Families living apart
Contents
1 Timothy 5:8 Families living apart
I received the title of today's Word from God. 'Families living apart'. But when I received the title of the sermon, I asked God. "God, the Sunday sermon should be a sermon that applies to all members in common. Even though our church is an immigrant church established in Canada, how many families live apart? Of course, there are quite a few, but not all of them. So The title 'Families Living Far Away' is a bit like that, or how about omitting 'field' from the title?"
But how did God respond? First, just add 'fields'. Second, yes, subtract the 'field' as you said. Third, there was no response. God's answer given to me is, 'Third, there was no answer.' God often comes to us in this way. It's a case of just telling us what to do and then we ask 'why?' and then he doesn't tell us in detail.
In Genesis 22, God spoke to Abraham. "Abraham!" "Yes, here I am." “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to Mount Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on the mountain as long as I will show you.” No, when did you give birth to a son at the age of 100, and now you are killing him in pieces and killing him? What nonsense is this? It is absolutely incomprehensible to human reason.
Against this command of God, we can raise numerous objections. "No, God why? You suddenly became a cannibal? You want to eat barbecue, but you eat it from cows or sheep. Why do you want to eat human meat? God, are you crazy?" At this time, God said, "Abraham, this is because I have a will. Is it because I want to eat human meat? You believe in me." No hints like this. He simply gives orders and demands obedience from us. We ask "Why?" countless times, but we don't answer every single one of them. Of course, later on, you will know that God's will is good.
God gave me a command, and I said, "Why? How about this?" I ask a question, but God does not answer that question. These days, when raising young children, fathers ask their children, "Why?" If you ask me, they teach me very kindly. Then, the children will either understand while listening to Dad's kind explanation, or even if they don't understand, they will see Dad's sincerity and say "Aha- that's right! And you pretend you know. That's because Dad doesn't disappoint.
However, there are many cases in which God only speaks nonsense and does not give detailed explanations about it. At this time, "Ah, God is less caring than my father! He doesn't even explain it!" Thinking like this, you shouldn't cry out to God. Then you should think like this. "God is so lacking in IQ that no matter how much I explain it, how frustrating it must be because I can't understand it. God, I believe that God has a good will even if I don't understand it. I will obey." Hallelujah!
And when God doesn't explain each one individually, there are often cases where you have to find the answer yourself through the Bible. Because we can know God's will through the Bible, I looked at 'families living apart' in the Bible. But I discovered something really surprising. All people on earth are one family, born of Adam and Eve. And furthermore, we are all part of Noah's family.
According to the Bible, there are 8 Noah's family who survived when God judged Noah's day with a flood. Noah and his wife, and Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their three wives. Among them, we Koreans are Semitic, the first son of Noah. However, at first, these families lived together and built the Tower of Babel. It is the Tower of Babel of pride that says to become like God. God wanted humans to prosper and live comfortably in the world, but these are the rebellious Towers of Babel that refuse to do so.
God looked down from above. It became a bad idea for humans to build the Tower of Babel like that in the future. That's why he made each human language different. Eventually, when the will did not work out, the construction of the Tower of Babel did not progress and Noah's family was scattered. Looking at this Tower of Babel incident, we ask God these questions. "God, no, I can't help other people's work by becoming God, but what's the point of interrupting other people's work in that way?
That is, asking questions that raise doubts about the goodness of God. And if you don't get the right answer to such a question, you either get angry with God and give up trusting in God, or you don't have a good heart toward God. Have any of you ever been in a situation like this? You don't really like what's going on around you. So I ask God. "God, are you really like this? You say you love me? But what is this? Does God's love always spoil me in this way? Really, God's hobbies are very strange."
Ladies and gentlemen, God did not stop the construction of the Tower of Babel because he was a bad God, but because God stopped the construction in advance because a greater calamity could come to mankind. It's not mentioned in the Bible, but I thought about it myself. “The purpose of the Tower of Babel construction is to ‘avoid being scattered on the ground.’ If it is good to live together without being scattered on the ground, it is good when it is good, but if there is a war later because of land battles or various events, the seeds of the family will dry up altogether. Maybe. In that case, how great would the pain between family members be?"
Ladies and gentlemen, if you put your thoughts on the goodness of God in everything like this, there will be no problem with God's goodness. And we do not fall into temptations for nothing. Therefore, I ask in the name of the Lord that you always think that God is good. However, due to this Tower of Babel incident, Noah's family was scattered all over the earth. Therefore, all human beings, without exception, are scattered families. Families living apart.
But will families living apart are happy? Or will the families living together be happy? My question is wrong. Some families are happy to live apart, while others are happy to live together. And some families must live apart to fulfill God's will, while others must live together to fulfill God's will. That is, case by case.
