Title: You must make amends
Contents
Exodus 22:1-9 You must make restitution.
I went to One Dollar House a few days ago and there was this interesting writing on the door. "If we break we cry, if you break you buy." What this means is that if the owner carelessly breaks the item, he will cry sadly because the damage has been done, and if the customer carelessly breaks the item, the customer will have to take the broken item and pay the compensation.
It's a natural statement, it's a natural truth, but because it was expressed very simply and wisely, I was able to laugh and say to myself, 'That's a really interesting expression!"
Everyone, think about it. If you are a store owner and a customer comes and touches an item and breaks it, and you just walk away without paying the price for the broken item, then that person cannot be considered to have a good conscience and a clean conscience.
And it is natural for the store owner to be angry when he sees such a person. He grabs the person who broke the item and says, "Hey, you broke this thing, so you shouldn't have to pay compensation?" will say
But if the customer says, "Oh, is it okay to be so rude to a customer? 'The customer is the king!' Haven't you heard the saying? I can't pay you back." What will happen next if you cry and instead point at the owner with a hostile letter?
If you're like a bad-tempered owner, "Hey, this is XXX!" and will swear loudly. And if you're a cold-hearted owner, "What's with all these things?" And I might call the police.
And even if the owner of the store is a very kind person, it is natural to feel offended, and he may pray that he hopes that such bad customers will never come to his store again.
Everyone, have you not suffered any loss while living in this world?
And in 2001, did you not suffer any damage from others? Conversely, have you done any harm to others?
Of course, the damage can be not only material damage, but also mental, physical, and spiritual damage. And if there is such a loss between both sides, how do you think the problem should be resolved? Of course, the party who caused the damage should compensate the party who suffered the damage.
Today, in the text of this issue of compensation, God also says, "You must compensate." you are saying He told me to sell my body double, quadruple, and fivefold, and make amends with the best.
That is, God is the One who tells us to make amends when we inflict damage on others. If God does not teach the law of reparation and grants unconditional forgiveness, then he will become a God of injustice who helps people commit sins.
Think about it. I broke someone's tooth and didn't pay for it, and said, "I'm sorry, I've repented to God, so it's ok!" If you say so, isn't it real?
And if you kill someone in a car accident, you should pay compensation, if you inflict damage to the company because of your own fault, you should also compensate.
In the Bible, how thoroughly God teaches the law of reparation: "Life is life, eyes are eyes, teeth are teeth, hands are hands, feet are feet, what is heated is heated, what is bruised is bruised, For what was beaten, make reparation for what was beaten” (Exodus 21:23-25).
If you look at this verse, you might think that God is an unrepentant and cruel God. But God himself said, "I am merciful" (Exodus 22:27).
But why is he saying this? God tells us
This is to teach the law that requires thorough compensation for damage caused to this other person.
If you have caused material damage to others in your life, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it is the will of God that pleases God that you should pay compensation for that material, but it is never God's will to take it away from you.
One day, Jesus visited the house of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. But Zacchaeus said to Jesus: "Lord, if I have extorted someone else's things, I will compensate you fourfold." (Luke 19:8)
Then Jesus praised him in front of everyone and said, "Today salvation has come to this house, for this man is also a descendant of Abraham." (Luke 19:9)
In other words, when it comes to who is a man of God and who is a right Christian, a person who realizes that he or she has done something wrong or inflicted damage on others and who promises to compensate the damage is a right and perfect Christian.
Therefore, if you have caused damage to others in the past, or if you have borrowed money and failed to repay it, it is the right act that pleases God to visit that person and repay the damage.
If you do not have the ability to pay compensation, go to the person and say, "I'm sorry. I believed in God and repented, but I came here because God told me to compensate for the damage. However, I am not yet able to compensate, so please wait a little longer. If I earn money, I will pay it back first." I did." It is a right Christian to say.
If that person is a very tough person who does not seem to be able to speak these words, he should go to God and pray that he will bless him quickly so that he can pay compensation for the damage. However, to pray to God for only blessings without thinking of making such reparations is a false belief that does not know the truth, and even those who do not believe will be humiliated.
And if you inflict not only material damage, but also invisible mental damage or damage, you must compensate for the damage. Regarding this, Jesus told us:
"If 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." (Matthew 5:23-24)
Only then will God be pleased with the sacrifice. Therefore, we go to the person we have hurt in the past with our words and actions and say, "Repent for the unintentional torment in the old days. Please forgive me. It was because I was hard-hearted at that time, because I did not know the truth, and because I did not understand the truth. I prayed to God, and God told me to go and apologize and make amends, so I came here.” Wouldn't you like to say, "Hey, the God you believe in, I want to believe too!"
Everyone, including me and you, all human beings have committed many sins, both big and small. However, we humans do not have the capacity to make reparation for our sins.
So, since Adam, all mankind, along with death, are suffering from diseases and curses that are the punishments of sin, aren't they? And isn't it the punishment of hell in the end for not paying the price for that sin?
Everyone, isn't it? Even in this world we live in, if we are unable to compensate for our sins, then we have to face the punishment until the other person indemnifies them for the damage, right?
When we humans do not have the ability to make reparations, and suffer and groan, a person who will compensate us has appeared, and that person is Jesus Christ, whom we believe in, isn't it?
Ladies and gentlemen, didn't Jesus appear on this earth to pay damages on our behalf? And didn't Jesus pay for all our sins by dying on the cross?
On the cross, Jesus said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) Doesn't that mean that Jesus has fulfilled all our restitution? That's why we sing like this, don't we? "On the cross of Calvary, my burden has been released~♬"
Since Jesus paid the full reward for us 2000 years ago, we are no longer sinners or debtors, and can come boldly before the throne of God. And because God hears our prayers, isn't it that our labor and heavy burdens are relieved?
In other words, because of the reparation of Jesus Christ, there was reconciliation with God, because of the reparation, the devil can no longer take us captive, and because of the reparation, we have salvation, healing, blessing, and eternal life. Without Jesus' reparation, we would still be enemies of God, slaves of the devil, and protagonists of sorrow.
But today we have the reparation of Jesus. Therefore, when we hold on to the name of Jesus and pray, we have God's healing, blessing, joy, and happiness. I pray that this grace will always be with you and me.
And today, as we look back on the past year, we must make amends for anything that may have broken God's heart. If you are asked how to pay compensation, this is what you do. "God, I was wrong. Please forgive me!"
God's heart is loosened with one word of true repentance. And we are reconciled to God again. And we rejoice and rejoice in coming to church. And again we are happy. May this grace be with you always.