Title: Two essential elements of happiness
Zechariah (34) Two essential elements of happiness
(Zech 11:9-14)
< The True Shepherd >
Zechariah 11 is a chapter that describes what human beings will take when the Messiah comes to this earth. At that time, human pride reaches its peak and is destroyed (verses 1-3), and the shepherds fall terribly and sell their flocks to fill their stomachs (verse 5). However, when the true shepherd emerges, two works arise. One is the history of God Himself feeding, symbolized by the “stick of grace,” and the other is the creation of a history of communication between hearts, symbolized by the “stick of unity.”
Even in the father-son relationship, parents these days seem to be good to their children, but the true meaning of devotion and sacrifice is often less than in the past. So, instead of educating parents with consideration for their children by not going inside and building a fence on the outside, they educated according to their parents' competitive spirit and desire to show off.
How do you solve the problem? If your child rushes in like a prey, you have to be a parent who gets into your child well. "Hey! I am sorry!” On the other hand, if parents rush in like a prey, the children will also say, “Parents! I’m sorry.” You have to go into your parents’ minds. When you enter the community with your spouse and children through the spirituality of a martyr, the work of God's grace overflows as a 'blessing', and the work of unity through people and hearts appears as a 'change'.
The shepherd in the text ignores the image of such a true shepherd and only thinks of eating it. Eventually, God cuts off such a shepherd (verse 7), and the rod of God's grace and the rod of unity are broken because of the shepherd who eventually abandoned the sheep (verses 9-14). Looking at these words, we realize that the shepherd and the church should always focus on the problem of the soul.
< Two essential elements of happiness >
The saints belong to the “Lord’s Church,” but they are not the property of the “local church.” Therefore, it is not necessary to serve only one church for the rest of your life, and you can change churches if it is God's will. I feel sad when someone leaves my side, but I have to be willing to let go for a better future. Churches usually welcome the saints when they come and absolutely oppose them when they leave. In the meantime, we should have pity on the members who are in a situation where they have no choice but to change the church because many members are hurt.
Whatever it is, the last one is important. A truly great shepherd is a shepherd who thinks about the soul when he leaves the church, like when he is loyal to the church, and knows how to do the final arrangements and let him go. Just as birds cross borders in search of food and water, saints can cross church walls in search of happiness and peace. In such a situation, the shepherd must open the way for the soul, the way of peace, and the way of blessing, whether at the beginning, the middle or the end.
If you have no choice but to go, you should be willing to let go. You just need to overcome the desire to run a boat through the flock. It hurts to send, but if you send it well, God comforts you and gives you more. Also, if someone leaves, there may be financial damage, but if they leave well, God will fill the finances as well.
Who cares about the soul and knows the happiness of ministry? The latter is the shepherd. God hates a shepherd who regards his flock as his own (v. 8). On the other hand, he loves the shepherd who opens the way for the happiness of the sheep. You must train a broad mind to find the way to the happiness of the flock. Don't think that it's okay for me to leave and it's not okay for others to leave. Understand and be considerate of the soul's cry of wanting to live.
To create a happy community, you need to do two things well. A willingness to feed and a willingness to let go. These two are the two essential elements of happiness. When you live with such a sheep-centered mindset and consider others, God's grace abounds and your life becomes richer. Think of the soul that is with me and the soul that leaves me. If you understand other people's circumstances and endure hardships with generosity and joy, God's blessings will never evade your soul.
< The blessing of meeting a good shepherd >
When the Messiah comes like this, when the Messiah comes, when the human race reaches its peak of pride, it perishes, and the shepherds fall horribly, becoming soul-eating shepherds, and finally, how far will they go? They reject the Messiah, the true shepherd. So the Messiah is sold for thirty pieces of silver (verse 12). This verse is a prophecy about selling the Messiah for thirty pieces of silver. God told him to throw the money he had earned to the potter (verse 13). This prophecy was later fulfilled when Judas Iscariot returned the thirty pieces of silver he had received as a ransom for Jesus to the high priest, and the high priest used the money to buy a potter's field (Matthew 27:3-10).
If you reject the Messiah and follow the false shepherd, two judgments will come. First, the rod of grace is broken (verse 10). It symbolizes the loss of relationship with God. Second, the stick of unity is broken (verse 14). It symbolizes the severance of relationships with humans. This verse shows how important it is to meet a good shepherd. A good shepherd is not a shepherd who preaches well, but a shepherd who has been with God for a long time. Everyone has a time of grace when God is with them. It is important to maintain that grace consistently.