'Families living apart' are referred to as 'goose families'. I wonder. Why is it called 'the geese family'? How about 'The Sparrow Family'? Or a 'migratory bird family'? I did some searching. It comes out like this. "The 'family of geese' is not because the geese live separately, but because of the geese' habits. The female lays the eggs and incubates them, the males guard the females and their young around the nest. While the children are studying abroad early, the mother takes care of the children and the father earns money to cover the living expenses... Because these are similar to geese.
It is often compared to mandarin ducks, but mandarin ducks are actually flirts, and the bird they love is a geese. It is known that geese do not remarry for the rest of their lives when they are alone and fervently raise their young. That's where the phrase 'goose daddy' comes from, who has no choice but to live apart from his family. It seems that the head of a family who silently accepts the hard work of living alone and fights loneliness with only one warm family love is called 'goose father'."
There are quite a few 'goose families' in our church. To have a 'goose family' means that there is also a 'goose father'. Since I am a man and a father, I thought about 'Dad of Goose'. In one word, "Ah- that must be hard!" Men, in particular, are more prone to loneliness as they get older. And no matter how mature you are, you need physical love between a man and a woman. It's instinct. I endure that instinct thinking of my children studying abroad and thinking of my supportive wife.
But there are times when it is very difficult. I come home with my body exhausted and weary from work. There are no wives to welcome at home, no children like bunnies hanging around. In the bathroom, there is a sense of slack scattered all over the place. The smell of loneliness lingers in the house for a long time. Suddenly, the cold rice is rolled up in water and the sadness comes over. Tears fall and go into the rice. You will weep and cry.
Just like that, I eat, wash the dishes, and have a video chat with my beloved wife and children. the wife asks. "Did you eat well?" "Yeah... you? Did you eat something with the kids?" "Yeah... They said they wanted to eat pizza today, so they just came here to eat pizza. But what should I do? They say they don't have enough tuition... Can you give me some more money?" "..." As usual, "No, I gave you money a while ago... Have you already used it? Is this guy's girlfriend cheating on you?" I'd be joking that day, but without saying anything that day, "Okay! I'm very tired today! I'll give you the money tomorrow." and end the video chat. And the news came after that. 'Father Goose Suicide'
Our church also has the pain of families living apart like this. In Korea, there is also a cafe called 'Meeting of Goose Dads'. There is a guide out there. "I want to share my friendship with those who are struggling and struggling lonely because of their children's education issues.... Five years have already passed since I broke up with my family... No matter what I do, the void in my family cannot be filled.. .. It is heartbreaking.... Why?... Why do I have to live so hard.... Sometimes I think about it... Anyway, I hope that it will become a cafe where similar people can gather and fill the void in their hearts.... "
Those who believe in this kind of pain also consult with God. “God, why does our family have to live so far apart?” It would be nice if God could give us an easy answer to this, but when we don't, we see people in a similar situation to me in the Bible, that is, families living apart.
There are many instances in the Bible where the families of God's chosen people live apart. Even when God first called Abraham, he said, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house." In other words, separation from family is the first command of God. No, what if God created the family system and told them to live apart from now on?
And Jacob, too, was separated from his family because his brother was trying to kill him, so he stayed at his maternal uncle Laban's house for a long time. Also, Joseph had to experience the pain of separation from his family as he was trafficked by his other brothers and taken to Egypt as a slave. However, even the separation between such families was later used as a way to accomplish God's good work.
Folks, in this world, there are only families who are all living apart. In my case, too, I live apart from my beloved family. It is not because I have a hidden second wife and hidden children, but because I have sent my beloved father and mother to heaven and live apart. This is because not only the living are family members, but those who have died in the Lord are also family members. Sometimes I miss my mother and father. But the day I see my mother and father I miss is the day I die. Then I will go to heaven and it will be fine, but again, my wife and my daughter become a separate family.
Even today, there are many people living apart from their parents and living apart from their wives, husbands, and children. There will be people you want to see, and there are still people you don't want to see, but we are all families living apart. Moreover, there are times when I think of and miss the family members who have been separated while coming to this foreign land across the Pacific Ocean. But don't worry too much. When a soldier is discharged from the military after completing his duty and returns to his hometown, he can meet his long-lost parents and family again.
On the day when the mission God has given me is completed, we will all be reunited from separated families. Until that day comes, I hope that you will silently carry out your mission well, and try to make the moment of reunion with your family more beautiful. Obviously, if there is a time to fall and part, there will always be a time to meet again. And remember today's text as well. "Look after your family."