Title: Harmony and Rhythm of Life
Contents
♡♥♡ Harmony and rhythm of life / John 20:24-29
*** Introduction
Living organisms have 'biological rhythms'. If we take a human as an example, it is the control ability that each organ of the body has. This circadian rhythm adapts itself to the temperature, climate, and environment. However, if there is a sudden change or an environment or task that you are not aware of, the rhythm is broken and the harmony of life is disturbed. People become anxious when the harmony or rhythm of life is disrupted. Pascal said, “Man is a thinking reed.” This is to say that humans are such fragile creatures. Also, in 'Pangse', "Humans are organs". It emphasizes harmony and rhythm in human life.
There are three types of harmony. There is harmony with self, harmony with neighbors (nature), and harmony with God. I cannot be in harmony with anything else if I am not in harmony or honest with myself. And we must achieve harmony with our neighbors and, most importantly, with God. This is the basic framework of faith.
However, in today's text, we meet a person who does not have this harmony. Its name is 'Thomas'. ‘Thomas!’ What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear this name? Perhaps many of the saints would call him a “doubtful person.” However, to modern people who think scientifically and demand reasonable things, they may seem rather ‘clear people’.
In fact, Thomas even asked for an experience, such as seeing or touching the evidence that Jesus was resurrected. This may be due to Thomas's cautious nature. But once he was convinced, he sincerely followed the truth. According to legend, Thomas went to India as an evangelist, where he built a church with his own hands. It is said that he was martyred there while kneeling and praying. Then, let's look at Thomas and look at the harmony between our faith and life.
1. Unrealized minds and improvisations disrupt harmony.
In John 11:1-44, the miracles of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and the surrounding circumstances are recorded. Among them, verses 1-16 record the situation before arriving at Bethany, where Lazarus was dead.
Jesus and his disciples went to the wilderness across the Jordan River to avoid threats from the religious leaders of the time. But suddenly, a message came saying that Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, was seriously ill. After receiving the message, Jesus stayed two more days and then asked to go to Bethany where Lazarus was. The disciples were astonished and said, “Teacher, the Jews have just fled here to stone you. Do you want to go there again?” When the disciples' opposition was fierce, Jesus made his intentions clear. “My friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going to wake you up.” But the disciples did not understand Jesus' intention. Jesus spoke of Lazarus' death, but the disciples thought Lazarus was sleeping. So, he said, "Lord, if I sleep, I will get better." At this time, Jesus said clearly, “Lazarus is dead,” and he said, “Let’s go to Lazarus.”
The apostles did not understand the meaning of Jesus' words and were silent for a while. 'How did you wake me up when I was dead!' Then Thomas opened his mouth. “Let us also go to die with the Lord!” It seems like a very brave challenge. However, Thomas did not understand the meaning of Jesus' words, and he said, 'Let's go to die.' It was just the words of Jesus, so they were improvised.
Even among today's saints, there are some who come to church without knowing why they have to go to church. Is that all? There are many cases in which we do not know why we should believe, why we donate, why we serve, or why we should dedicate ourselves, so we simply imitate or improvise. These beliefs are never harmonious. Faith is never imitating others. I understand it, and follow it with a clear purpose and meaning. How are you?
2. Not knowing the truth destroys harmony.
The night before Jesus was crucified, in the upper room, Jesus was teaching the disciples while washing their feet. Jesus spoke of the fact that he would soon have to leave his disciples. However, it was not easy for the disciples, who were full of dreams, to understand Jesus' suffering and death. The disciples were immersed in a dream that Jesus would ascend to the throne of Israel.
To such disciples, Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, the ultimate goal of faith. This is John 14:2-4. “I am going to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. Wherever I go, you will know the way.”
But the disciples could not understand Jesus' words at all. I do not understand where Jesus is going and what His dwelling place is. It was natural for the disciples who did not even know who Jesus was. Is Thomas coming out again? “Teacher, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Neither the disciples nor Thomas had the ability to understand the identity, power, and work of Jesus. Finally Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father. That will suffice.” He demanded proof.
The question of the disciples or Thomas is also the thought of many believers today. Thomas was honest. Thomas' question was not out of unbelief, but out of ignorance. Not only Thomas did not know, but all the disciples there did not know.
It is unfortunate that I do not know who the Jesus I am following is and what powers he has. To follow the truth and not know what the truth is is like walking blindly without knowing the way. For Christians, truth is the pillar of life. Without this pillar, life would not even be able to sustain life, let alone harmonize it. Who is the Jesus you follow? What is your relationship?
3. Failure to keep one's place breaks harmony.
The third story about Thomas is about the resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, Thomas was lost in despair. So, there was no Thomas in the Darakbang meeting where Jesus first appeared after his resurrection. Perhaps Thomas never dreamed that Jesus would rise again. A life without harmony like this no longer gives meaning to life.
But when Thomas came to the place where the disciples were, they said, “They have found Jesus.” But Thomas refused to believe at all. No, I couldn't believe it. So Thomas declares, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into them, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Many church members today are in the same disbelief and doubt as Thomas. Unbelief and doubt are poisons that keep faith from growing. In James 1:6-8, it is said, “Doubt is like a wave tossed in the wind, it has no purity, and it can obtain nothing from God.” But modern people are more serious than Thomas. Thomas harbored disbelief, but he was honest. But some of today's Christians do not honestly express their disbelief, their doubts, their ignorance. Still pretending not to, pretending not to be like that. Shouldn't the sick be able to receive an accurate diagnosis and receive treatment only when they tell the doctor where they are sick and their symptoms?
Many believers are good at making excuses. Some saints gave the excuse that they were always tired because they could not attend worship services. But the real reason is that I want to watch baseball or soccer, and I want to go to work somewhere else. I just replaced my indifference in my faith with the words that I was too tired. This may work for humans, but not for God.
Jesus said he would surely rise again. But Thomas did not appear at the upper room meeting. In other words, it was not in the place of grace. I lost my chance to meet the Lord. This is the loss of the joy of life and the opportunity of peace. Had he met the Lord, he would not have had to be discouraged or discouraged. Failure to keep the position that we are supposed to be as Christians like this breaks harmony.
We can make any excuses. However, I must not forget that as much as I make excuses before God, I lose a lot, and my hope is getting farther away. Thomas was hopelessly in doubt, but he struggled to be sure. And he was a man who did not deceive himself and kept the path of faith.
Realizing and striving to know the truth, and putting the realized truth into practice in your life, is the way to harmonize your faith and life. Not only that, knowing where you need to be and keeping it right is the way to harmonize and keep the rhythm of your life at its best. In this way, I pray that we too may achieve harmony in ourselves, in our relationships with others, and in our relationship with God to achieve faith and life worthy of our noble status.