Title: The Way of Man
First of all, I would like to introduce an article by Seong-hyeon, an old oriental man.
"It seems that the young man's unsophisticated persistence in finding the way is visible. The heart of an investigator who digs into his ground just as a dreadful caterpillar gnaws at a tree before becoming a colorful butterfly is heartbreaking. At first glance, their The difference seems small, but when they become butterflies, their difference will be infinite."
Most people are looking for a way to quickly succeed in the world, a way to earn a lot of money, but in contrast to that, the figure of a young man who searches for the meaning and purpose of life and sets out to find the way to the completion of his life. Somehow, it seems to be living backwards in time. It is a universal belief and philosophy of life in our day to believe that all such young people in this world will inevitably fall behind, and that only those who are shrewd and able to walk a tightrope can succeed. However, even though the life of an investigative person who digs into their own grounds may seem outdated and pathetic, when they reach a certain stage in their lives, the difference is enormous. In such a state, you will know what happiness really is in life. Such a life is very precious.
Everyone seems to know the way to go, but in reality they don't. So many people struggle with the path they need to take. Especially for a young man who has a lot of road left to go, it is not so easy to find a way for him to go. Because the way is hidden. Therefore, since wisdom is more necessary than knowledge to find one's way, those who want to go right in their own way must seriously listen to the Word of Wisdom.
The words of this psalm are words of wisdom that guide those who are truly asking the way to go as a human being. If you listen to this word of wisdom, you will be able to find the right path without much trial and error. However, the direction presented here is a bit old-fashioned because it is on a different level from what the world seeks. However, if you follow the path presented here, the result will be like a tree planted by a stream. Otherwise, if you follow the worldly path, you will get results like chaff from the wind.
The human path presented in the text is presented in two ways: the negative side and the positive side.
First, in a passive way, we do not follow the way of life of the unrighteous. In the text, people who lead an unrighteous way of life are represented as wicked, sinners, and arrogant people. They do not follow the path to success and happiness they have devised, do not envy or imitate the lifestyle they live on, and do not share their lives with them. In the text, words that describe their whole way of thinking and actions are expressed as verbs such as "follow, stand, sit".
The characteristic of such people is that their way is not recognized by God because the starting point of their thinking begins with the premise that there is no God. An important warning from the Bible is that a path that is not approved by God is in vain, no matter how honorable and rich it may be. In the text, such life is described as chaff blown by the wind. Since chaff is not a grain, it cannot take root, so it does not bear fruit and its movement is horizontal. Such a life cannot stand judgment. This symbolizes death. It means an empty life that is not accompanied by the fulfillment of life.
Then, on the positive side, he presents a life of "delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it day and night." This is a form of life in which human beings find the true way to go in the law. The law here means more than just the Ten Commandments. It means the entire Pentateuch. The law was given by God to the people of Israel so that they could find the right path in a world like the vast sea. Therefore, the way the Law suggests is not the way of death, but the way of eternal life. That path is the path approved by God.
It shows concretely how to find a way in the Word. It is to “rejoice in the law and meditate on it day and night.” Since the words of the Bible are the events that God came to human beings, we hear the words of inspiration when we meditate on those events deeply. When traveling to European countries with long Christian traditions, most of the tourist destinations are old castles, cathedrals, and churches. Inside the majestic cathedrals built with unique architectural styles for each period, there are many things worth savoring. Especially common in any church or church are the icons painted on stained glass. Some of the old buildings are not easily recognizable because they are heavily soiled with dust. But outside, when the sun comes in through the window, the picture on the window comes out very clearly.
It is meaningless if it ends with knowing the direction of the road to take. You have to step into it. Along the way, you will experience a variety of experiences and understand life anew. However, the path shown by meditating on the Word is not only a smooth and easy path. Because it is the way of life, it is difficult to go, it is strenuous, and it entails loneliness. But there is a sense of hope, joy, and fulfillment. Because that path is a path approved by God, God is with him.
The image of life being formed along the way is described in the text as a tree planted by a stream. Trees planted by streams produce fruit depending on the season and do not wither. And the movement of the tree planted by the stream is vertical. Such trees do not wither because they are deeply rooted by streams. It doesn't dry out or blow away even when the sun is shining and the wind blows. This shows how solid and sure life is to live a life rooted in the Word of God. In the Bible, a dry leaf is a symbol of death and judgment. On the other hand, a tree planted by a stream is a symbol of life, hope, and achievement.
Blessing in the text does not mean wealth, health, or success. It has to do with the way life is being formed. The meaning of blessing in the text is that the life itself is formed by following the path suggested by God's Word rather than following the way of life of those who deny God. In other words, it means a life that is oriented toward eternal life. Even though suffering and loneliness or poverty are accompanied by it, such a life is called the life of the blessed.
The life of the blessed person taught by Jesus means those who walk that path of life. Jesus said that the road was never a broad road, but a narrow road. So a lot of people said they didn't want to go down that road. However, those who want to shape their own lives correctly, those who do not want their lives to be empty, must choose the narrow path to go.
There is an exemplary entrepreneur who will not be forgotten in our memory. That person is Yoo Il-han, whom everyone in our country knows well. He is the only entrepreneur in our country who deserves to be introduced to the world. He was not the head of a chaebol of a large corporation, nor was he a prominent figure in any political party. He was the founder of a small pharmaceutical company who lived a simple and simple life. His name will not be forgotten and remembered by future generations because he has walked a path that is recognized by God as an entrepreneur.
Clergy, businessmen, politicians, educators, artists, doctors, soldiers, merchants, everyone who works in every field has a path of significance for him to follow. It is the path that leads to the completion of one's life. Life is neither speculation nor a means of making money. Life is a gift from God that each of us must shape. Blessed are those who lead their lives right.
Dear saints,
Just because we have entered a profession or secured a position that is guaranteed for a lifetime in society does not mean the end of our path. The path that every person has to go from the moment he is born until he stands before God does not end. The path we have to take is only as a professional, not as a craftsman. The path we need to take is as a professional who follows the human path and as a craftsman who follows the human path.
Since our lives are being shaped by the human path we should follow, our appearance here should not appear in the form of a beast or a monster. Since we were made in God's image, we must appear as human beings in God's image as we are being formed in God's image.
So, there are questions we need to ask ourselves from time to time in the path of life we choose. I need to ask whether the path I am taking is the path approved by God, whether I am shaping my life right now, and whether this path I am taking is truly the path of the Blessed One.
We now close with today's psalms and the words of Jesus.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, who does not enter the way of sinners, who does not sit with the scornful, but delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates on it day and night. As a tree yields its fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wither, and everything they do will prosper, but the wicked do not, they are like chaff that is blown away by the wind. Therefore, when the wicked are judged, their faces are not lifted up, and sinners You cannot enter the assembly of the righteous, yes, the way of the righteous is approved by the Lord, but the way of the wicked will be destroyed."
“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many enter in, and narrow and narrow is the gate that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).