Title: Reconciliation/Matthew 5:21-26
Contents
Reconciliation / Matthew 5:21-26
The Bible speaks of the cause of sin as severing our relationship with God.
After Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, were expelled from the Garden of Eden, the record of the crime recorded is 'murder'. This is the case in which Cain killed his brother Abel.
Adam and Eve had to feel the pain of seeing the consequences of their good and evil and their transgressions in their children who were not at peace.
The image of a sinful world is found in discord.
The image of the righteous kingdom of God is revealed in reconciliation.
The most beautiful thing about the family community in the world is that it has the greatest ability to reconcile. Violence, politics, and corporations are groups that are united for profit, so there may be some degree of loyalty within them, but the fight cannot be stopped because the opponent is always there. Living a righteous life in such a world seems impossible indeed.
I would like to define Christians as 'people who achieve harmony in a world where a harmonious life seems impossible'. At its root lies the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
In a world apart from Christ, reconciliation is impossible.
However, as long as Jesus Christ lives, we have his body life, and we have the confidence to live like him, the kingdom of the Lord's righteousness can be achieved on this earth.
The world is ruled by injustice.
Righteousness is more often the victim of injustice.
But ironically, because of that sacrifice, injustice loses its power.
This is how God's history unfolded.
Cain killed Abel. Abel, as a righteous living man, became a victim of unrighteousness. That's why he didn't kill Cain. He convicts of his sin and sends the three to reconcile. We see that Cain's descendants will still be descendants of sin, but Seth's descendants will become descendants of strong righteousness.
It is not without punishment, but greater is the power of sacrifice.
Punishment is only a tool of enlightenment, but sacrifice is life.
Why did Jesus Christ have to die?
For injustice loses its power only when he dies.
Just as Cain, who killed Abel, loses his power and becomes a wanderer, Satan lost much of his control of the world through the death of Jesus Christ, and gave space for the kingdom of Christ to exist on earth.
The power of Christianity on the Korean Peninsula can only be explained by the power of martyrdom and sacrifice.
Leaving God is very natural in this world ruled by Satan.
Is it easy for you to draw near to God? Is it easy to leave!
Obviously it's easy to leave.
I don't believe in Jesus. Is it easy for my children to believe in Jesus? It's easy not to believe! Of course, it's easy not to believe.
Our distant ancestors have left God. It was a tragedy.
Even the descendants of Seth left God one by one.
The only family left was Noah's family. This is the history of the world.
You don't know how strong the heart to depart from God is in human nature.
Other gods and gods are willing to believe in idols and religions, but God wants to leave.
Reconciliation with God only exerts its power through sacrifice.
So Jesus died, and when the gospel came to this earth and the door of salvation was opened again, many foreign missionaries shed their blood for our people, and when the seeds of the gospel were sown in the early days, many of our ancestors shed the blood of martyrdom.
Even in human relationships, we know well that the bond of reconciliation is trust, and what makes that trust possible is sacrifice. Trust is as sticky as the amount of sacrifice.
Faith is trust.
Your relationship with God is based on trust. So it's called faith.
The Lord has become the bond as a sacrifice, and we, too, make the necessary sacrifice of devotion for the Lord, moving toward a deeper place of reconciliation.
Today, I am changing the subject of 'murder' to 'reconciliation' in delivering the words of this text.
This is the meaning of murder taught by Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
This is because the result of 'murder' is only a phenomenon that appears in a relationship that has not been reconciled.
As time goes by, murders, conflicts, and quarrels are getting worse.
If stronger laws are not enacted and are not restrained, society will no longer be able to run.
However, a society governed by law is not a good society.
A beautiful culture should be able to exert its power.
God is giving us the mission of Christian culture.
It is necessary that the law be applied fairly and strictly.
but it can't be the means
.
