Title: Jesus Who Gave Himself and His Church
Today I would like to talk about what the Church is. Of course, I am not trying to provide a systematic theological explanation. Usually, the roots of the church are found in the Old Testament, or in the community of Christians changed after the confession of faith by Peter in the New Testament or the Pentecost of the Holy Spirit. It is said that this is the beginning of the church today. I have a different observation. I think that the Lord's Supper of Jesus is the beginning of the church. The first Judeo-Christians celebrated the Lord's Supper at every gathering. We Protestants have reduced the frequency and simplified the ritual itself, but the first Christians repeated it with great importance. Aside from whether Jesus really wanted to establish the church as it is today, it is undoubtedly true that the first church was formed through this Eucharist.
On the night of his arrest, Jesus had dinner with his disciples. We call it the Last Supper. Let's imagine the scene at this time. It was a time when the disciples were also feeling a certain sense of crisis. While eating, the master suddenly stops eating. He took bread and gave thanks, broke it and shared it, saying, “This is my body, so take it and eat it.” He also took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it back to drink, saying, “This is my blood.”
Perhaps the disciples were greatly perplexed. It must have been a big shock. Of course, such a ceremony was common between a teacher and a disciple at that time, but the disciples must have been greatly embarrassed. The dining room must have been filled with a sombre yet serious atmosphere.
The Apostle Paul is writing about what happened that night. Paul, of course, was not there. But he is teaching clearly and clearly as if he had been there.
Breaking the bread, this is my body, take it and eat it.
As you turn the glass, this is my blood, take it and drink.
Whenever you eat and drink this, remember me.
How do we accept the meaning of the Lord giving Himself? Sometimes I think of it as a mysterious washing water that washes away my sins. The blood was shed according to God's predestination, and that is the extent to which it washes away all our sins. But that doesn't really impress people who think rationally. It would not have been the case with the disciples who had come face to face with Jesus. It could not have been received in such a schematic sense.
What does it mean to give body and blood? It is giving yourself completely. It's not just the material body and blood. It is Jesus Himself. Giving yourself whole. It is to give one's person, one's soul, one's will, and all that one has as it is. In other words, what explanation would be possible? Now, tomorrow I will be arrested and sentenced to death, I can no longer be in the world, but I must be in the world, how can I overcome the reality that I should be but not be? Would it not be possible for me to be present in the world through the disciples by giving me as I am? This is what he was thinking. Accept me and you will soon become me .... I think that's what it meant.
In Lee Eun-seong's "Donguibogam", I see a model for the correct relationship between the Lord and us, and the Lord and the church. Yu-Tag is Heo Jun's teacher. There was no disease in the world that he could not heal. However, only Banwi (stomach cancer) could not be conquered. It seems that if you cut a person's stomach, you can find a cure to some extent, but it was absolutely impossible under the laws and conditions of the time. He could not shake off his compassion for those who died in rebellion.
But one day, Yu-tae finds out that he is in rebellion. Instead of treating his disease, he decides to observe its development and symptoms. It was intended to remove weight from the rebels through it. However, we realize that observation alone is not enough. No one has ever seen a stomach caught in half, how can it be conquered!
So he decides to give himself up. It was a three-bok spree when the heat was rampant. He finds a valley full of ice, even in his stomach. Then, he decides to take action, and brings his own dissection tools and goes there first. And he calls his disciple Heo Jun. Heo Jun manages to arrive at the valley where his teacher has told him to come. But what is this? Master Yu-tae Yu just cut an artery and committed suicide, isn't it? An arterially cut wrist had fallen into a basin of water. It was a consideration to prevent a lot of blood from spilling out, and after seeing Jun Heo coming up, he committed suicide quickly. A long-dead corpse was thought to be of no great help. I wanted to let you see the living stomach, and I wanted to let you look into the human body that has not yet hardened. That's because they would find medicine there. A book was placed at his bedside. I'm going to read just one part of that book.
I wonder if there will be any more free time for someone like me who has lived 60 years, from a child trapped in a river to a young person who is useful in this world, a precious person who has accumulated virtue for others throughout his life, a pitiful life that does not know good things and cannot get out of hardship all his life It is the duty of those who have become members of the Diet by discovering and revealing the identities of all diseases that lead to death. , It is a very earnest wish for those who want to become a member of the National Assembly even after being reborn ten times. However, since I also have an incurable disease in my body, I cannot afford to dig out the identity of disease and death. Therefore, I entrust the hope of my lifetime to you, and I pray that my door will also be Heo Jun-i, who will eventually save any ailments in the world, and I give it to you, Heo Jun, even if it is a diseased body. You, Heo Jun, keep this in mind. Before my body rots in the salt spring, I will cut my body and rip my flesh to pieces right now, and I hope that you will be able to see and confirm the appearance and functions of the human five organs and the flesh...
Here, from Yu-Tae Yu, I receive a revelation of the image of Christ. When Yu-tae Yu gave his body, he gave himself to the disciple Heo Jun, who had his will, will, spirit, and soul. He could no longer be in the world, but he wanted to be present in the world through Heo Jun.
A greater self than Yu was given to us by Jesus, and he showed it in the ceremony he performed the night before his arrest. Heo Jun conducts and dissects his master in pieces. There, Heo Jun finally sees humans and meets humans. Heo Jun dared to become Yu-tae. After the dissection, he swears:
"Heaven, Earth, God, and Master, please listen to my vow. If Heo Jun betrays the Master's grace, even for a moment, please punish me. Also, if Heo Jun suffers on the path to becoming a member of the council, or neglects to save the sick, If you seek money or fame under the guise of drugs and acupuncture, punish me.
I receive a revelation from Jun Heo about the position of the church, the position of our clergy. We too have received the body of the Lord. Therefore, you must know what His will is like Heo Jun. The path of our clergy must be as serious as Jun Heo's path of medicine. You must be crazy about Heo Jun's sincerity.
What is the Church? Jesus is present. Jesus wanted to keep him here. He wanted his disciples to inherit that will. As the disciples and early Christians shared the Lord's Supper, they thought over and over who we are. I thought over and over what it means to be present in Jesus. So the Lord's Supper was repeated over and over again.
Now, let's translate Heo Jun's confession of faith into our own words.
God, hear our oath. If we betray the grace of the Lord bestowed upon us by our church for a short time, punish us. Also, if we are troubled on the road to becoming a church, living as Christians, neglecting to establish justice and practicing love, or greedy for money or fame in the name of prayer and service, punish us. -So-Seo. This go-ma-um, swear-se-ko, forever, never forget-uh-oh-ri-da.