Title: The Blessing of the Waiting and Longing
Blessings of those who wait and long for
Luke 12:35-40
2008. The original text of the Sunday sermon on January 21st
1. My crying face, my stupid face
I hate the brightly shining sun, I hate the sun
When someone recognizes me and asks me why I cry
I hated not being able to give you an answer.
* No matter how much I run to avoid the sun
the sun is still above me
I want to forget you, no matter how hard I try
No matter how hard I try, you are in me
2. Still your smile, those hands that touched me
I hate to miss you so much I hate you so much
Laughing and talking with a lot of people
I tried to forget, but the tears flowed again.
How to avoid the sun - Rain
This is a song called “How to Avoid the Sun” sung by a young singer called <Rain>. This young man recommends 'depression' because he wants to avoid the sun, but in fact, if you grow plants, they cannot live without the sun for a day. It stretches out toward the sun and produces green shoots and leaves, blossoms and bears fruit when exposed to sunlight.
Van Gogh loved this light, so he painted a field full of yellow sunlight and a sunflower standing towards the sun. The farmer sleeping on the straw in the golden fields is the happiest, even though he is not wearing any silk clothes. Isn't the happiest thing we see in nature is a cat sleeping in the sun, or a dog lying comfortably in the sun? But only humans are avoiding sunlight. Sunlight has become something to be avoided because of the slogan that UV rays cause premature aging, and sunblock propaganda that emphasizes the dangers of sunlight. It is common to live in an apartment all day, live in a building after going to work, and live with blinds in the sun.
It is only natural that those who turn away or avoid this way keep away from God, who is the sun of the soul. They live in fear, avoiding God, just as they like darkness and night streets without sunlight.
“My crying appearance, my foolish appearance, I hate the brightly shining sun, I hate the sun.”
To say that it is cool to say that you hate the sun like this, and to have an appeal to the emotions of young people, reflects the current situation in which people hate bright things and enjoy dark and gloomy things that much. No plant hates the sun. All animals on the earth also look to the sun to live. As the lords of all things, it would be right to sing, “Look, the sun rising in the East Sea, isn't it right for us to keep it?” as a singer sang before.
People compare their loved ones to the moon. I like to liken Jesus, who enters and ministers to the awake, to the rising sun. Jesus is like the sun that distributes grace equally to all. “The Father makes the sun rise alike on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike” (Matthew 5). :45).
It is because we do not meet Jesus, who is like the sun, in our lives, and because we do not have the light, we are depressed, dark and deep in despair. Can sunflowers leave the sun and do well? Can the grass in the field sing "I hate the sun"?
Current world energy consumption is 33% oil, 25% coal, 18.5% natural gas, 12% wood, charcoal and biomass (plant and animal waste used as heat source), 6% hydro power, 5% nuclear power, Finally, wind and solar energy account for only 0.5%. Franz Alt's book, <Ecologist Jesus> (109f.), emphasizes that it is time to harness the power of the sun.
“The sun provides us with 15,000 times the amount of energy currently needed by all humans on Earth. The sun supplies the Earth with 35,000 × 1 trillion kilowatt hours of light energy every year. The sun gives us free The sun doesn't bill us.”
He said that the sun has a radius of about 700,000 km, and only about 10 square meters of the total area of the sun can generate the energy produced by Germany's intermediate power plants. It is said that the energy of sunlight falling on 10% of the Sahara Desert is more than enough for all of Western Europe. As the saying goes, the war for Iraq is a war to secure oil, we are facing a crisis again and again because of energy. In this regard, it is necessary to develop and utilize infinite solar energy.
While I was writing this manuscript, Elder Lim called me. KEPCO is running a private electricity business, and if there is only 10,000 pyeong of land, KEPCO will pay for the construction cost and purchase electricity from KEPCO for the next 20 years. It also means that we must now depend on solar energy.
I would like to apply this to our faith as well. When we have a heart disease, it makes sense to visit a doctor for consultation and to pay for treatment. However, the light of God's grace is inexhaustible and inexhaustible like the light of the sun. God doesn't even send us bills. All we need to do is approach, pray, and He hears us. Solar energy requires technology and investment to develop, but there is no such advanced technology to receive God's grace. Metaphorically speaking, on the cross of Jesus Christ, the way has already been opened for us to receive grace free of charge, and the gas pipe is with us. We just need to connect the gas pipeline to us. It is prayer and praise. Worship.
Just like plants and animals living on the earth, there is only one way for humans to enjoy the blessings of life. It is simply living in succession to the Lord who gives sunlight and rains to everyone. It is the only way to live in succession to the Lord who comes in to those who wake up to prayer and prepare the table for them.
Van Gogh's paintings are now selling for tens of billions of won. Van Gogh captured the dazzling sunlight in his canvases in Arles, France, which is famous for having a lot of sunlight. That sunlight is free now and then. But when you put it on canvas, its value becomes invaluable. The sun that was shining on Van Gogh is now shining on us as well. However, it is of no use to those who say they hate the sun and live avoiding it. St. Francis sang, “O my sister moon, oh my brother the sun”. Those who welcome and welcome the sun will be inspired the same as those given to Van Gogh. The Lord is not like a jailer or an auditor. It is important to know that he is like the sun rising in the East Sea, who gives us infinite grace.
Then how can we receive Christ, who is the sunlight?
Verse 35a says, “Be girded about your loins.”
At that time, people wore loose clothing in the house without a belt. Having a belt around your waist means you were getting ready to go on a trip out. This refers to the state in which the 5th squad is ready to perform any activity or service and is on standby, just like in the military, the 5th squad is dressed for dispatch and goes to sleep.
Verse 35b says, “Keep the lamp lit.”
Even today, people leave the lights on when waiting for someone. This means waiting and welcoming to the person who arrives.
Verse 36 says, “Be like those who are waiting for their master to open the door when he returns from the wedding banquet and knocks.”
Here, the image of the owner emerges as a person knocking on the door from the outside. This image also appears in the book of Revelation.
“Look, I am standing outside the door and knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
We are accustomed to the image of the Son of Man who rides the clouds at the end of time and judges the universe. However, it is a new interpretation and understanding of the owner, who knocks on the door of the house late at night and may suffer outside if he does not open the door from inside. The book of Revelation says that if we open the door, he will come in and eat with us. It is more emphasized in today's text.
Today's believers often think of this unannounced master's image as the image of an officer on duty patrolling the sentries.
However, the image of the master in verse 37 is very radical. Astonishingly, the owner says, “He will gird himself and set them down at the table, and he will come and minister to them” (verse 37). No matter how hard the servants wait for their master, it is impossible for a master to serve his servants. This is not a description of a common sense situation, but rather a gift of unconventional grace that will be bestowed upon a believer who lives in an apocalyptic faith.
A child waiting for a parent is not awake because of the fear of the parent, but rather is awake by loving the parent, expecting something from the parent, and holding back sleep to please the parent. When parents come and open the door, they come in, give gifts and eat delicious food together. This is the present end and a new view of time for believers, as Luke thinks.
That's right. Those who prepare, wait, and longing meet Jesus. They are the ones who bask in the eternal energy of the sun. They live a victorious life.