In the era of the Reformation, John Calvin was asked to rule by the city of Geneva and tried to reform by applying the city of Geneva as the Word. He tried to reform a city stained with sin as if operating with a sword of law, but many people were captured, imprisoned, and even burned at the stake. His rule was met with protests from the citizens, and he was eventually expelled to Strausburg. He was helping a friend's church work there, but within five years, Geneva was transformed into a city of irreversible corruption.
Then the city council decided to bring Calvin back, and Calvin came to rule Geneva again. Calvin experienced the mistakes of the past and tried new reforms, eventually turning Geneva from a city of sin into a holy city.
A culture of living according to the law of justice and the Word must be shared.
In dealing with the greatest sin of 'murder', God is pointing out the fundamental human heart and attitude that makes it possible.
An act of anger that tramples on one's personality and even the smallest language are defined as acts of murder.
If you can't control the anger that rises from your heart, it will be murder.
If abusive language that ignores undiscerned people comes out at will, your personality becomes dirty and you treat the other person's personality like a piece of paper.
Murder is an act that can occur when the character of the other person is ignored.
A culture of swearing is inevitably a breeding ground for crime.
If the injured person sacrifices and endures silently, a beautiful new life will be conceived, but if the wounded person explodes the wound, his mouth becomes rough and he harbors anger.
A long time ago, I saw a survey of profanity in Korea, and the Gwangju area in Jeollanam-do had the most profanity and the strongest. In particular, the Mokpo area was the worst, but I don't know how it is now, but after liberation, there have always been people from this area at the center of Korean gangs.
Although the rate of evangelization is higher than in other regions, the language is rather dirty due to the nature of the region that suffers a lot of wounds.
As the level of education increases, a lot of swearing seems to have disappeared, but in the recent internet era, faceless and nameless virtual spaces are becoming hotbeds of swearing. It seems that profanity is used as a tool to relieve stress. It seems to be used as a tool to establish one's authority with profanity.
It seems like a gift to not feel awkward even when you say exhausted profanity.
I was surprised when my wife pointed this out recently.
"Don't do it because it doesn't suit you," he gave a stinging advice.
Because I felt it, I will no longer use demeaning or vulgar language in the pulpit.
Above all, the Word forbids it.
?쏬et no unclean word come out of your mouth, but as it is for edification, let it be good, that it may bring grace to those who hear it??(Ephesians 4:29).
We must also think about cases where not only words, but also hurt and resentment worthy of resentment were caused. God first orders us to be reconciled to the world as those who are reconciled to God. You may have been okay in the past, but it is different if you become a man of God.
Worship is a time of sharing reconciliation with God.
However, we see that God refuses to enter the chapel of those who are not at peace with the world.
?쏧f you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go first, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift??(verses 23, 24).
I don't always hear criticism and resentment from others just because I've done something wrong.
God did not speak to us based on our wrongdoings.
It focuses on 'grievance and reconciliation'.
It is important not to feel resentment and to enable reconciliation.
Who can do this!
Ultimately, it is the power of sacrifice.
One such representative person is mentioned in the Bible. Isaac.
Isaac dug so many wells that he was called a well digger. (Genesis 26)
The well signifies an oasis in the dry land, and it has become a symbol of wealth in itself.
Having a well made him envious of the natives and caused discord.
So they tried to steal the well of the stranger Isaac.
At this time, Isaac continues to give up the oasis. It was a choice for reconciliation.
Although the well was lost, Isaac found reconciliation and became a person who received God's blessing.
The power of reconciliation is the key to victorious life as a Christian.
Beautiful worship is 'worship with reconciliation' and is the worship of reconciled Christians.
A worship service with a beautiful environment and a good program is only a good event to be seen.
Before you can expect good worship, you must become a good worshiper.
Let us all glorify God by being good worshipers, worshipers of reconciliation and reconciliation.
Today is a worship service with the sacrament.
Sharing blood and flesh is the sacrament.
The blood and flesh were the blood and flesh of Christ, and it was the content of the sacrifice for reconciliation.
We will have to sacrifice as much blood as we eat flesh.
As we partake of this sacrament, we must think of the mission of reconciliation.