ was completely destroyed through suffering. However, Jesus blossomed a brilliant flower of resurrection in the garden of suffering.
As we look at the suffering and resurrection of Jesus today, we come to realize that pain and suffering also follow in our lives. Here in Canada, which is said to be a good place to live, there are sufferings and hardships. Moreover, the feeling of suffering in an unfamiliar foreign land is sometimes more intense than the suffering experienced in the homeland. And that suffering sometimes gives us great stress, and sometimes brings us to tears of mourning along with sorrow. However, even in the midst of suffering, we are people of faith who, like Jesus, bloom a flower of resurrection.
We see people who bloom the flowers of resurrection even in the extreme hardships of life. The life of the great Russian writer Dostoevsky was a series of hardships. His pious mother died of tuberculosis after suffering abuse from her husband. And when I was 18, I witnessed my extremely violent father tormenting the peasants and then getting beaten to death by them. The shock left him with epilepsy for the rest of his life.
And he was bullied at school and failed in his studies. His life was a series of pain and loneliness. He became obsessed with socialism as a young man, loathing Christianity as a religion of power, and becoming a staunch atheist. He was arrested and sentenced to death by firing squad for joining a secret organization to start a socialist revolution. He shed tears of regret as he looked back on his 28 years of life on the death row. “This is how my life ends!”
However, just as the executions were about to begin, a soldier from afar came running screaming and holding a white handkerchief. “Stop the death penalty! Stop the death penalty!” “It’s the Emperor’s special. Stop the execution." So he miraculously escaped the death penalty. And instead of being executed, he got on the train to Siberia. But as he stood at the train station going to Siberia, a woman handed him a small bible.
Dostoevsky had to work hard in Siberia, fighting the harsh cold with all kinds of heinous criminals. He also read the Bible from time to time. In the little Bible, he heard the voice of God and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. And he confessed his fervent faith. “Even if someone proves to me that Christ is not the truth, I want to be with Christ. I would rather be with Jesus, who died on the cross for me than the truth.”
Dostoevsky returned to his hometown after four years of exile in Siberia. And through the experiences and realizations of hardships he went through, he wrote gems of novels. His works remain in our hearts under titles such as 'Crime and Punishment' and 'Brothers of the Karamazov'. These immortal masterpieces of his are the works that were born as the flower of resurrection blossomed due to the great suffering he suffered.
Just as Jesus and the forefathers of faith have hardships, we too have our own great and small hardships. There were hardships in Korea, and there were hardships here in Canada. And that suffering will continue to be in our lives in the future. However, we are not the ones who become discouraged, despair, and perish in the midst of suffering. Rather, they are people of faith who bloom brilliantly resurrected flowers in the midst of suffering.
Ladies and gentlemen, the flower of resurrection blooms through suffering called death. In other words, there is no flower of resurrection without suffering. The Bible says "If children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, for we must also suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans) 8:17) "Therefore, you were forced to be grieved for a little while because of various trials, but rather we rejoice greatly. The trial of your faith is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tried by fire, and is praised at the appearing of Jesus Christ. and to obtain glory and honor."
Ladies and gentlemen, for us Christians, suffering is the flower of a brilliant resurrection.
It becomes a growing garden. Don't forget. No hardship can destroy us. Even if we fall, we are people who get up again like five dwarfs. We are people who bloom the flower of resurrection even if we die. People in the world complain about today's hardships and fall into a swamp by themselves, but we are people who use hardships as nourishment and flowers of resurrection.
Therefore, when we go through suffering, we must realize the truth that suffering is the way to glory. When you suffer, if you only look at it and grumble, complain, and sigh, you will destroy yourself. We are people who overcame suffering and live with the resurrected Jesus. Because Jesus is in us, we can bloom brilliantly resurrected flowers no matter what hardships come here in a foreign land. You and I are the protagonists of suffering for a while, but we are also the protagonists of the glorious and eternal resurrection. We may have a brief hard week, but the splendid glory of the resurrection continues forever.
It was when King George of England visited a pottery factory. There were two vases on display. The vases were made from the same raw material and had the same style and pattern. But one was brilliantly shimmered, and the other was dim and hazy and had no brilliance at all. It really wasn't worth the look. Curious about this, King George asked the caretaker what was the reason. Then the manager replied: "Sir, the reason is simple. One is roasted, the other is not. Hardships are specially crafted and exhibited to show that hardships make life shiny and alive.
Folks, people think that if they suffer, that suffering will destroy and destroy me. But the Bible tells us that when we suffer, we will shine more like pottery that has been burned. Ladies and gentlemen, earthenware that is bent without suffering in a hot fire does not glow and breaks easily. However, the earthenware that came out of enduring hot hardships is strong. It shines. The Bible also testifies to this fact. “That the trial of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tried by fire, may be found to be praise, glory, and honor at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
Therefore, when you suffer hardship here in a foreign land, look forward to seeing the brilliant flowers of resurrection bloom because of that hardship. Dream that the sufferings that come to you will bring you a resurrection of incomparable glory. When you suffer, you should not just look at the excruciating pain and suffering of that suffering. Rather, because it was planted in the garden of suffering, I should have a dream that flowers of resurrection will bloom. People with dreams never perish. If we dream of resurrection in Jesus, God makes the flower of resurrection to bloom in the midst of suffering.
Anyone interested in perfume knows that the best perfumes in the world come from the roses of the Balkans. But perfume makers always pick roses in the middle of the night. From 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. they go to the Balkans to pick the roses and make perfume. Because roses give off their most fragrant scent in the middle of the night. It is said that during the day when the sun shines, about 40% of the rose scent is reduced.
In the same way, our life emits fragrance from 12 pm to 2 am, that is, when we go through the dark hardships of life. Even people who should have lived a normal life if they did not go through hardships, if they go through hardships, live a life that emits a wonderful fragrance through those hardships. It will bring about personal change. You will bear amazing fruits in your life. Therefore, suffering is never meaningless to us.
Starting today, we will spend Passion Week to commemorate the sufferings of Jesus. Of course, suffering was hard even for Jesus. We all hate suffering and want the glory of the resurrection. However, we must not forget that the flower of resurrection glory blooms in the garden of suffering. There is no glory without suffering. There is never a crown without a cross. When we go through the night of suffering, like Jesus, we pray, “Your will will be done.” If we persevere and move forward, the morning of the resurrection will come. In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become the protagonists who overcome hardships in this foreign land and bloom a brilliant flower of resurrection.